AASA Issues Statement on Updated Guidance Released by the CDC

Contact:
James Minichello
703-774-6953
jminichello@aasa.org 

Alexandria, Va. – July 9, 2021 – Daniel A. Domenech, executive director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, issued the following statement in response to the mask-wearing guidance issued today by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
 
“AASA welcomes today’s guidance from the CDC, and its continued reliance on science-driven practice to guide and support school district leaders in their work to ensure schools are open for in-person instruction as much as possible for the start of the 2021-22 school year.

“The CDC and the Biden administration remain committed to the priority of in-person schools, as children and adolescents benefit from in-person learning. To a large extent, today’s guidance is a continuation of what we already know: the ability of a school district to get and keep its schools open for in-person instruction depends upon the ability and willingness of the broader community to do its part to limit COVID exposure and spread.

“We applaud the guidance for its emphasis on the need for localities to monitor community transmission, vaccination coverage, screening testing and occurrence of outbreaks to guide decisions on the level of layered prevention strategies.

“School system leaders can and should continue to use CDC guidance—in coordination with state and local policy—to craft their plans to open schools safely while mitigating COVID exposure and transmission.”

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For specific questions, please contact Noelle Ellerson Ng, AASA associate executive director, advocacy and governance, at nellerson@aasa.org.

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About AASA
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.