Trump Administration Adds Educators to List of Essential Workers

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security updated its Advisory Memorandum on Ensuring Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers Ability to Work During the COVID-19 Response, adding educators and a large swath of school personnel to the list of essential critical infrastructure workers.

Education Department spokesperson Angela Morabito said, "It’s hard to imagine anything more ‘essential’ to America’s future than ensuring the rising generation has access to a meaningful education."

Earlier iterations of the list were intended to provide guidance for identifying those who could continue working during COVID-19 restrictions. However, the guidance itself is explicitly non-binding, noting, “This list is advisory in nature. It is not, nor should it be considered, a federal directive or standard.”

View the updated guidance