Team,

This year, the phrase "back to school" has taken on an entirely new meaning. It's no longer just about buying new clothes or school supplies; this year, it has become a fraught debate with potentially life-or-death consequences.

I take this personally, team. I take it personally as a parent, and as the daughter of a public school teacher. Trotting Betsy DeVos out onto Fox News and telling schools, essentially, to "reopen or else" is not a plan.

A recent, high-quality, professional scientific study of 65,000 people in South Korea found that children between the ages of 10 and 19 spread the virus at least as well as adults do. That makes the choice facing school districts and parents even more daunting.

We need to do everything we can to keep our children, our teachers, and our school personnel safe.

It's not enough to say "reopen the schools." We need a plan. I'm listening to teachers and parents on this, and that's why I'm asking for your feedback on our plan for safe school reopenings. These are steps that are in-line with the recommendations of public health and education experts, and informed by the latest science about the coronavirus pandemic. These are the steps I believe we need to take to safely reopen our schools.

I'll run through my plan in a minute. But if you agree with me that we need to let science, not politics, inform when and how we reopen schools, will you sign on and add your name in support of my plan today?

ADD YOUR NAME

Here are the concrete steps we need to take to reopen our schools:

• Consult parents, teachers, administrators, and others on the front lines of this issue in Texas.
• Close the gaps in internet access for rural and low-income communities for distance learning.
• Ensure that schools have the equipment and supplies they need to be safe.
• Reduce the number of new cases in a county for at least 14 consecutive days as a prerequisite for districts reopening.
• Secure federal funds so our school districts can establish the infrastructure to test, trace, and isolate new cases.

To put these steps into action, though, I need your help. We have to show our leaders that there is overwhelming support for these reopening guidelines. So will you add your name and join me in calling for safe, science-based school reopening?

The bottom line is that, to reopen our schools, we need to let experts — including teachers and parents — and science guide us. We can't be reckless about this. Too many lives are at stake. Our parents, teachers, and children deserve better.

Thanks,

Julie