1. Yes, Trump, DeVos, et al are right that schools should "reopen" this fall. But was anybody planning on NOT reopening?

2. The question is not whether to reopen schools (yes!) but whether to welcome all students back to school, in person, every day.

3. The Administration's own guidance from the CDC recommends social distancing in classrooms and on buses, which almost surely means not operating schools at anywhere near full capacity. Schools and districts have thus been gravitating toward "hybrid" schedules.

4. So it sure feels unfair for DeVos to blast districts like Fairfax County, VA who are planning on welcoming students in person 2 days a week, and having them learn at home on the other days. (Fairfax DOES deserve grief for its terrible remote learning efforts this spring.)

5. What's complicated everything is that the nation's pediatricians have recommended getting all kids back to school, even if social distancing is not feasible. So Trump and DeVos aren't dreaming this idea up on their own. But it's putting school administrators in a tough spot.

6. We're going to see variation, and that's OK, especially since there's variation with the virus. If schools can reopen five days a week at full capacity and not have super spreader events, and keep staff safe, great. Other schools can and should follow suit.

7. But it's certainly reasonable for districts to follow Fairfax County's lead and start the year with a hybrid schedule so as to allow social distancing. Better to err on the side of safety. And then adjust in October, November, December, etc.

8. The big unknown is how parents will react to all of this. Surveys indicate that a LOT of parents aren't going to send their kids back. Even more so if schools can't do social distancing. Some schools could be looking at 50% or more kids choosing remote learning.

9. And another big unknown is how teachers and staff will react. Many are going to refuse to show up if they don't think their schools are making good-faith efforts to keep them safe. And they SHOULDN'T show up if they or family members have underlying health issues.

10. A big takeaway is that schools and districts had better make sure their virtual learning programs are WAY better than what they offered this spring. Because a whole lot of families, and teachers, are likely to depend on it.

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