No more masks at VA privates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does lifting the masking mandate only apply to public schools? I’m confused.

Privates can do whatever they want now.

The mandate covered all k-12 schools. The crazy thing is Youngkin is even trying to prohibit private schools from requiring masks, if you read the language of the order.

“A child whose parent has elected that he or she is not subject to a mask mandate should not be required to wear a mask under any policy implemented by a teacher, school, school district, the Department of Education, or any other state authority.”

What happened to letting private entities make their own decisions without government interference?

Privates that followed the Northam EO will need to follow the Youngkin EO.

False.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All this anger and the important point not discussed. Where is the offramp for this? Seriously? Omicron has proven not to be serious as we had thought (although of course you don't want it etc etc) and is about to peak or will in the next few weeks. Do some people want masks forever? What would be a good enough metric? I am curious because if you even bring it up then the very small group that dominates DCUM really goes off. Most people are pretty much in the middle meaning they want safety but realize there needs to be an end point. These are not the people who are fighting with everyone. We are not getting anywhere with crazies on either end. I am supportive that the Governor is working through this. It makes sense. I am sure he realizes there will be all sorts of push back but maybe it will still help get things in the direction where there is an end to masking. Also agree no more cloth masks. Focus on kn95 while we still need the masks.

The “off-ramp” definitely shouldn’t be in the middle of a surge that has hospitals in Virginia under a state of emergency.

[Anonymous]

Has any private NOVA school asked parents, teachers, and students what they think about this EO? Decisions for the school community shouldn’t be made in a vacuum nor by those who are the loudest. Instead of listening only to those screaming, it would be beneficial to hear from everyone, not just a select few.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has any private NOVA school asked parents, teachers, and students what they think about this EO? Decisions for the school community shouldn’t be made in a vacuum nor by those who are the loudest. Instead of listening only to those screaming, it would be beneficial to hear from everyone, not just a select few.

That’s not how it works. The way the EO is written it is not discretionary and all parents must be allowed to opt out their child. Asking the community what they want doesn’t matter if the law covers private schools, which I believe it does.

I think many private schools in NOVA are now trying to determine whether the EO or the state law Virginia Bill 1303 governs them. If EO governs, you must allow opt out. If Virginia Bill 1303 trumps the EO there is more wiggle room. Note that law was not intended as a mask mandate but instead as a directive for public school boards to open schools and stay open by pushing schools to stay open following cdc guidelines. This leaves much to interpretation. ACPS, FCPS and APS are arguing Virginia Bill 1303 is a mask mandate and overrides the EO. Youngkin says the EO rules.

But for private schools where do they fall? They’re not under the public school board umbrella. Our private has been saying it’s following CDC guidelines and require masks. But if privates don’t fall under Virginia Bill 1303 then perhaps a private can’t claim it as the overriding rule now and they’re forced to abide by the EO. Which law governs? I don’t know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has any private NOVA school asked parents, teachers, and students what they think about this EO? Decisions for the school community shouldn’t be made in a vacuum nor by those who are the loudest. Instead of listening only to those screaming, it would be beneficial to hear from everyone, not just a select few.

That’s not how it works. The way the EO is written it is not discretionary and all parents must be allowed to opt out their child. Asking the community what they want doesn’t matter if the law covers private schools, which I believe it does.

I think many private schools in NOVA are now trying to determine whether the EO or the state law Virginia Bill 1303 governs them. If EO governs, you must allow opt out. If Virginia Bill 1303 trumps the EO there is more wiggle room. Note that law was not intended as a mask mandate but instead as a directive for public school boards to open schools and stay open by pushing schools to stay open following cdc guidelines. This leaves much to interpretation. ACPS, FCPS and APS are arguing Virginia Bill 1303 is a mask mandate and overrides the EO. Youngkin says the EO rules.

But for private schools where do they fall? They’re not under the public school board umbrella. Our private has been saying it’s following CDC guidelines and require masks. But if privates don’t fall under Virginia Bill 1303 then perhaps a private can’t claim it as the overriding rule now and they’re forced to abide by the EO. Which law governs? I don’t know.

That pretty much sums up the confusion. I hope our private continues to require them for now. Now is not the time when cases are at record numbers.

Youngkin governorship: 0 days since sowing mass confusion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does lifting the masking mandate only apply to public schools? I’m confused.

Privates can do whatever they want now.

The mandate covered all k-12 schools. The crazy thing is Youngkin is even trying to prohibit private schools from requiring masks, if you read the language of the order.

“A child whose parent has elected that he or she is not subject to a mask mandate should not be required to wear a mask under any policy implemented by a teacher, school, school district, the Department of Education, or any other state authority.”

What happened to letting private entities make their own decisions without government interference?

Privates that followed the Northam EO will need to follow the Youngkin EO.

Not sure why you think that. Northam’s EO was consistent with CDC recommendations, while Youngkin’s is contrary to it. Here is what VA Code says about it:


§ 2. Each school board shall offer in-person instruction to each student enrolled in the local school division in a public elementary and secondary school for at least the minimum number of required instructional hours and to each student enrolled in the local school division in a public school-based early childhood care and education program for the entirety of the instructional time provided pursuant to such program. For the purposes of this act, each school board shall (i) adopt, implement, and, when appropriate, update specific parameters for the provision of in-person instruction and (ii) provide such in-person instruction in a manner in which it adheres, to the maximum extent practicable, to any currently applicable mitigation strategies for early childhood care and education programs and elementary and secondary schools to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 that have been provided by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

1) “school boards” concern public, municipal schools and doesn’t cover privates and 2) I would like to see a definition of “practicable”. To me that’s the trigger word. What one school thinks is practicable and another will not.

I’m not sure around here but near Richmond I expect Hanover and New Kent to make masks discretionary after the 24th. I am from Richmond and have some contacts who teach in the big privates down there and they’re telling me many of their schools are on the fence. It’s not a done deal one way or the other. The big concern seems to be discipline against a student/family who won’t wear a mask after the 24th. As of now they are sent to the office and can be suspended. But after the 24th does the school still want to take this approach?

Re your point 1), that is the question. Does Youngkin’s EO2 apply to privates? Meaning a private cannot require masks after this week? The quoted statute applies to publics, but Yougkin’s EO seems to apply to any school, unless there is something implied in it that applies only to publics. If it does apply to privates, then we have an anomolous situation where he has more exerted more authority over private schools that he can over public ones.

As much as the right-wing seems to ridicule the left for virtue signaling, the irony is this is a symbolic act to signal to his base. ACPS, APS and FCPS have already indicate they will disregard it.

As I understand it, Youngkin's order cancelled Northam's previous order and in that previous order it seemed to apply to ALL school's and universities (including privates). I was on the board of a NOVA private when Covid hit in spring 2020 and a similar discussion was held re school's closures: Does the Governor have authority over privates and it was determined in some cases he does (at least for that school). So the easy part at the time was to say "We can go along with the order" and in 2020 that made sense. My term expired and I am no longer on the board so I do not know what current discussions are taking place.

However, to speculate, this new order is worded in an interesting way that seems to make it more difficult for a private school to go against because it gives the power to parents, literally in the wording. It also has a long list of educational categories (schools, school boards etc) and I don't see definitions in the order. So now you will have parents that will push back because of this wording. I am very interested to see how this plays out (my own personal masks position aside). I believe whoever wrote this order knew exactly what they were writing and it is all intentional. I think the pendulum leans more towards the parents here. One thing privates might have going for them is that contract renewals are coming up, and it's a seller's market for privates, so parents might not want to make waves until they sign their renewal contracts.

Private schools would be smart to include language in the contract about parents agreeing to abide by the schools universal mask requirement or risk expulsion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does lifting the masking mandate only apply to public schools? I’m confused.

Privates can do whatever they want now.

The mandate covered all k-12 schools. The crazy thing is Youngkin is even trying to prohibit private schools from requiring masks, if you read the language of the order.

“A child whose parent has elected that he or she is not subject to a mask mandate should not be required to wear a mask under any policy implemented by a teacher, school, school district, the Department of Education, or any other state authority.”

What happened to letting private entities make their own decisions without government interference?

Privates that followed the Northam EO will need to follow the Youngkin EO.

Not sure why you think that. Northam’s EO was consistent with CDC recommendations, while Youngkin’s is contrary to it. Here is what VA Code says about it:


§ 2. Each school board shall offer in-person instruction to each student enrolled in the local school division in a public elementary and secondary school for at least the minimum number of required instructional hours and to each student enrolled in the local school division in a public school-based early childhood care and education program for the entirety of the instructional time provided pursuant to such program. For the purposes of this act, each school board shall (i) adopt, implement, and, when appropriate, update specific parameters for the provision of in-person instruction and (ii) provide such in-person instruction in a manner in which it adheres, to the maximum extent practicable, to any currently applicable mitigation strategies for early childhood care and education programs and elementary and secondary schools to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 that have been provided by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I don't think it matters if you or the school agree with the EO. Our school has said previously that the Governor's EOs take precedent, It's only an option. I'm sure most people will continue masking in small private communities even if its an option.

I don’t think it matters what your school says about whether EOs take precedence over codified law or not.

I don't think the law applies to privates. But the EO does,

So how is this going to play out in reality? Say there is a classroom of 20 1st or 2nd graders. 8 of the parents send their kids to school without masks. The other 12 kids say, “Hey, if they get to take theirs off, I can too.” Parents cannot enforce what their kids do at school. They rely on schools to police them. So are teachers supposed to keep track of 20 kids and who has permission to be maskless and who doesn’t and enforce those while also trying to teach?

[Anonymous]

No masks. Kiss your teachers good bye.
Long Covid sucks.
Plenty of teachers already struggling after breakthrough cases.
Why the hell wouldn’t you want your community to be able to keep working?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has any private NOVA school asked parents, teachers, and students what they think about this EO? Decisions for the school community shouldn’t be made in a vacuum nor by those who are the loudest. Instead of listening only to those screaming, it would be beneficial to hear from everyone, not just a select few.

That’s not how it works. The way the EO is written it is not discretionary and all parents must be allowed to opt out their child. Asking the community what they want doesn’t matter if the law covers private schools, which I believe it does.

I think many private schools in NOVA are now trying to determine whether the EO or the state law Virginia Bill 1303 governs them. If EO governs, you must allow opt out. If Virginia Bill 1303 trumps the EO there is more wiggle room. Note that law was not intended as a mask mandate but instead as a directive for public school boards to open schools and stay open by pushing schools to stay open following cdc guidelines. This leaves much to interpretation. ACPS, FCPS and APS are arguing Virginia Bill 1303 is a mask mandate and overrides the EO. Youngkin says the EO rules.

But for private schools where do they fall? They’re not under the public school board umbrella. Our private has been saying it’s following CDC guidelines and require masks. But if privates don’t fall under Virginia Bill 1303 then perhaps a private can’t claim it as the overriding rule now and they’re forced to abide by the EO. Which law governs? I don’t know.

The bizarre part about this whole thing is that I thought Republicans favored allowing private entities make their own decisions. Why are they inserting themselves into how private schools determine their masking guidelines? Next we’ll have the GOP deciding private school curriculum too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has any private NOVA school asked parents, teachers, and students what they think about this EO? Decisions for the school community shouldn’t be made in a vacuum nor by those who are the loudest. Instead of listening only to those screaming, it would be beneficial to hear from everyone, not just a select few.

That’s not how it works. The way the EO is written it is not discretionary and all parents must be allowed to opt out their child. Asking the community what they want doesn’t matter if the law covers private schools, which I believe it does.

I think many private schools in NOVA are now trying to determine whether the EO or the state law Virginia Bill 1303 governs them. If EO governs, you must allow opt out. If Virginia Bill 1303 trumps the EO there is more wiggle room. Note that law was not intended as a mask mandate but instead as a directive for public school boards to open schools and stay open by pushing schools to stay open following cdc guidelines. This leaves much to interpretation. ACPS, FCPS and APS are arguing Virginia Bill 1303 is a mask mandate and overrides the EO. Youngkin says the EO rules.

But for private schools where do they fall? They’re not under the public school board umbrella. Our private has been saying it’s following CDC guidelines and require masks. But if privates don’t fall under Virginia Bill 1303 then perhaps a private can’t claim it as the overriding rule now and they’re forced to abide by the EO. Which law governs? I don’t know.

The bizarre part about this whole thing is that I thought Republicans favored allowing private entities make their own decisions. Why are they inserting themselves into how private schools determine their masking guidelines? Next we’ll have the GOP deciding private school curriculum too.

Exactly!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has any private NOVA school asked parents, teachers, and students what they think about this EO? Decisions for the school community shouldn’t be made in a vacuum nor by those who are the loudest. Instead of listening only to those screaming, it would be beneficial to hear from everyone, not just a select few.

That’s not how it works. The way the EO is written it is not discretionary and all parents must be allowed to opt out their child. Asking the community what they want doesn’t matter if the law covers private schools, which I believe it does.

I think many private schools in NOVA are now trying to determine whether the EO or the state law Virginia Bill 1303 governs them. If EO governs, you must allow opt out. If Virginia Bill 1303 trumps the EO there is more wiggle room. Note that law was not intended as a mask mandate but instead as a directive for public school boards to open schools and stay open by pushing schools to stay open following cdc guidelines. This leaves much to interpretation. ACPS, FCPS and APS are arguing Virginia Bill 1303 is a mask mandate and overrides the EO. Youngkin says the EO rules.

But for private schools where do they fall? They’re not under the public school board umbrella. Our private has been saying it’s following CDC guidelines and require masks. But if privates don’t fall under Virginia Bill 1303 then perhaps a private can’t claim it as the overriding rule now and they’re forced to abide by the EO. Which law governs? I don’t know.

The bizarre part about this whole thing is that I thought Republicans favored allowing private entities make their own decisions. Why are they inserting themselves into how private schools determine their masking guidelines? Next we’ll have the GOP deciding private school curriculum too.

Exactly!!

Because most people - on both ends of the political spectrum - don’t really care about governing principles. They use them to justify what the ends they want.

Take abortion, for example. Pro lifers don’t give a crap about states’ rights. They want abortion banned nationally. If there was a national ban on abortion, you wouldn’t hear a peep about states rights to decide the matter.

[Anonymous]

I agree that schools need to provide parents and students with an off ramp for masks and hard metrics for when they are required. I also think that Youngkin will have to force the woke school boards in NoVA to provide common sense metrics. In the early Fall, masks could have safely been removed, and it may be safe to go maskless in another month. However, now is not the time to take the masks off.

[Anonymous]

Teachers who teach at private schools have often already given up higher public school salaries (even though they are often more qualified on paper) because they expect a certain trade off -- maybe better administration, fewer behavioral problem, more respect to them generally from the system. They often have spouses with more lucrative jobs. You think private school teachers are going to lay down and allow kids to decide not to wear masks in their classrooms? (Unless we're talking certain Catholic schools or other schools that have drunk the Qanon Kool Aid?) Okay well good luck with that.

[Anonymous]

I think the Catholic schools will do away with masks if they haven’t already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has any private NOVA school asked parents, teachers, and students what they think about this EO? Decisions for the school community shouldn’t be made in a vacuum nor by those who are the loudest. Instead of listening only to those screaming, it would be beneficial to hear from everyone, not just a select few.

That’s not how it works. The way the EO is written it is not discretionary and all parents must be allowed to opt out their child. Asking the community what they want doesn’t matter if the law covers private schools, which I believe it does.

I think many private schools in NOVA are now trying to determine whether the EO or the state law Virginia Bill 1303 governs them. If EO governs, you must allow opt out. If Virginia Bill 1303 trumps the EO there is more wiggle room. Note that law was not intended as a mask mandate but instead as a directive for public school boards to open schools and stay open by pushing schools to stay open following cdc guidelines. This leaves much to interpretation. ACPS, FCPS and APS are arguing Virginia Bill 1303 is a mask mandate and overrides the EO. Youngkin says the EO rules.

But for private schools where do they fall? They’re not under the public school board umbrella. Our private has been saying it’s following CDC guidelines and require masks. But if privates don’t fall under Virginia Bill 1303 then perhaps a private can’t claim it as the overriding rule now and they’re forced to abide by the EO. Which law governs? I don’t know.

When the WTOP reporter asked the Governor about APS’s statement on masks, the Governor stated he hoped schools would take this week to listen to parents. The easiest way to hear from a lot of parents in a short amount of time is a survey or online questionnaire.