WASHINGTON - July 23, 2020 - President Donald Trump announced today he has canceled segments of the Republican National Convention scheduled for Jacksonville, Florida in August, citing a “flare-up” of the coronavirus but warned schools that if they don’t return to in-person instruction, they will lose federal funding. The National Education Association is the largest union in the country and represents more than 3 million educators who work in U.S. public schools colleges and universities.
The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Lily Eskelsen García:
“For months, educators have been begging for tools and resources that will allow us to return to in-person instruction safely while President Trump’s failure of leadership has allowed the pandemic to rage uncontrolled. Today he told us it’s too dangerous to hold a political convention but it’s not too dangerous to reopen school buildings. Trump also doubled down on his threats to withhold federal funding that is desperately needed to reopen school buildings safely and equitably while pushing vouchers that steal scarce money from public schools when they need it the most. Students, parents, educators, schools, communities deserve better.”
- More resources are available at www.nea.org/covidaction
- Follow on twitter at @NEAmedia and @Lily_NEA
- Keep up with the conversation on social media at #WeRiseTogether
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About the National Education Association: The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.
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