Governor Inslee Revises School Metrics To Bring More Students Back

SEATTLE (AP) – Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee is loosening school reopening guidelines amid a resurging coronavirus pandemic, and pleading with reluctant teachers to return to the classroom, particularly those tasked with educating the youngest and neediest students.

Inslee, a Democrat, on Wednesday unveiled the state’s latest reopening standards, which urge schools to begin phasing in in-person learning no matter what the community COVID-19 infection rates are, and to resist reverting back to remote learning should transmissions further increase.

That’s a stark departure for the Democratic administration, who has until now taken a more cautious approach.

The ultimate decision on how and when to reopen schools is up to individual districts.