Thread by @AndrewUjifusa

Jim Blew, assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, says during his #EWA20 remarks there are basically two camps in education policy.

He says Betsy DeVos and others believe in an "education reform" model while teachers' unions believe in a "factory-model system."

Blew praises hard-working people in schools across the country. #EWA20

It's the factory-model system that I deplore, Blew says.

Money should make a difference and occasionally it does, Blew says.

He points #EWA20 to charter schools that he's seen do impressive things with more funding.

But he says that funding isn't the end-all, be-all of the conversation about schools.

The poor should have as many options as the affluent when it comes to education options, including private and faith-based schools, Jim Blew says at #EWA20.

Yet we limit more school choices for our most vulnerable children, Blew adds, and reporters should ask why that is.

.@SDrummondNPR asks about the national response to the pandemic for schools, and what Trump and DeVos have said about schools reopening.

Blew responds there's not much room for nuance in presidential rhetoric, and that Biden has ignored nuance with respect to schools. #EWA20

Under the DeVos "education reform" vision, Blew says, many traditional public schools would have followed the lead of successful charter schools and private schools that quickly switched to remote learning.

But by and large he says, children would be better off in school. #EWA20

Blew points to American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendations about the importance of students being in schools, although he notes there are important exceptions.

"The issue isn't actually the students. The issue is the adults," Blew says; adds it can be done safely. #EWA20

Blew says education lobbying groups in D.C. were saying that all the problems with the pandemic could be solved if schools just got a lot of money.

"Some of the numbers we were hearing were clearly eye-popping," Blew says. #EWA20

Worth noting that the American Academy of Pediatrics recently joined with the teachers' unions to make a public request: Don't politicize school reopenings.

blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaig… #EWA20

Jim Blew is asked about charter schools getting forgivable federal loans whether/how they should be paid.

Blew says we should want high-quality charter schools to survive the pandemic, but quasi-punts by saying such questions are best directed to the Treasury Department.

Jim Blew says: There are costs with making sure schools open safely, and we estimate those costs to be around $25 billion to $30 billion.

That 2nd number matches an important figure from a draft GOP-White House relief proposal for schools: blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaig… #EWA20

Jim Blew says he is "fascinated" that reporters want to lay poor performance of Michigan charter schools at the feet of Betsy DeVos. He says many other officials are directly responsible for such problems, unlike DeVos in her philanthropic role in the state. #EWA20

Blew: It should be up to parents whether to send their children to school environments, and it should be up to teachers to decide whether to work remotely or in-person, but science should guide such decisions.

Here's a related poll of teachers: blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teach… #EWA20

This pandemic could wipe out the private school sector, Blew says. #EWA20

Blew says the Education Department agrees with state education chiefs: testing can be good for students.

"Accountability aside, we need to know where students are so we can address their needs," Blew says.

Says waivers for 20-21 tests would be premature. #EWA20

In fact, Blew says, "Our instinct would be decline those waivers," referring to state requests for waivers from having to give federally required exams in 2020-21.

States like Georgia won't like the sound of that. #EWA20

Blew says the department's approach to special education during this period has been: We know it's hard, but those children can't simply be ignored.

DeVos declined to recommend major waivers from federal special education law due to the pandemic: blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaig… #EWA20

Many of the people on this #EWA20 call are part of the elite, Jim Blew says on the call. But many people who depend on schools in fundamental ways are not, he stresses.

"Choice is in itself an accountability mechanism," Jim Blew says. "It's the ultimately accountability. They [children] leave, and the money follows them."

#EWA20

Jim Blew says "fearmongering" has affected polling results on how people feel about schools physically reopening.

Blew says the numbers could shift in the upcoming weeks as more information comes out. #EWA20

A reporter asks Blew if he's aware of the average salary of a local reporter, and says those reporters are not among the "elite" as he indicated earlier.

Blew says "that's true" and apologizes. #EWA20

Blew then asks reporters compare their salaries to many teachers' pay and the benefits teachers get.

"Are you suggesting that teachers are overpaid?" @SDrummondNPR jumps in.

Blew says excellent teachers should be paid well and rewarded for effectiveness, not seniority. #EWA20

@SDrummondNPR We're going to continue to put pressure on schools to provide in-person instruction in the next school year, Jim Blew says. #EWA20

Congress just gave $13 billion to schools to help them "do a better job" with remote learning, Blew says.

If the resources had been used well in the first place, we might not be where we are, but we'd back additional resources for low-income areas, Blew adds. #EWA20

"I have nothing to say about child care," Blew says, but also says he has lots of opinions about it and then "sneaks in" a comment:

Child care is one thing, education is another, I'd say both things are needed right now. #EWA20

And that's that.