If the county isn't allowed to placed a mask mandate in the classroom

[Anonymous]

If the county isn't allowed to placed a mask mandate in the classroom do you think teachers will call in sick and call it and force to have DL days?

What can happens if they tell teachers to take a sick day to protest?

[Anonymous]

I don't think Virginia teachers are in the same position as Chicago teachers. Virginia is a right-to-work state and teachers are not as protected from being fired as they are in more unions friendly states. I don't think a sufficient number of them would stage a sick out.

What I am wondering is whether students/families of students with riskier underlying medical conditions might bring a lawsuit challenging a statewide mask opt-out executive order as violating the Americans with Disabilities Act as happened in Tennessee. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-covid-19-pandemic-tennessee-nashville-7a593c9fd8588700d88f8a8f26e36b55

The federal district court in Tennessee blocked the order from going into effect in three counties. I am guessing Youngkin may issue his order with some exceptions such as requiring a mask for 5-10 days for students returning from isolation after a positive test or to provide a reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities - i.e., not allowing a mask opt-out if there is a student at risk of severe illness from Covid is in the classroom or seating the students opting out of wearing a mask away from the student at risk of severe ikkness from Covid.

Do any Constitutional Specialists have any thoughts?

[Anonymous]

I think this is not going to be an issue in Fairfax County. I was under the impression that Youngkin was going to get rid of the state mask mandate that requires all students, teachers, staff, and visitors age 2 and older to wear a mask indoors in private and public PreK-12 school settings, regardless of vaccination status. This includes private religious schools. But he was going to allow individual school districts and private schools to make their own decisions regarding mask mandates. I can't imagine with our woke school board that they will do anything but keep the mask mandate in place.

Now, in a year, if the pandemic becomes endemic but some districts still have mandates, I could see at that point Youngkin would prevent mask mandates. Individual students or teachers would still be allowed to make their own decisions, but FCPS would no longer be able to mandate masks.

[Anonymous]

My question is: when does masking the kids ever end? Kids are more likely to die in a car crash than of covid, vaccines are available. Breathing slimy, dirty air trapped in the mask is also unhealthy! It’s enough, there is no off ramp. After Omricon, there will, of course, be another variant. It’s past time for normalcy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My question is: when does masking the kids ever end? Kids are more likely to die in a car crash than of covid, vaccines are available. Breathing slimy, dirty air trapped in the mask is also unhealthy! It’s enough, there is no off ramp. After Omricon, there will, of course, be another variant. It’s past time for normalcy.

Vaccines are not available for those under 5.

DH and DS were at an hour long appointment with a therapist. All masked. Two days later we get a call that therapist tested positive. DH and DS never show any symptoms. Thank goodness for masks. They should keep the mask mandate until cases are much, much lower and a vaccine is available for those under 5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My question is: when does masking the kids ever end? Kids are more likely to die in a car crash than of covid, vaccines are available. Breathing slimy, dirty air trapped in the mask is also unhealthy! It’s enough, there is no off ramp. After Omricon, there will, of course, be another variant. It’s past time for normalcy.

Vaccines are not available for those under 5.

DH and DS were at an hour long appointment with a therapist. All masked. Two days later we get a call that therapist tested positive. DH and DS never show any symptoms. Thank goodness for masks. They should keep the mask mandate until cases are much, much lower and a vaccine is available for those under 5.

NP here. Agree with all of the above. Further, mask mandates should continue until our hospital workers are no longer being crushed by overflowing hospitals. Now is not the time to be discussing and off-ramp for masking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My question is: when does masking the kids ever end? Kids are more likely to die in a car crash than of covid, vaccines are available. Breathing slimy, dirty air trapped in the mask is also unhealthy! It’s enough, there is no off ramp. After Omricon, there will, of course, be another variant. It’s past time for normalcy.

Vaccines are not available for those under 5.

DH and DS were at an hour long appointment with a therapist. All masked. Two days later we get a call that therapist tested positive. DH and DS never show any symptoms. Thank goodness for masks. They should keep the mask mandate until cases are much, much lower and a vaccine is available for those under 5.

There’s not going to be a vaccine for babies under 6 months. Covid is not going away. I can almost guarantee this will be the next thing people use to try to justify continuing mask requirements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My question is: when does masking the kids ever end? Kids are more likely to die in a car crash than of covid, vaccines are available. Breathing slimy, dirty air trapped in the mask is also unhealthy! It’s enough, there is no off ramp. After Omricon, there will, of course, be another variant. It’s past time for normalcy.

Vaccines are not available for those under 5.

DH and DS were at an hour long appointment with a therapist. All masked. Two days later we get a call that therapist tested positive. DH and DS never show any symptoms. Thank goodness for masks. They should keep the mask mandate until cases are much, much lower and a vaccine is available for those under 5.

There’s not going to be a vaccine for babies under 6 months. Covid is not going away. I can almost guarantee this will be the next thing people use to try to justify continuing mask requirements.

The flu shot is available for ages 6 months plus. When there is also a covid vaccine available for 6 months and up, the we can talk about relaxing mask requirements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this is not going to be an issue in Fairfax County. I was under the impression that Youngkin was going to get rid of the state mask mandate that requires all students, teachers, staff, and visitors age 2 and older to wear a mask indoors in private and public PreK-12 school settings, regardless of vaccination status. This includes private religious schools. But he was going to allow individual school districts and private schools to make their own decisions regarding mask mandates. I can't imagine with our woke school board that they will do anything but keep the mask mandate in place.

Now, in a year, if the pandemic becomes endemic but some districts still have mandates, I could see at that point Youngkin would prevent mask mandates. Individual students or teachers would still be allowed to make their own decisions, but FCPS would no longer be able to mandate masks.

What does "wokeness" have to do with mask mandates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My question is: when does masking the kids ever end? Kids are more likely to die in a car crash than of covid, vaccines are available. Breathing slimy, dirty air trapped in the mask is also unhealthy! It’s enough, there is no off ramp. After Omricon, there will, of course, be another variant. It’s past time for normalcy.

When the weather improves then I will unmask. Seriously as a teacher with high risk family members I'm not sure I will continue teaching if everyone unmasks next week. If I do it will be very hard to treat families and children who chose to unmask the same way I do others. Think if it like going to the doctor while a minority or obese- you get treated differently. Obesity and racial status aren't as easy to control either.

Ps- would never say this irl, but it is the truth. It will be very difficult for all of us as teachers to treat your kid the same. I'll guess I will just make a table of you in the back of the room far far away from me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My question is: when does masking the kids ever end? Kids are more likely to die in a car crash than of covid, vaccines are available. Breathing slimy, dirty air trapped in the mask is also unhealthy! It’s enough, there is no off ramp. After Omricon, there will, of course, be another variant. It’s past time for normalcy.

Vaccines are not available for those under 5.

DH and DS were at an hour long appointment with a therapist. All masked. Two days later we get a call that therapist tested positive. DH and DS never show any symptoms. Thank goodness for masks. They should keep the mask mandate until cases are much, much lower and a vaccine is available for those under 5.

There's a big difference between wearing a mask at a 1 hour therapist appointment and for 8 hours in school. Your post is irrelevant.

Masking is not preventing spread in school. Unmask them now. Here's hoping Youngkin drops the mandate, drops quarentining the healthy, and prohibits schools from establishing mask and vaccine mandates.

Remember....you can still vaccinate and mask....its just no mandated!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My question is: when does masking the kids ever end? Kids are more likely to die in a car crash than of covid, vaccines are available. Breathing slimy, dirty air trapped in the mask is also unhealthy! It’s enough, there is no off ramp. After Omricon, there will, of course, be another variant. It’s past time for normalcy.

When the weather improves then I will unmask. Seriously as a teacher with high risk family members I'm not sure I will continue teaching if everyone unmasks next week. If I do it will be very hard to treat families and children who chose to unmask the same way I do others. Think if it like going to the doctor while a minority or obese- you get treated differently. Obesity and racial status aren't as easy to control either.

Ps- would never say this irl, but it is the truth. It will be very difficult for all of us as teachers to treat your kid the same. I'll guess I will just make a table of you in the back of the room far far away from me.

Great, They probably don't want to be near you anyway!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My question is: when does masking the kids ever end? Kids are more likely to die in a car crash than of covid, vaccines are available. Breathing slimy, dirty air trapped in the mask is also unhealthy! It’s enough, there is no off ramp. After Omricon, there will, of course, be another variant. It’s past time for normalcy.

When the weather improves then I will unmask. Seriously as a teacher with high risk family members I'm not sure I will continue teaching if everyone unmasks next week. If I do it will be very hard to treat families and children who chose to unmask the same way I do others. Think if it like going to the doctor while a minority or obese- you get treated differently. Obesity and racial status aren't as easy to control either.

Ps- would never say this irl, but it is the truth. It will be very difficult for all of us as teachers to treat your kid the same. I'll guess I will just make a table of you in the back of the room far far away from me.

Great, They probably don't want to be near you anyway!

Whatever. Sure they don't want to be near me, but are damaged from not seeing my face. Your illogical thinking is definitely an issue.

[Anonymous]

This is the thing I am dreading. Luckily, most of my kids have upped their masks to either KN95 and/or double masks and I can tell my families take this seriously. I am all for having a metric to get rid if masks. A set number based off community spread. Now, in Jan during this craziness is not the time. There will be lawsuits and teachers quitting left and right. It will be a mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My question is: when does masking the kids ever end? Kids are more likely to die in a car crash than of covid, vaccines are available. Breathing slimy, dirty air trapped in the mask is also unhealthy! It’s enough, there is no off ramp. After Omricon, there will, of course, be another variant. It’s past time for normalcy.

When the weather improves then I will unmask. Seriously as a teacher with high risk family members I'm not sure I will continue teaching if everyone unmasks next week. If I do it will be very hard to treat families and children who chose to unmask the same way I do others. Think if it like going to the doctor while a minority or obese- you get treated differently. Obesity and racial status aren't as easy to control either.

Ps- would never say this irl, but it is the truth. It will be very difficult for all of us as teachers to treat your kid the same. I'll guess I will just make a table of you in the back of the room far far away from me.

We’ve all been kids and remember the teachers who take out their biases on children, but thanks for the reminder.