Harmeet Dhillon Appears on ‘Fox News at Night’ To Discuss Reopening Schools
According to Dhillon (Video Transcript):
I don’t really understand that. I mean, I think most people go into teaching with a good heart and they want to actually teach students. It’s a vocation, and it’s kind of shocking that the Teachers union is misrepresenting this because most of the teachers I’ve spoken to, they are younger and healthy, they absolutely want to be in the classroom because they know that is the only way that they can be effective, and if they read their science, they know that they can’t catch COVID from the kids and that if they take reasonable precautions, there are no reason they can’t be like any other essential worker in our economy taking precautions in going to work. This is a very essential job, Shannon, and the Teachers union and the governor are playing politics with our children and our future in this country.
No. First of all, I wouldn’t believe the spin of “The New York Times.” Second of all, fear is not a reason for policy that violates our California and our federal constitution. Many school boards in California, including one of our parents is on a school board, elected school board, made preparations. Many private schools made preparations and the studies show that, in fact, with some preparations, this can be done safely and to be clear, Shannon, we are not trying to force anybody back into the school. If you’re a teacher and you feel you can’t do your job and you need to do it remotely or frankly not at all, I guess we’ll have to deal with that, but even parents who are scared that their child is vulnerable, they don’t have to send them, it should be an option in every school district to have effective in-person teaching as well as distance learning for those with special medical needs. But those with special developmental needs, who are guaranteed by federal law additional assistance and federal money is paid to California for that, they are getting zero. Kids with autism, kids with speech disabilities, kids with other types of learning disabilities are getting nothing from the state, and that’s a constitutional violation that we addressed in our lawsuit, Shannon.
There is no flexibility for 80% of the parents and the teachers in California. They are tied to some metrics that the governor made up and that are county wide, even if there is no flare up or no issue in a particular area. You know, just the science is, there is virtually no transmission possible between children. There is also no transmission between children and teachers. Transmission that could occur between teachers, just like between workers at Walmart, between workers and the government, between workers and other essential jobs, which we all know those of us who go to work, I go to my workplace, we take precautions. We wash our hands, we wear masks, we do social distancing, and largely those methods work. But, if somebody is scared, I think they can make provisions for the teacher to teach remotely, but why condemn the students to what is known, according to the 35 experts that signed on to our declaration to be completely ineffective. Children are suffering from depression, increasing suicidal ideation, digital dependency, and isolation, and regression, if they have special needs, and disadvantage in competing for college entrance, if they are in that zone. You can’t do lab. You can’t do a lot of those things remotely. This is doing a disservice to the children, the governor and state need to do much better to educate and fulfill their obligation under the constitution.
You’re welcome.
