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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 8 July 2020
Continued from Front education and community
They minimized the risk of leaders," DeVos told gover-
the spread of COVID-19 nors.
among children but ac- It followed earlier com-
knowledged that it was im- ments from Trump insisting
portant to protect the vul- that schools return to in-
nerable. person instruction as soon
In making its case, the as possible.
Trump administration has But some are calling for
argued that keeping stu- greater caution as schools
dents at home carries plan for the fall. Arne Dun-
greater risks than any tied can, who served as Educa-
to the coronavirus. Health tion Secretary under former
officials say students need President Barack Obama,
to be in schools this fall to has said the focus should
continue their educational be on making sure students
development and to ac- can return safely.
cess meal programs and "We all want children to go
services for mental and be- back to school," Duncan
havioral health. said on Twitter. "The ques-
"Children's mental health tion is whether we care
and social development enough about our children
must be as much of a pri- to ALLOW them to go to
ority as physical health," first school safely. Our behavior,
lady Melania Trump said at our commitment to shared Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, right, speaks with others before a meeting with President Don-
ald Trump and the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, in the East Room of the White
the roundtable. "The same sacrifice — or our selfish- House, Friday, June 26, 2020, in Washington.
is true for parents. Many will ness — will determine what Associated Press
be forced to make stressful happens this fall for kids."
choices between caring The Centers for Disease said, contending that the sure that they catch up," vulnerable populations.
for their children and going Control and Prevention put district's distance learning DeVos said. "It's expected "It's clear that the greater
back to work." out guidance for schools last spring was a "disaster." that it will look different risk to our society is to have
Trump made his remarks last month, including stag- Her criticism of schools' dis- depending on where you these schools close," Red-
hours after Education Sec- gering schedules, spread- tance education efforts are, but what's clear is that field said. "The CDC en-
retary Betsy DeVos assailed ing out desks, having meals extended across the coun- students and their families courages all schools to do
plans by some local districts in classrooms instead of the try. DeVos said she was dis- need more options." what they need to reopen,
to offer in-person instruction cafeteria, adding physical appointed in schools that At a later panel discussion and to have plans that
only a few days a week barriers between bathroom "didn't figure out how to Tuesday, DeVos acknowl- anticipate that COVID-19
and said schools must be sinks and cleaning and dis- serve students or who just edged that outbreaks may cases will in fact occur."
"fully operational." infecting surfaces. gave up and didn't try." She temporarily disrupt in-per- The Trump administra-
Anything less, she says, In the call with governors, said more than one state son instruction, but she said tion has drawn on recent
would fail students and tax- DeVos slammed districts education chief told her schools should be expect- recommendations from
payers. that plan to offer in-person that they also were disap- ed to provide five days the American Academy
DeVos made the com- instruction only a few days pointed in districts that did of classroom instruction a of Pediatrics, which says
ments during a call with a week. She called out Fair- "next to nothing to serve week. schools should aim to start
governors. Audio of the call fax County Public Schools, their students." Dr. Robert Redfield, head of the school year with stu-
was obtained by The Asso- which is asking families to The same thing can't hap- the CDC. said schools can dents "physically present in
ciated Press. decide between fully re- pen again this fall, she said, operate safely by taking school." Keeping students
"Ultimately, it's not a matter mote instruction or two urging governors to play a basic safety precautions. at home can lead to social
of if schools need to open, days a week in the class- role in getting schools to re- He noted that COVID-19 isolation, the organization
it's a matter of how. School room. open. cases tend to be milder in said, and prevent schools
must reopen, they must be "A choice of two days per "Students across the coun- young people, adding that from identifying learning
fully operational. And how week in the classroom is try have already fallen be- the greatest risk is transmis- deficits, abuse, depression
that happens is best left to not a choice at all," DeVos hind. We need to make sion from children to more and other issues.q
Immigrant advocates say U.S. policy change endangers workers

By KEVIN McGILL Labor's Wage and Hour division when to do so, and required con- It asks a federal judge to declare
Associated Press began requiring that applications sideration of the petitioners' safe- the new policy was adopted in
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Immigrant for such visas, known as "U" and "T" ty," according to the lawsuit. violation of the federal Adminis-
advocates in New Orleans claim visas, be referred to law enforce- The suit says the changes were il- trative Procedures Act and to va-
in a federal lawsuit that federal ment agencies before they are legally adopted without proper cate it.
rule changes made last year by approved. public notice and comment. It Federal lawyers had not filed a re-
the U.S. Department of Labor will "Conditioning certification on said the labor Department's Wage sponse as of Tuesday afternoon.
make foreign workers fearful of criminal law enforcement referral and Hour Division also "failed to The Wage and Hour Division did
reporting workplace abuses or hu- and approval has a chilling ef- provide a rational reason for the not immediately respond to an
man trafficking for fear of being fect on fearful workers who are al- policy change." emailed request for comment.q
deported. ready reluctant to come forward
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Wash- and speak publicly about crimes
ington by the New Orleans Work- occurring in their workplaces," the
ers' Center for Racial Justice, deals suit, filed in U.S. District Court for
with visas issued to protect workers the District of Columbia, says.
from deportation when they report "Previously, WHD required refer-
workplace crimes. The lawsuit says ral of the underlying crime, but
that last year, the Department of provided discretion to determine