School district superintendents are planning to follow detailed guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) instead of the official guidance published by the White House (which can be viewed here.)
“Our recommendation to our members will be to follow that first report, official or not, because at least it gives pretty specific guidelines,” Daniel Domenech, executive director of AASA, the School Superintendents Association, which represents school district leaders across the country, told U.S. News & World Report. “The bottom line is that this new guidance is underwhelming,” he says. “The proposal that was leaked we found very comprehensive, providing the specificity we had been looking for. Apparently that was too specific for the administration and was squelched.”
The Associated Press uncovered a 63-page document the CDC prepared for the White House earlier this week that provides step-by-step instructions to help education officials, business owners and others begin reopening their communities. The document specifies that schools should remain closed, a sentiment that is at odds with President Trumps statements that schools should open. The AP claims that the CDC documents, which can be found here were buried by White House officials who preferred less restrictive guidance that left discretion up to state and local leaders rather than a national response.
The White House’s “Opening Up America Again” plan that was released April 17 included some of the CDC’s approach, but made clear that the onus for reopening decisions was solely on state governors and local officials.
