Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (WI-07) called on Governor Tony Evers, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and incoming Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu to work together to set pragmatic guidelines for school districts to enable the full resumption of in-person classroom learning as soon as possible, citing a recent op-ed he authored in the Wisconsin State Journal.
Related: Rep. Tiffany: It’s Time To Change Quarantine Protocols For Schools
Mr. Tiffany issued the following statement:
“School is essential and online education is simply not an acceptable substitute for classroom learning. Overly restrictive quarantine and contact tracing protocols are threatening to interrupt the full return to in-person instruction in our schools, jeopardizing the academic future of our kids and pushing parents to the breaking point. We need realistic, workable and data-based guidelines to ensure that students, who have already lost the 2020 academic year don’t lose 2021, too.”
“Overzealous quarantine protocols are forcing dozens of kids who are not sick and exhibit no symptoms to miss school for weeks if they have even minimal exposure to someone who tests positive. This means just a handful of positive tests – regardless of whether they occurred in schools or not – can effectively shut down schools, placing more pressure on families and contributing to health care staffing shortfalls by forcing parents, who may be doctors, nurses or other front-line caregivers, to stay home with kids who are not ill, disrupting critical medical treatment efforts.”
“The data is clear: K-12 schools can operate responsibly, safely and effectively, and the governor and lawmakers should work together to empower our school administrators and school boards to implement common-sense, narrowly-tailored frameworks that reflect the needs and conditions of their unique communities while maximizing the academic well-being of our kids.”
Last Update: Nov 24, 2020 12:27 pm CST
