Second Lady Karen Pence returning to Northern Virginia classroom next week, Vice President Pence says
WASHINGTON - Second Lady Karen Pence is returning to her Northern Virginia classroom next week, Vice President Mike Pence told Fox Business on Friday.
Pence drew controversy last year when she accepted a position teaching art at Immanuel Christian School in Springfield – a private school that reportedly bans gay students, parents and employees.
Schools throughout the region have been wrestling this summer with the prospect of reopening in the era of COVID-19.
While most Northern Virginia schools – including the Fairfax County district – are beginning the school year with remote learning, Immanuel Christian School is reopening to in-person education.
READ MORE: Here's what DC, Maryland and Virginia school districts have planned for the fall
The school says it is conscious of the threat presented by the novel coronavirus, and it is taking precautions to protect students and staff.
The reopening conforms with the White House’s stated wish that schools reopen this fall. Talking to Fox Business on Friday, the Vice President vowed that the administration will provide all of the assets schools need to reopen safely.
READ MORE: VP Pence's press secretary tests positive for coronavirus
“We want to get our kids back to school, but we also want our teachers to know that we are going to make the resources available so that schools can be a safe environment for them, for all the faculty, and all of the staff that works there. But, there’s no question about it. We don’t want our kids to fall behind academically, and the President has been clear, we want them back in the classroom,” Pence said.
Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather
The White House has categorized teachers as “essential workers.”