Arizona school chief says districts should have final say on reopening
Ducey expected to announce next step for in-person instruction this week
PHOENIX, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Arizona's top education official says the state's school districts should have the power to decide for themselves whether to reopen their campuses or not.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman says the decision to reopen should be based on public health data, not on an arbitrary reopening date.
Hoffman outlined her priorities Tuesday in a letter to Governor Doug Ducey. She shared that letter in a tweet:
To align with the vision laid out in the Arizona Department of Education’s "Roadmap to Reopening Schools" and ensure educator and student safety, I’ve asked Governor Ducey to include, at a minimum, the following priorities in his upcoming plans to support our school communities: pic.twitter.com/Of7CsKWGPR
— Kathy Hoffman (@Supt_Hoffman) July 21, 2020
Hoffman's priorities and sentiments were echoed in a letter to the governor from The Arizona School Board Association (ASBA). In it's letter the ASBA writes:
"ASBA holds local control as a core value, and while we adamantly believe that educational decisions should be local, when it comes to public health decisions, a centralized framework for managing risk is helpful. School officials are not public health officials and desperately need guidance from those professionals closely following the science of the pandemic. ASBA supports state efforts to increase diagnostic testing and timely test processing, which is critical to ensuring the reliability of any criteria used for reopening schools.
Dr. Sheila Harrison-Williams, Executive Director - Arizona School Boards Association
Read the full test of the ASBA letter to Gov. Ducey here
Gov. Ducey is expected to announce the next steps for school reopenings this week. He previously delayed the start of the school year until August 17.
A number of Yuma County school districts plan to start their semesters with remote learning and then transition into in-person classes when health conditions allow.
