Florida First Lady to Joe Biden: Democrat Lockdowns Hurt Children’s Education, Not Coronavirus

Casey DeSantis
Facebook/Casey DeSantis

Joe Biden took to social media Tuesday to blame the learning crisis children are facing on the coronavirus pandemic. But Florida first lady Casey DeSantis hit back, tweeting that Democrats in blue states who locked down schools for almost two years are to blame.

“Due to the pandemic, kids are behind in math and reading,” the tweet on Biden’s POTUS account said. “We know how to help bridge this gap.”

Biden said spending more money will solve the problem.

“I’m calling on schools to use American Rescue Plan funds to expand tutoring, summer learning, and afterschool programs and to provide 250,000 more tutors and mentors for our kids,” Biden tweeted.

“The latest ‘report’ from the Biden administration ignores the real reason for catastrophic learning loss: Democrat lockdowns,” the first lady tweeted. “While other states were locking people down, in Florida @RonDeSantisFL lifted people up — Kids were in school, in person.”

The Washington Examiner reported on Biden’s Department of Education plan to deploy some 250,000 tutors.

“Today’s announcements and the launch of the National Partnership for Student Success will mean more students have a trusted adult in their corner, and more adults are prepared to address students’ academic, emotional, social, and mental health needs,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a press release. “Together, we can help all children make up for unfinished learning, recover from the pandemic, and prepare for future success — both inside and outside the classroom.”

The administration says the initiative will “bring together school districts, non-profit partners, and institutions of higher education to recruit, train, place, and support screened adults in critical high impact roles such as tutors, mentors, student success coaches, and more.”

“Through the NPSS, individuals, schools and districts, community-based organizations, employers, and colleges and universities can sign up to support student recovery through volunteer opportunities, national service opportunities, mentoring programs, and work-study opportunities,” the department said.

In California, only 46 percent of high school seniors can meet state universities admissions this year — down from 59 percent in 2019, the Examiner reported.

“In Texas, the state Education Agency’s spring 2021 assessment found that only 36% of fourth graders in the state met their grade’s reading standards,” the report stated.

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