Secretary of Education Betsy Devos visited North Texas on Wednesday to discuss among other things the state of education during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have visited a number of states and talked about getting kids back to learning full-time,” she told a roundtable at Garland charter school International Leadership of Texas.
Devos, an outspoken proponent of charter schools – visited the charter school and spoke with parents, students and staff. The school currently allows families to choose whether or not to opt for in-person or virtual learning. The decision comes against a backdrop of rising cases in both Tarrant and Dallas Counties, with the latter raising its COVID-19 risk level to red this week.
“As someone who is in the medical community, I don’t feel like putting teachers at risk is worth it,” said parent Diana Diaz, when asked about her decision to opt for virtual learning.
Devos praised the charter school for its effectiveness amid the pandemic. During a press availability following the roundtable, Devos told reporters she believes the ultimate decision when it comes to in-person, or virtual learning should be made at the local level.
“We have been very clear all along that these are local decisions based on local realities and the key is that kids have the opportunity to keep learning full time," said Devos.
