FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC – November 2, 2021. Once again, in yet another victory for the bosses of the Washington Teachers’ Union, the District of Columbia government, which spends more per student on education than virtually any other jurisdiction in America, is shirking its responsibility to educate students.
DC Republican Committee Chairman Patrick Mara said, “Today, DC public schools are closed. Why? Because in keeping with the far leftwing progressive ideology of Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and most of the DC Council, DC public schools are closed because it is election day – in Virginia. And what is nonsensical is that not a single vote will be cast in Washington, DC, today. Again, there is not an election in the District of Columbia on November 2, 2021.”
Mara added, “The most frequent reason that schools close on election day in the U.S. is because classrooms and common areas are needed for voting and, some justifiably, have concerns about strangers in schools. However, progressives are mute for another reason – teachers’ unions want another day off for teachers.”
For the better part of a year students were out of school during the Covid-19 pandemic even after science dictated it was safe for students to return to in-person learning. The learning loss among disadvantaged students does not receive much ink in local press reporting. The DC Republican Committee calls on Mayor Bowser to end this practice of closing schools when there is no election in the District.
Chairman Mara continues: “The DC government has really bent over backwards to appease union leaders since March of 2020. While this is yet another significant inconvenience to DC parents, DC students deserve the opportunity to learn. The learning loss – particularly among disadvantaged DC students – is astronomical. This is the kind of irresponsible action that Mayor Bowser must stop. Taxpayers pay to have our schools open, not closed.”
The DC Republican Committee is composed of registered Republicans living throughout the District of Columbia in all eight wards who are nominated and elected to serve as members.
For further information, contact Nicole M. McClure at nicole@dcgop.com.
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