APS mask policy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

APS has to evaluate all of their other covid-related policies and practices to account for students who won’t wear masks. They may be reconsidering distancing amounts (and whether classrooms will need to be reconfigured), lunch practices, close contact and test to stay policies, etc.

What are they going to do about classroom configuration or lunch? Get real. They have no options. And are you suggesting that the maskless children will be forced to sit in some banished corner of the room far away from others?

I doubt it. You're making this over complicated. If you are very worried about your own child, send them in a good quality KN95.

FCCPS changed their distancing guidelines so that unmasked children had to seated 6 feet away from classmates rather than 3 feet.

That is actually terrible. Really???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

The lawsuit also argued the school districts believe it is unconstitutional under VA state constitution to not allow School Boards to have authority over their own buildings/students, etc. So more a question of whose right is it to set this kind of policy/law.

No idea the merits of that argument.

The argument on the EO was that the GA had left the issue up to school boards with the previous bill (since it just directed them to comply with CDC recommendations as much as possible).

The GA is now directing them explicitly to end mask mandates.

This seems pretty cut and dry under the Virginia constitution unless there is previous case law that somehow limits the authority of the GA.

e) Subject to the ultimate authority of the General Assembly, the Board shall have primary responsibility and authority for effectuating the educational policy set forth in this article, and it shall have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by law.

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/constitution/article8/section5/

So maybe the lawsuit doesn't go away.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

The lawsuit also argued the school districts believe it is unconstitutional under VA state constitution to not allow School Boards to have authority over their own buildings/students, etc. So more a question of whose right is it to set this kind of policy/law.

No idea the merits of that argument.

The argument on the EO was that the GA had left the issue up to school boards with the previous bill (since it just directed them to comply with CDC recommendations as much as possible).

The GA is now directing them explicitly to end mask mandates.

This seems pretty cut and dry under the Virginia constitution unless there is previous case law that somehow limits the authority of the GA.

e) Subject to the ultimate authority of the General Assembly, the Board shall have primary responsibility and authority for effectuating the educational policy set forth in this article, and it shall have such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by law.

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/constitution/article8/section5/

So maybe the lawsuit doesn't go away.

+1

It will go away. DEMs don't need another punch in the face right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

APS has to evaluate all of their other covid-related policies and practices to account for students who won’t wear masks. They may be reconsidering distancing amounts (and whether classrooms will need to be reconfigured), lunch practices, close contact and test to stay policies, etc.

What are they going to do about classroom configuration or lunch? Get real. They have no options. And are you suggesting that the maskless children will be forced to sit in some banished corner of the room far away from others?

I doubt it. You're making this over complicated. If you are very worried about your own child, send them in a good quality KN95.

FCCPS changed their distancing guidelines so that unmasked children had to seated 6 feet away from classmates rather than 3 feet.

That is actually terrible. Really???

yes- the superintendent announced he was going to do this- no it didn't actually happen. The pushback was strong and swift. Of course, the Superintendent, who is apparently incapable of ever admitting he made a mistake, didn't announce he wasn't doing it- he just deleted the infographic off the website that announced it, and the principals all sent out messages contradicting it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

The lawsuit also argued the school districts believe it is unconstitutional under VA state constitution to not allow School Boards to have authority over their own buildings/students, etc. So more a question of whose right is it to set this kind of policy/law.

No idea the merits of that argument.

So maybe the lawsuit doesn't go away.

+1

I’d like masks to be optional but I do think this is worth fighting. It’s a slippery slope that could allow future governors to make all sorts of decisions because now there’s precedent. I’m surprised more Republican leaning people aren’t concerned about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

APS has to evaluate all of their other covid-related policies and practices to account for students who won’t wear masks. They may be reconsidering distancing amounts (and whether classrooms will need to be reconfigured), lunch practices, close contact and test to stay policies, etc.

What are they going to do about classroom configuration or lunch? Get real. They have no options. And are you suggesting that the maskless children will be forced to sit in some banished corner of the room far away from others?

I doubt it. You're making this over complicated. If you are very worried about your own child, send them in a good quality KN95.

FCCPS changed their distancing guidelines so that unmasked children had to seated 6 feet away from classmates rather than 3 feet.

This would be physically impossible in my second grader’s class. I doubt they’re 3 feet apart now. They’re packed in to a relatively small classroom as it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

The lawsuit also argued the school districts believe it is unconstitutional under VA state constitution to not allow School Boards to have authority over their own buildings/students, etc. So more a question of whose right is it to set this kind of policy/law.

No idea the merits of that argument.

So maybe the lawsuit doesn't go away.

You should want it to go away. APS should not be wasting tax dollars to engage in a lawsuit purely based on political ideology.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

APS has to evaluate all of their other covid-related policies and practices to account for students who won’t wear masks. They may be reconsidering distancing amounts (and whether classrooms will need to be reconfigured), lunch practices, close contact and test to stay policies, etc.

Yes, I am sure they will waste time doing that as well. Come up with some amazing infographics and make all kinds of ridiculous plans that require teachers to monitor all kinds of nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

APS has to evaluate all of their other covid-related policies and practices to account for students who won’t wear masks. They may be reconsidering distancing amounts (and whether classrooms will need to be reconfigured), lunch practices, close contact and test to stay policies, etc.

What are they going to do about classroom configuration or lunch? Get real. They have no options. And are you suggesting that the maskless children will be forced to sit in some banished corner of the room far away from others?

I doubt it. You're making this over complicated. If you are very worried about your own child, send them in a good quality KN95.

FCCPS changed their distancing guidelines so that unmasked children had to seated 6 feet away from classmates rather than 3 feet.

This would be physically impossible in my second grader’s class. I doubt they’re 3 feet apart now. They’re packed in to a relatively small classroom as it is.

Even if they don’t rearrange the classroom, they can set a policy that the “close contact” radius for unmasked students is 6 feet rather than 3 feet. Under the current policy, students who are deemed close contacts are only exempt from quarantine if they are fully up to date on their vaccines (including boosters), have no symptoms and wear masks consistently. If APS maintains this policy, then any student who does not wear a mask and who is deemed a close contact will have to go through the test to stay protocol or quarantine for five days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

The lawsuit also argued the school districts believe it is unconstitutional under VA state constitution to not allow School Boards to have authority over their own buildings/students, etc. So more a question of whose right is it to set this kind of policy/law.

No idea the merits of that argument.

So maybe the lawsuit doesn't go away.

You should want it to go away. APS should not be wasting tax dollars to engage in a lawsuit purely based on political ideology.

APS has counsel on staff

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

The lawsuit also argued the school districts believe it is unconstitutional under VA state constitution to not allow School Boards to have authority over their own buildings/students, etc. So more a question of whose right is it to set this kind of policy/law.

No idea the merits of that argument.

So maybe the lawsuit doesn't go away.

You should want it to go away. APS should not be wasting tax dollars to engage in a lawsuit purely based on political ideology.

APS has counsel on staff

I don't work for APS but I would imagine they would hire outside counsel for a lawsuit like this. And I would support them doing so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

APS has to evaluate all of their other covid-related policies and practices to account for students who won’t wear masks. They may be reconsidering distancing amounts (and whether classrooms will need to be reconfigured), lunch practices, close contact and test to stay policies, etc.

What are they going to do about classroom configuration or lunch? Get real. They have no options. And are you suggesting that the maskless children will be forced to sit in some banished corner of the room far away from others?

I doubt it. You're making this over complicated. If you are very worried about your own child, send them in a good quality KN95.

FCCPS changed their distancing guidelines so that unmasked children had to seated 6 feet away from classmates rather than 3 feet.

This would be physically impossible in my second grader’s class. I doubt they’re 3 feet apart now. They’re packed in to a relatively small classroom as it is.

Even if they don’t rearrange the classroom, they can set a policy that the “close contact” radius for unmasked students is 6 feet rather than 3 feet. Under the current policy, students who are deemed close contacts are only exempt from quarantine if they are fully up to date on their vaccines (including boosters), have no symptoms and wear masks consistently. If APS maintains this policy, then any student who does not wear a mask and who is deemed a close contact will have to go through the test to stay protocol or quarantine for five days.

Exempt from quarantine is vaxxed and symptom free. If any system adds ‘and was masked at time of exposure’ they are adding to cdc/vdh guidelines with no basis in health

[Anonymous]

Our Catholic school has been mask optional for awhile now. Pp is correct - exempt from quarantine is vaxxed and symptom free. Masks matter in that those who return to school after quarantine have to remain masked for the next five days even if they have opted out..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you read your emails? It will be discussed at the School Board Meeting.

Mask Requirement: I know there are questions about next steps with our mask policy. Like other local school divisions, APS has been reviewing the latest health guidance and planning for when we can safely ease our masks requirements. We will present our plan and revised policy at Thursday’s School Board meeting. We have come far together as a community in maintaining safe, open schools, even during the Omicron spike, and we will continue that work together.

They can discuss all they want, the law goes into effect on March 1. What would be really refreshing is if they just sent out an email that says in compliance with the law, on March 1, masks are optional. Also they need to withdraw from that lawsuit right now.

APS has to evaluate all of their other covid-related policies and practices to account for students who won’t wear masks. They may be reconsidering distancing amounts (and whether classrooms will need to be reconfigured), lunch practices, close contact and test to stay policies, etc.

What are they going to do about classroom configuration or lunch? Get real. They have no options. And are you suggesting that the maskless children will be forced to sit in some banished corner of the room far away from others?

I doubt it. You're making this over complicated. If you are very worried about your own child, send them in a good quality KN95.

FCCPS changed their distancing guidelines so that unmasked children had to seated 6 feet away from classmates rather than 3 feet.

This would be physically impossible in my second grader’s class. I doubt they’re 3 feet apart now. They’re packed in to a relatively small classroom as it is.

Even if they don’t rearrange the classroom, they can set a policy that the “close contact” radius for unmasked students is 6 feet rather than 3 feet. Under the current policy, students who are deemed close contacts are only exempt from quarantine if they are fully up to date on their vaccines (including boosters), have no symptoms and wear masks consistently. If APS maintains this policy, then any student who does not wear a mask and who is deemed a close contact will have to go through the test to stay protocol or quarantine for five days.

Exempt from quarantine is vaxxed and symptom free. If any system adds ‘and was masked at time of exposure’ they are adding to cdc/vdh guidelines with no basis in health

It’s already on the APS website.

[Anonymous]

Damn, some of you are grasping at straws to find a way to punish the kids who end up not wearing masks.

Not surprised, I guess.