Democrats were more worried that students and teachers could contract the virus, according to Pew. Republicans were more worried about parents’ inability to work and the risk that students could fall behind academically and socially.

Finally, a survey by Kaiser Family Foundation also found that Democrats were much more likely than Republicans to worry that children or school staff would become infected. Nearly all parents of color said they were worried their child would get sick if they returned to school in the fall, compared with just half of white parents.

When asked if their schools had enough resources to open safely, more than half of Republicans and Republican leaners said yes, but just 12 percent of Democrats did. Two-thirds of Democrats but just one-fifth of Republicans said they were very worried that their schools would not be able to comply with public health guidance. These views are most likely informed by what parents hear from party leaders, but also by differences in where Democrats and Republicans live and what types of schools their children attend, said Liz Hamel, director of public opinion and survey research at Kaiser Family Foundation.

Unlike many countries, the United States has not been able to get the virus under control before the new school year. Further complicating parents’ decision-making is that the science on the risks to children and the adults they’re in contact with is not definitive. Also, many parents feel they are faced with no good choices in terms of caring for and educating their children this year, and not all districts are being transparent about the virus’s spread in schools.

All these factors, Mr. Henig said, make it easier for people to fall back on their political affiliations — but that, in turn, makes it tougher to arrive at solutions.

“When these things become partisan, they become hard to solve,” he said. “One reason education was broadly consensual was the debate was over things like how much do you spend on schools, and money can be negotiated — you can find a middle ground. When you get a highly polarized issue where deep ideological beliefs are at stake, there is no middle ground.”

Source: New York Times

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