COLUMBIA, S.C. — Governor Henry McMaster said he wanted all schools in the state to offer in-person instruction five days a week, or virtual learning to every student when they return this fall.
He said it was important parents had a choice.
“I ask our Superintendent, Molly Spearman, not to approve any district plan that doesn't give parents the choice to send their children to classroom, face-to-face instruction,” McMaster announced on Wednesday at the State House.
In a tense, hour-long press conference, the Governor, along with House and Senate Republicans, asked every district in the state to submit a plan implementing both face-to-face and virtual instruction
“I'm calling on all the public-school districts to submit reopening plans that give parents the option to send their children back to school 5 days a week or parents can choose to keep their children home and receive virtual instruction. We must give parents the choice,” McMaster said.
A few moments later, McMaster said he wanted schools to come back September 8th, saying it's plenty of time to plan and figure out new bus routes and schedule times.
But, as cases continue to rise in South Carolina, push back and criticism of the press conference were immediate.
Senate Minority Leader Nikki Setzler (D), said it's not safe at this time.
“We are not prepared for students to go back safely, currently. That's where the vacuum is and what needs to be addressed is the safety of the students, safety of the teachers, staff, and everybody in the community,” Setzler said.
The Senator, South Carolina’s top Democrat in the chamber, declined to comment about an invitation to Wednesday’s press conference, but said he had a message for Superintendent Spearman.
“My message to her would be take it slow, take it deliberate, have a plan from the state level of what the minimum requirements for safety should be, and if it takes longer to get it done properly and safely, then postpone when school starts,” Setzler added.
Setzler said to him, the decision was not partisan, but a question of safety and practicality.
He said he understood the need to bring back rural children without internet access and others in dangerous home situations, but still said the safety of all should be the top priority before reopening school buildings.
Wednesday, McMaster and others at the press conference said they had several reasons to urge a return to classrooms.
“We cannot restrict learning by forcing students to participate in remote learning when many of our students in rural parts of the state have no access to internet at home to begin with,” McMaster said.
He and members of the Senate and House also expressed concern over falling abuse and neglect reports, saying it showed reports dropped off since school staffs could not see children.
They also said already struggling children would fall too far behind to ever catch up, and said it was urgent the state reconnect with the potentially 10,000 students unaccounted for since they left the classroom in the spring.
In back and forth moments with reporters, the Governor said teachers and students are not facing any different danger than the rest of society trying to return to normal.
"I think everyone's scared about their health, that's why-- and about everyone else's health, that's why we're all wearing masks, that's why we're standing here distanced. We're all in the same boat, there's no special group. The only ones that are really in a special group are the elderly and those with those conditions, and there's a lot of people in the poorer parts of our state. And we are-- have concentrated on that, we understand that, and that's we're doing the things that we're doing in nursing homes and otherwise," McMaster replied.
Patrick Kelly with the Palmetto State Teacher's Association said they're worried state leaders are ignoring Accelerate Ed's recommendation, which said reopening decisions should be made locally.
“Our response is one of concern, because we feel like the decision that was announced today was one that's being driven by politics and not public health guidance. Our state has a clear plan forward on how to safely return to in-person instruction and our members want to get back to in-person instruction as quickly as possible. But, we need to follow the guidelines by the Accelerate ED task force,” Kelly said.
Kelly, who was on the Accelerate Ed task force, said it spelled out how and why schools should return to face-to-face instruction when it was deemed safe to do so, based on the spread of coronavirus in each area.
“When the Governor closed schools in March, DHEC reported 16 positive cases across the state of South Carolina on March 16, yesterday DHEC reported 2,205 cases. That's a increase of 13,000 percent since Governor McMaster closed schools in March. As an educator I have a hard time understanding why it was dangerous for students in March, but now it's safe for them in August or September,” Kelly added.
Other guidance during the press conference was sparse, with Governor McMaster saying many decisions on health and safety protocols, who would be exempt from returning, and how to open schools safely needed to be made at the district level.
He said they should also follow SCDHEC and CDC recommendations.
But, the lawmakers urged all the districts to re-open face-to-face instruction as a choice anyway. At one point, DHEC said more guidance for schools on how to handle cases and possible spread would be coming soon.
Superintendent Molly Spearman nor any elected Democrats were at Wednesday's press conference, but the Governor said many were invited.
Districts have until Friday to turn in reopening plans.
Greenville County Schools were quick to criticize the Governor’s press conference in a lengthy statement, part of which is below:
“We are incredibly concerned about the Governor’s comments this morning suggesting schools in South Carolina should re-open with five-day-a-week, in-person instruction. His comments reflect a disregard for the recommendations of DHEC and the CDC that safeguard the health and safety of students, as well as the adults who serve them and are more susceptible to complications from this disease. They not only show a lack of respect for the precautions and protocols communicated by public health professionals, but are also a rejection of the Accelerate ED Task Force recommendations. They further reflect a refusal to acknowledge that according to many objective sources, including Johns Hopkins University, our state is being ravaged by this virus, and ranks third in the percentage of positive tests per million residents, ahead of all but two states (Arizona and Florida) and every other nation.”
You can read the full statement here.