But there were discussions between public health officials, state politicians and the White House about the conditions for reopening.
The decision to reopen was made by the governors of each state, with some Republicans choosing to ignore the strict guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) and bring children back early.
In July 2020, after the CDC released guidance laying out criteria for reopening schools, then-President Donald Trump said conditions were “very harsh and costly” and that teachers had been asked to “do so.” impractical things.”
He ordered new guidelines to be drawn up, repeatedly arguing that schools should reopen in the fall, a year before the first vaccine was approved in the United States.
A second tranche of guidance in February 2021 set out new conditions prohibiting the full reopening of schools in almost all areas.
Influenced by teachers unions?
The measures were questioned by some Republicans, who accused the CDC of being more influenced by teachers unions than by considering students’ educational outcomes.
Fauci has previously refused to describe the CDC’s school guidance as a mistake, arguing that his critics would “take the word out of context.”
Academic research has since shown that children in schools that remained largely closed during the pandemic are, on average, six months behind the pre-pandemic baseline in math.
An analysis of test score data in January by researchers at Stanford and Harvard universities found that students had made up about a third of their lost learning, but some experts believe the lost time can never be replaced. complete.
