Secretary of Education DeVos meets with families, officials at Bedford school

BEDFORD SCHOOLS TODAY, BUT PLANS FOR ONE OF THOSE EVENTS WAS CANCELED AFTER A NEW CORONAVIRUS CASE WAS CONFIRMED. U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION BETSY DEVOS MAKING A TRIP TO BEDFORD’S RIDDLE BROOK ELEMENTARY TO MEET WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT LEADERS, TEACHERS, AND FAMILIES TO DISCUSS REOPENING DURING COVID-19. SEC. DEVOS: IT IS REALLY ENCOURAGING TO HEAR ABOUT HO THEY WORKED NON-STOP, SINCE THE SCHOOLS CLOSED DOWN IN MARCH, TO BE BACK TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WHERE KIDS ARE IN THE CLASSROOM. TYLER: DEVOS HAS PUSHED FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS AMERIC TO FULLY REOPEN, WITH IN-PERSON LEARNING, AND THREATENED TO PULL FEDERAL FUNDING FROM THOSE THAT DON’T, SUPPORTING SCHOOL CHOICE OPTIONS INSTEAD. SEC. DEVOS: THERE’S MORE EVIDENCE TODAY THAN SIX MONTHS AGO EVEN THAT GIVING FAMILIES AND PARENTS AND CHILDREN MORE CHOICES ABOUT WHAT THEIR EDUCATION LOOKS LIKE IS AN EVEN GREATER IMPERATIVE. TYLER: THE BEDFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT REOPENED FOR THE FALL USING A HYBRID MODEL OF IN-CLASS AND AT-HOME LEARNING, BUT FAMILIES CAN OPT TO BE FULLY-REMOTE. IT HAS ALSO ALREADY DEALT WITH MULTIPLE CONFIRMED CASES OF CORONAVIRUS AMONG THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY, INCLUDING ANOTHER ANNOUNCED THIS MORNING AT MCKELVIE INTERMEDIATE, HOURS BEFORE DEVOS WAS SET TO VISIT THERE. SUPT. DR. FOURNIER: AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE FACULTY MEMBER OUT. WE DO HAVE SOME STUDENTS QUARANTINING. TYLER: THE BEDFORD SUPERINTENDENT DECIDING TO CANCEL DEVOS’ TRIP TO MCKELVIE BECAUSE OF THE POSITIVE CASE. THE UNION REPRESENTING TEACHER STATEWIDE, WHICH HAS PUSHED FOR A PHASED REOPENING, CALLING THE DECISION “IRONIC.” MEGAN TUTTLE: THAT’S NOT RIGHT. IF IT’S NOT SAFE ENOUGH FOR THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION OF THE UNITED STATES TO BE THERE, THE STAFF AND STUDENTS SHOULDN’T BE THERE, EITHER. TYLER:, SO IN A NOTE THIS AFTERNOON TO FAMILIES, THE SUPERINTENDENT SAID CONTACT TRACING HAS SO FAR REVEALED A TOTAL OF THREE STAFF MEMBERS AND TWO STUDENTS IMPACTED BY THE NEWLY CONFIRMED CASE OF THE VIRUS. BUT HE TELLS ME HE THINKS THE OVERALL EXPOSURE WAS LIMITED

Secretary of Education DeVos meets with families, officials at Bedford school

Updated: 6:39 PM EDT Sep 18, 2020

A newly confirmed case of COVID-19 led to a last-minute cancellation Friday for U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who was in New Hampshire to visit the Bedford School District.

A newly confirmed case of COVID-19 led to a last-minute cancellation Friday for U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who was in New Hampshire to visit the Bedford School District.