Former NC gov: Donald Trump, in NC today, is striking the wrong tone on opening schools 

With President Trump visiting North Carolina this week, one issue is quickly taking precedence over all others: determining how to ensure our children get the education they need without spreading a virus that continues to ravage our state and our country.

Republicans and Democrats alike can surely agree that the ideal scenario would be sending all our educators and students back to schools for in-person instruction. But the harsh reality we must recognize is that we are simply not able to do that right now. The coronavirus doesn’t discriminate when it comes to race, gender or socioeconomic status, and it certainly won’t spare our schools.

At this moment of crisis and uncertainty, we need leaders who will follow the science and data wherever they lead us, and right now, President Trump is failing to meet the moment.

Last week, the President said he wanted schools to reopen “100 percent,” while making veiled threats against local leaders and school districts that may be considering a delayed reopening or virtual instruction.

As North Carolina’s governor for 16 years, I oversaw some of the most significant reforms and new investments to our education system in this state’s history - and I know that to safely get our children through this crisis, we cannot throw caution to the wind and hope for the best.

When my administration led the effort to create Smart Start in North Carolina, we knew how important early education and development was to a child’s success, particularly those with learning disabilities or special needs. All the research shows that in-person instruction is a critical component of our children’s development as well.

The president wants life to return to normal. I do too. But we can’t do that until we get this virus under control, and bullying schools to fully reopen without safety protocols in place - the way the Trump administration has in recent days - is exactly the wrong approach.

In states like Arizona, Texas and Florida, we’ve seen the devastating consequences of reopening too soon without proper health guidelines in place. Anyone who thinks that our schools are somehow safe from the spread of the coronavirus clearly hasn’t been paying attention to what’s happened over the last few months.

To help states find a safe approach, President Trump should be working with school districts and local leaders to ensure public schools have the funding and flexibility to make instruction safe and available for all students - whether in person, virtual or a combination of both.

Here in North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper understands that to get back to normal, we have to stop the spread of the virus. His “Plan B” approach to reopening our schools sets in place critical safety guidelines while giving local leaders, school administrators, and parents the flexibility they need to make the decision that best fits their needs. Furthermore, our local boards of education are doing an exceptional job laying out the best approach for each county, and I commend them.

We owe it to our children, school staff and our educators to make sure we’re taking every precaution possible to ensure safe instruction. Any risk that potentially jeopardizes public health and safety is not a risk worth taking.

This story was originally published July 27, 2020 at 11:32 AM.