Ducey says parents should pressure districts to reopen Arizona classrooms

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey believes that parents should push cautious districts to make in-person learning an option despite coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continuing to rise in the state.

Ducey has said repeatedly throughout the pandemic that students need to be in classrooms, arguing children are in a better situation in school than in remote learning.

“Parents need to put pressure on the districts,” Ducey told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Thursday. “And if districts aren’t going to open, parents need to vote with their feet.”

Districts across the state paused in-person instruction following the winter break in early January due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission associated with holiday gatherings and travel.

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman has urged Ducey to halt all classroom learning temporarily until educators can receive the vaccine and virus metrics trend in a better direction.

Hoffman on Thursday again called for more restrictions to be in place in order to for schools to reopen safely in the state.

All 15 Arizona counties were recommended to conduct only virtual learning in Thursday’s update, a recommendation that has been in place for several weeks.

As of Wednesday, Arizona was No. 1 nationally for both cases and deaths per capita over the last seven days, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

“There’s thousands of students inside a classroom today all over Arizona,” Ducey said. “I want to get more kids inside classrooms.”

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