No more masks at VA privates?

[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.

This. But no, they only want those things when it applies to Others, not to them.

[Anonymous]

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

Yet no parochial Catholic school (in the Arlington Diocese) has gotten rid of masks yet.

[Anonymous]

The elite privates will most certainly add language to their contracts that patents and students must abide by their rules regarding the health and welfare of those on school grounds. Any parent who is a Trumplican or QAnon type can leave the decent privates and go to one of the crap ones, or home school, or suck it up at their designated public. This is actual an awesome opportunity to get those loonies out of the good private schools. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The elite privates will most certainly add language to their contracts that patents and students must abide by their rules regarding the health and welfare of those on school grounds. Any parent who is a Trumplican or QAnon type can leave the decent privates and go to one of the crap ones, or home school, or suck it up at their designated public. This is actual an awesome opportunity to get those loonies out of the good private schools. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

+1

The private schools call the shots. If the RWNJ nutters don't comply, there are tons of non-crazy applicants who can fill slots right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Now that Youngkin is dropping the school mask mandate in Virginia which private schools are no longer requiring masks? Not a political debate, just wondering how schools are handling it.

You’ve got to be kidding. The pandemic is at its worst right now in case anyone hasn’t been watching the news and keeping track hospitals are turning away patients.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

Yet no parochial Catholic school (in the Arlington Diocese) has gotten rid of masks yet.

They won’t because it is not Christian like or human like to put others at risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The elite privates will most certainly add language to their contracts that patents and students must abide by their rules regarding the health and welfare of those on school grounds. Any parent who is a Trumplican or QAnon type can leave the decent privates and go to one of the crap ones, or home school, or suck it up at their designated public. This is actual an awesome opportunity to get those loonies out of the good private schools. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

If the EO is the law, the school MUST provide an opt out. Some people don’t seem to understand how the law works. Private schools are not above or independent of all laws. I’m not sure what people are missing about that concept. You can put that language in a contract and someone can claim they signed under duress or that it’s unenforceable because it’s not legal.

I think many privates (like ours) are in a panic not knowing what to do. This is a very good time to have an excellent in-house counsel.

[Anonymous]

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

I agree its in line with the Bishop's stance on masks a Church - optional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously didn’t name the school for a reason, but not a loony ”fundy Christian or Islamic” either. Fully enrolled, wait list only. Not an anti-vaxxer. Entire family is fully vaccinated and boosted. Again, no shutdowns and no COVID for DC or any of his classmates. You are showing your ignorance with your assumptions.

Is there testing done weekly? If not, maybe that’s why school says there are no cases.

I never said that there were no cases. I said that there were no closures. No testing. Treating COVID like the endemic virus that it is. When your child is sick, you are asked to keep them at home. When they are no longer symptomatic, they can return to school, no questions asked. Of course kids have had COVID, but there have been no massive outbreaks in the school or the school community at large.

Weird. I have been sick from this for a month. I am lucky I do not need to report to an office to support my family or rely on my income. Others do not have that luxury. My girls had mild sniffles I have serious chest pain and cough issues from covid.

[Anonymous]

Make masks part of the dress code. Students out of uniform will be sent home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously didn’t name the school for a reason, but not a loony ”fundy Christian or Islamic” either. Fully enrolled, wait list only. uote]

Weird. I have been sick from this for a month. I am lucky I do not need to report to an office to support my family or rely on my income. Others do not have that luxury. My girls had mild sniffles I have serious chest pain and cough issues from covid.

Did you get vaxxed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

I agree its in line with the Bishop's stance on masks a Church - optional.

Our school requires masks. If they get rid of the mask requirement, there will be many very unhappy families. Right now the screamers are the anti-maskers.

[Anonymous]

The Bishop’s stance on masks has made attendance at church very low. If he does the same for schools, one can expect the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

I agree its in line with the Bishop's stance on masks a Church - optional.

Our school requires masks. If they get rid of the mask requirement, there will be many very unhappy families. Right now the screamers are the anti-maskers.

I know many at our school that would be happy with them getting rid of the requirement. Its a 50/50 split in most places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Bishop’s stance on masks has made attendance at church very low. If he does the same for schools, one can expect the same.

This is in keeping with tradition that the church hierarchy is intent on delivering self-inflicted wounds at every opportunity. Not that they have done anything, but COVID has been a boon to enrollment at parochial schools. That switch can flip just as easily the other direction.