In promoting the reopening of schools this fall, Trump administration officials have, at times, inaccurately described the evidence on how COVID-19 affects children.
What Science Says About Children, COVID-19 and School Reopenings
Person: Betsy DeVos
Bogus Quote on Projected Deaths of Children Attributed to DeVos
Social media posts claim that Betsy DeVos said “only” 0.02% of children are “likely to die” of COVID-19 from schools reopening in the fall. There’s no evidence she ever said that.
DeVos’ Outdated Statistic on School Efforts
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos used an outdated figure in claiming only 10% of school districts had “provided any kind of real curriculum and instruction program” after the coronavirus pandemic caused schools to shut down this spring. That was the case for 82 districts in late March, but by late April, 56% were doing so. In late May, the figure was 67%.
DeVos Didn’t Try to ‘Defund’ Special Education
In a CNN town hall, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democratic candidate for president, went too far when she said Education Secretary Betsy DeVos “not only has tried to defund special education, but she also has tried to get rid of the Special Olympics funding.”