OFT President @mcropper1 is joining in a press conference now with @OhioEA President @GovTeacherScott, Sam Shim (Worthington City School District school board member), @MatthewNowling and @DavidPepper.
The first question is for President Cropper and President DiMauro on DeVos's statements on reopening schools without regard to safety.
@GovTeacherScott: "Two words come to mind: callous and clueless."
@GovTeacherScott: "Two words come to mind: callous and clueless."
@mcropper1: "There's nothing more that teachers and school staff want than to be back in school in front of our children. The difference between us and Betsy DeVos & Donald Trump is that we also prioritize health and safety."
@mcropper1: "As we prioritized safety and flexibility in discussions in Ohio, our members were beginning to get comfortable with the idea of returning, but when Trump and DeVos escalated the rhetoric last week, our members became increasingly concerned for their lives and health"
Sam Shim: "It concerns me greatly as a school board member. The majority of funding from Dept of Ed goes to students with the greatest needs and they are threatening to cut that...Equal opportunity must be available to all students across the country."
@MatthewNowling: "Watching DeVos's recent comments made it clear that the Trump administration has no plans for schools to reopen safely...she refused to give a straight answer & is disregarding CDC guidance on reopening schools."
@GovTeacherScott on the need for additional funding for Ohio schools: "The cost for reopening schools safely are much higher than normal costs...at the same time we are facing a revenue crunch. The federal government is uniquely situated to help with that."
@mcropper1: "Prior to the pandemic we had schools that didn't even have soap in the bathrooms, teachers that were buying their own sanitizer and hand wipes...It's going to take so much more now, we're beyond just needing soap and sanitizer...
"We need more supplies, more staff, more teachers . This is a massive increase, it takes resources. The same Senators who put DeVos in office when she was confirmed need to step up and pass #HeroesAct to provide $2.1 billion for K-12 education in Ohio" - @mcropper1
Sam Shim: "My father passed away from coronavirus and it was very painful to witness this firsthand. I don't want other fmailies to experience that pain and go through what my family did...Teachers, students and families may die from exposure in schools...."
"We do not want to be bullied into making poor decisions." - Sam Shim
