How many schools still have indoor mask requirements?

[Anonymous]

LAMB sent out a message now recommending that if you've got a family member test positive, to keep your negative kid home. So we seem to be veering every further away from CDC guidance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My school is mask optional but 85%-90% of students & staff still mask and we are prek3- 5th grade.

I would give it time. We had a high percentage of mask wearing for the first 2 weeks and then the masks began to come off. When our school division finally announced they would compensate employees who take off when sick with CoVID the masks really started coming off of staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least one of the parents is blatantly lying in the Reason article. MV’s leadership specifically stated that parents and staff had similar support for continuing to mask. But I suppose it’s more fun to give an anti-teacher soundbyte.

Isn’t MV not lifting their mask mandate until like the first week of May, and maybe not then?

The parent along with others in the article told the writer that "the strict policies largely reflect the preferences of the staff rather than the parents." This isn't the clearly isn't the case at MV (see the survey results above), and accordingly, I have my doubts at the other schools.

I thought MV's rationale was well articulated to parents. They cited increasing cases at MV, the known impact of covid-19 vs. the unknown impact of masking, the physical challenge of implementing social distancing, 40% still unvaccinated, and not wanting to place all the burden and risk on vulnerable students and staff.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16MrT6EAX6k4EW6uCsdts9t7WcoWn_gq-/view

It's appalling to see that level of "vaccine hesitancy" at a school that is clearly also very Covid anxious. You really shouldn't be able to have it both ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least one of the parents is blatantly lying in the Reason article. MV’s leadership specifically stated that parents and staff had similar support for continuing to mask. But I suppose it’s more fun to give an anti-teacher soundbyte.

Isn’t MV not lifting their mask mandate until like the first week of May, and maybe not then?

The parent along with others in the article told the writer that "the strict policies largely reflect the preferences of the staff rather than the parents." This isn't the clearly isn't the case at MV (see the survey results above), and accordingly, I have my doubts at the other schools.

I thought MV's rationale was well articulated to parents. They cited increasing cases at MV, the known impact of covid-19 vs. the unknown impact of masking, the physical challenge of implementing social distancing, 40% still unvaccinated, and not wanting to place all the burden and risk on vulnerable students and staff.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16MrT6EAX6k4EW6uCsdts9t7WcoWn_gq-/view

The survey results clearly show that there isn't a strong majority of either staff or students that want to continue to mask. As a teacher in a school division that has been mask optional for more than a month, I feel for those staff members who are forced to wear masks when they don't want to. Teaching with a mask on is the worst. People who want to continue to mask can use a high quality mask. It really isn't a big deal. I would say 3/4 of our staff have chosen to ditch the masks and about the same number of students, but no one cares if someone chooses to mask.

This! I feel bad for the kids, but I also feel really bad for the teachers who are forced to try to do their job with their faces covered all day. It's not an "unknown" impact of masking that they impair communication, and are uncomfortable. I didn't realize how uncomfortable they were for even short periods until I stopped masking at stores recently and then had to wear one again at a doctor's office. Can't imagine wearing one all day, especially while communicating with young kids, so I'm glad we're at a DCPS that is 90+% unmasked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LAMB sent out a message now recommending that if you've got a family member test positive, to keep your negative kid home. So we seem to be veering every further away from CDC guidance.

LAMB makes up its standards as it goes. They're based on nothing except the staff's preferences.

[Anonymous]

People who think kids still need to be masking in schools need to explain when the masking will end. Because the coronavirus situation we're in -- it's not going to change, ever. Coronavirus will never go away. Not ever. One hundred years from now people will still be getting it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LAMB sent out a message now recommending that if you've got a family member test positive, to keep your negative kid home. So we seem to be veering every further away from CDC guidance.

A good reason for family members not to get tested. No test, no problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People who think kids still need to be masking in schools need to explain when the masking will end. Because the coronavirus situation we're in -- it's not going to change, ever. Coronavirus will never go away. Not ever. One hundred years from now people will still be getting it.

I really think for some schools the answer is "we are comfortable doing this for years regardless of public health guidance says or what other schools are doing." Which they are never going to say.

[Anonymous]

Only 3.6 percent of all school districts in the United States requires kids to wear masks. 95.4 percent don't.

https://about.burbio.com/school-mask-policies-by-state/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LAMB sent out a message now recommending that if you've got a family member test positive, to keep your negative kid home. So we seem to be veering every further away from CDC guidance.

A good reason for family members not to get tested. No test, no problem.

That's how I read it, too.

It was just worded as a recommendation, but there are people who 1) won't understand that it's not a rule, and/or 2) won't feel comfortable violating that recommendation.

But if you are a family that is going to have major issues (financially or job-wise) keeping a kid home for many days (a kid that's not even sick), then your incentive is just not to test family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least one of the parents is blatantly lying in the Reason article. MV’s leadership specifically stated that parents and staff had similar support for continuing to mask. But I suppose it’s more fun to give an anti-teacher soundbyte.

Isn’t MV not lifting their mask mandate until like the first week of May, and maybe not then?

The parent along with others in the article told the writer that "the strict policies largely reflect the preferences of the staff rather than the parents." This isn't the clearly isn't the case at MV (see the survey results above), and accordingly, I have my doubts at the other schools.

I thought MV's rationale was well articulated to parents. They cited increasing cases at MV, the known impact of covid-19 vs. the unknown impact of masking, the physical challenge of implementing social distancing, 40% still unvaccinated, and not wanting to place all the burden and risk on vulnerable students and staff.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16MrT6EAX6k4EW6uCsdts9t7WcoWn_gq-/view

It's appalling to see that level of "vaccine hesitancy" at a school that is clearly also very Covid anxious. You really shouldn't be able to have it both ways.

Approx 20% is vaccine hesitancy or misinformation, and 20% is too young to vaccinate. I suspect that the 20% doesn't overlap substantially with those who want masking; people who oppose the vaccine tend to discount the severity of covid and hence also tend to not mask. So you should probably point the finger somewhere else.

Compared to those who reported positive vaccine intentions, respondents with negative vaccine intentions were significantly less likely to report that they engaged in the COVID-19 prevention behaviors of wearing masks (aOR = 0.53, CI = 0.37–0.76) and social distancing (aOR = 0.22, CI = 0.12–0.42). Citation

But the city can reduce the number of unvaccinated students by requiring covid vaccines of all age-eligible students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LAMB sent out a message now recommending that if you've got a family member test positive, to keep your negative kid home. So we seem to be veering every further away from CDC guidance.

LAMB makes up its standards as it goes. They're based on nothing except the staff's preferences.

Next, are they going to institute a widespread asymptomatic testing program??

[Anonymous]

Asking you to keep your healthy kid home from school, which goes against all public health advice, is nonsense and should not be allowed. Total BS, especially because everyone at LAMB still has to mask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least one of the parents is blatantly lying in the Reason article. MV’s leadership specifically stated that parents and staff had similar support for continuing to mask. But I suppose it’s more fun to give an anti-teacher soundbyte.

Isn’t MV not lifting their mask mandate until like the first week of May, and maybe not then?

The parent along with others in the article told the writer that "the strict policies largely reflect the preferences of the staff rather than the parents." This isn't the clearly isn't the case at MV (see the survey results above), and accordingly, I have my doubts at the other schools.

I thought MV's rationale was well articulated to parents. They cited increasing cases at MV, the known impact of covid-19 vs. the unknown impact of masking, the physical challenge of implementing social distancing, 40% still unvaccinated, and not wanting to place all the burden and risk on vulnerable students and staff.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16MrT6EAX6k4EW6uCsdts9t7WcoWn_gq-/view

It's appalling to see that level of "vaccine hesitancy" at a school that is clearly also very Covid anxious. You really shouldn't be able to have it both ways.

Approx 20% is vaccine hesitancy or misinformation, and 20% is too young to vaccinate. I suspect that the 20% doesn't overlap substantially with those who want masking; people who oppose the vaccine tend to discount the severity of covid and hence also tend to not mask. So you should probably point the finger somewhere else.

Compared to those who reported positive vaccine intentions, respondents with negative vaccine intentions were significantly less likely to report that they engaged in the COVID-19 prevention behaviors of wearing masks (aOR = 0.53, CI = 0.37–0.76) and social distancing (aOR = 0.22, CI = 0.12–0.42). Citation

But the city can reduce the number of unvaccinated students by requiring covid vaccines of all age-eligible students.

While I sincerely appreciate that you've provided a citation, I'm just not sure if this opinion poll is still valid--the survey here was done in May 2020.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least one of the parents is blatantly lying in the Reason article. MV’s leadership specifically stated that parents and staff had similar support for continuing to mask. But I suppose it’s more fun to give an anti-teacher soundbyte.

Isn’t MV not lifting their mask mandate until like the first week of May, and maybe not then?

The parent along with others in the article told the writer that "the strict policies largely reflect the preferences of the staff rather than the parents." This isn't the clearly isn't the case at MV (see the survey results above), and accordingly, I have my doubts at the other schools.

I thought MV's rationale was well articulated to parents. They cited increasing cases at MV, the known impact of covid-19 vs. the unknown impact of masking, the physical challenge of implementing social distancing, 40% still unvaccinated, and not wanting to place all the burden and risk on vulnerable students and staff.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16MrT6EAX6k4EW6uCsdts9t7WcoWn_gq-/view

It's appalling to see that level of "vaccine hesitancy" at a school that is clearly also very Covid anxious. You really shouldn't be able to have it both ways.

Approx 20% is vaccine hesitancy or misinformation, and 20% is too young to vaccinate. I suspect that the 20% doesn't overlap substantially with those who want masking; people who oppose the vaccine tend to discount the severity of covid and hence also tend to not mask. So you should probably point the finger somewhere else.

Compared to those who reported positive vaccine intentions, respondents with negative vaccine intentions were significantly less likely to report that they engaged in the COVID-19 prevention behaviors of wearing masks (aOR = 0.53, CI = 0.37–0.76) and social distancing (aOR = 0.22, CI = 0.12–0.42). Citation

But the city can reduce the number of unvaccinated students by requiring covid vaccines of all age-eligible students.

I 100 percent agree that is the case nationwide, but we have seen that is not the case in DC. There is a definite vaccine-resistant but pro-mask crowd.

Mayor Bowser's actions throughout the past year demonstrated this as well.