While lawmakers debate when and how to reopen schools, it’s clear that all are united in the belief that in-person schooling is critical to childhood development. Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University, confirmed the tangible benefits to in-person schooling, from ease of education to food security. But, she also reiterated the importance of getting the virus under control in order to get children back to school safely. "You can't keep COVID out of the school if the community is a hotbed of infection and that's the single most important thing we can do now in order to get our schools to safely reopen in the fall," Wen said.

Wen joined PBS NewsHour’s William Brangham to answer viewer questions on July 14 to discuss what this school year could look like.

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