No more masks at VA privates?

[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.

Anyone is allowed to wear a mask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Youngkin’s kids went to Little Langley, NCS, St Albans and Georgetown Prep. All privates. Most not even in Virginia. Very very telling.

Um, His opponent sent his kids to the Ultra Elite Potomac School in McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Anyone is allowed to wear a mask.

No, everyone has to obey the principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Youngkin’s kids went to Little Langley, NCS, St Albans and Georgetown Prep. All privates. Most not even in Virginia. Very very telling.

Um, His opponent sent his kids to the Ultra Elite Potomac School in McLean.

And? Had zero to do with current subject. But nice try whataboutism-er.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Youngkin’s kids went to Little Langley, NCS, St Albans and Georgetown Prep. All privates. Most not even in Virginia. Very very telling.

Um, His opponent sent his kids to the Ultra Elite Potomac School in McLean.

And? Had zero to do with current subject. But nice try whataboutism-er.

It is relevant. His democrat opponent sent his kids to the most expensive and ultra elite school in virginia (more elite than Little Langley, more expensive and harder to get into). He had choice for his kids due to the amount of money he has, and exercised that choice. And, his policy proposal is not to give parents public school choice options outside their zipcodes, and not to give vouchers for privae schools. I think that is very apalling, and very very elite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Youngkin’s kids went to Little Langley, NCS, St Albans and Georgetown Prep. All privates. Most not even in Virginia. Very very telling.

Um, His opponent sent his kids to the Ultra Elite Potomac School in McLean.

And? Had zero to do with current subject. But nice try whataboutism-er.

It is relevant. His democrat opponent sent his kids to the most expensive and ultra elite school in virginia (more elite than Little Langley, more expensive and harder to get into). He had choice for his kids due to the amount of money he has, and exercised that choice. And, his policy proposal is not to give parents public school choice options outside their zipcodes, and not to give vouchers for privae schools. I think that is very apalling, and very very elite.

That’s not how public school works in this country - no one is owed vouchers or “public school choice.” You go to the public school to which you are assigned or test in to a magnet. That is our public school system. If you don’t like it, it’s on you to find an alternative. Stop promoting the notion that you are OWED anything beyond a free education for your kid in the public school system. That’s not how it works.

- product of public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Youngkin’s kids went to Little Langley, NCS, St Albans and Georgetown Prep. All privates. Most not even in Virginia. Very very telling.

Um, His opponent sent his kids to the Ultra Elite Potomac School in McLean.

And? Had zero to do with current subject. But nice try whataboutism-er.

It is relevant. His democrat opponent sent his kids to the most expensive and ultra elite school in virginia (more elite than Little Langley, more expensive and harder to get into). He had choice for his kids due to the amount of money he has, and exercised that choice. And, his policy proposal is not to give parents public school choice options outside their zipcodes, and not to give vouchers for privae schools. I think that is very apalling, and very very elite.

That’s not how public school works in this country - no one is owed vouchers or “public school choice.” You go to the public school to which you are assigned or test in to a magnet. That is our public school system. If you don’t like it, it’s on you to find an alternative. Stop promoting the notion that you are OWED anything beyond a free education for your kid in the public school system. That’s not how it works.

- product of public schools.

And of course when the “wrong” students do manage to get into those great public schools, parents like the Youngkin fan up there get pissy that their kid has to deal with “those” people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC goes to a VA private that has been mask optional since August, and absolutely no one where a mask - students or staff. No shutdowns either.

What private is this? We want to find one for our 2 year old not to wear a mask. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Educated, successful professional. Not an anti-vaxxer. Not religious. Not a gun owner. Not even an anti-masker, but still voted for Youngkin. We desperately need an off-ramp for all of these measures that have made life miserable for kids in particular, yet haven’t stopped COVID.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Youngkin’s kids went to Little Langley, NCS, St Albans and Georgetown Prep. All privates. Most not even in Virginia. Very very telling.

Um, His opponent sent his kids to the Ultra Elite Potomac School in McLean.

And? Had zero to do with current subject. But nice try whataboutism-er.

It is relevant. His democrat opponent sent his kids to the most expensive and ultra elite school in virginia (more elite than Little Langley, more expensive and harder to get into). He had choice for his kids due to the amount of money he has, and exercised that choice. And, his policy proposal is not to give parents public school choice options outside their zipcodes, and not to give vouchers for privae schools. I think that is very apalling, and very very elite.

That’s not how public school works in this country - no one is owed vouchers or “public school choice.” You go to the public school to which you are assigned or test in to a magnet. That is our public school system. If you don’t like it, it’s on you to find an alternative. Stop promoting the notion that you are OWED anything beyond a free education for your kid in the public school system. That’s not how it works.

- product of public schools.

This is a very privileged point of view. Check your privilege.

Go to your crappy school if you live near a crappy school (because it's all you can afford) and aren't a highly prepped pay to play magnet kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Youngkin’s kids went to Little Langley, NCS, St Albans and Georgetown Prep. All privates. Most not even in Virginia. Very very telling.

Um, His opponent sent his kids to the Ultra Elite Potomac School in McLean.

And? Had zero to do with current subject. But nice try whataboutism-er.

It is relevant. His democrat opponent sent his kids to the most expensive and ultra elite school in virginia (more elite than Little Langley, more expensive and harder to get into). He had choice for his kids due to the amount of money he has, and exercised that choice. And, his policy proposal is not to give parents public school choice options outside their zipcodes, and not to give vouchers for privae schools. I think that is very apalling, and very very elite.

That’s not how public school works in this country - no one is owed vouchers or “public school choice.” You go to the public school to which you are assigned or test in to a magnet. That is our public school system. If you don’t like it, it’s on you to find an alternative. Stop promoting the notion that you are OWED anything beyond a free education for your kid in the public school system. That’s not how it works.

- product of public schools.

Yes, it does not work like that in this country I agree. I am also the product of public schools, from a different country, where based on your success you can apply to other schools and have a chance at better schools. It is a complicated choice system, there is no restriction to zipcodes, and works better than the public school system here.

But hey, since I am on this forum, my kids are in private school aren't they? That shows my opinion about them at this point. Do I prefer them to get better, hell yes? I wish they were better, and all kids had similar opportunities from all zip codes. Then I would not have to consider where I am purchasing home, or if the school is bad which private do I send them to. Money buys school choices in this country. The public school system does not provide any choice. I know there are better public school system all around the world, and they educate kids better by providing school choice.

So whatever you say, I know the policy research, I know examples from all around the world. I am an immigrant. Not left or right in this country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you read this?

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/science/articles/cult-masked-schoolchildren

And have you seen that several European countries are ending all mandates? But they are stupid and obtuse too, right? Maybe ask your pediatrician before you decide....

Looks like a very serious and well documented article from a reliable publication.

The New York Times says it is far more risky to let your kid swim in a pool or drive in a car?

No way to grow up
American children are starting 2022 in crisis.

I have long been aware that the pandemic was upending children’s lives. But until I spent time pulling together data and reading reports, I did not understand just how alarming the situation had become.

Today’s newsletter offers an overview of that crisis.

The toll
Children fell far behind in school during the first year of the pandemic and have not caught up. Among third through eighth graders, math and reading levels were all lower than normal this fall, according to NWEA, a research group. The shortfalls were largest for Black and Hispanic students, as well as students in schools with high poverty rates.

“We haven’t seen this kind of academic achievement crisis in living memory,” Michael Petrilli of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute told Politico.

Many children and teenagers are experiencing mental health problems, aggravated by the isolation and disruption of the pandemic. Three medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, recently declared a national state of emergency in children’s mental health. They cited “dramatic increases in emergency department visits for all mental health emergencies.”

Suicide attempts have risen, slightly among adolescent boys and sharply among adolescent girls. The number of E.R. visits for suspected suicide attempts by 12- to 17-year-old girls rose by 51 percent from early 2019 to early 2021, according to the C.D.C.

Gun violence against children has increased, as part of a broader nationwide rise in crime. In Chicago, for example, 101 residents under age 20 were murdered last year, up from 76 in 2019. School shootings have also risen: The Washington Post counted 42 last year in the U.S., the most on record and up from 27 in 2019.

Many schools have still not returned to normal, worsening learning loss and social isolation. Once-normal aspects of school life — lunchtime, extracurricular activities, assemblies, school trips, parent-teacher conferences, reliable bus schedules — have been transformed if not eliminated.

When The Morning asked parents and teachers about the situation in their local schools, we heard an outpouring of anguish:

“This is no way for children to grow up,” Jackie Irwin, a reader in Oklahoma, told us. “It is maddening.”
“For so many kids, school represents a safe, comfortable, reliable place, but not for nearly two years now,” Lisa Durstin of Strafford, Vt., said.
“A lot of the joy and camaraderie that signifies a happy, productive school culture has disappeared,” said Maria Menconi, a schools consultant and former superintendent based in Arizona.
Behavior problems have increased. “Schools across the country say they’re seeing an uptick in disruptive behaviors,” Kalyn Belsha of Chalkbeat reported. “Some are obvious and visible, like students trashing bathrooms, fighting over social media posts or running out of classrooms. Others are quieter calls for help, like students putting their head down and refusing to talk.”

Kelli Tuttle, a teacher in Madison, Wis., told us, “There is a lot of swearing, vandalism and some fights.” A teacher in Northern California said she had witnessed the “meanest, most inappropriate comments to teachers” in her 15 years of working in schools.

The Omicron variant is now scrambling children’s lives again. Most schools have stayed open this week, but many have canceled sports, plays and other activities. Some districts have closed schools, for a day or more, despite evidence that most children struggle to learn remotely, as my colleague Dana Goldstein reports. Closings are taking place in Atlanta, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Newark and several New York City suburbs, among other places.

“It’s chaos,” Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union, told Dana. “The No. 1 thing that parents and families are crying out for is stability.”


Students outside Oxford High School in Michigan after a shooting last month.Nick Hagen for The New York Times
Hard choices
For the past two years, large parts of American society have decided harming children was an unavoidable side effect of Covid-19. And that was probably true in the spring of 2020, when nearly all of society shut down to slow the spread of a deadly and mysterious virus.

But the approach has been less defensible for the past year and a half, as we have learned more about both Covid and the extent of children’s suffering from pandemic restrictions.

Data now suggest that many changes to school routines are of questionable value in controlling the virus’s spread. Some researchers are skeptical that school closures reduce Covid cases in most instances. Other interventions, like forcing students to sit apart from their friends at lunch, may also have little benefit.

One reason: Severe versions of Covid, including long Covid, are extremely rare in children. For them, the virus resembles a typical flu. Children face more risk from car rides than Covid.

The widespread availability of vaccines since last spring also raises an ethical question: Should children suffer to protect unvaccinated adults — who are voluntarily accepting Covid risk for themselves and increasing everybody else’s risk, too? Right now, the U.S. is effectively saying yes.

To be clear, there are some hard decisions and unavoidable trade-offs. Covid can lead to hospitalization or worse for a small percentage of vaccinated adults, especially those who are older or immunocompromised, and allowing children to resume normal life could create additional risk. The Omicron surge may well heighten that risk, leaving schools with no attractive options.

For the past two years, however, many communities in the U.S. have not really grappled with the trade-off. They have tried to minimize the spread of Covid — a worthy goal absent other factors — rather than minimizing the damage that Covid does to society. They have accepted more harm to children in exchange for less harm to adults, often without acknowledging the dilemma or assessing which decisions lead to less overall harm.

Given the choices that the country has made, it should not be surprising that children are suffering so much.

Related: Polls show that Americans are worn out and frustrated by the pandemic, Blake Hounshell and Leah Askarinam explain in the first edition of the new On Politics newsletter.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Educated, successful professional. Not an anti-vaxxer. Not religious. Not a gun owner. Not even an anti-masker, but still voted for Youngkin. We desperately need an off-ramp for all of these measures that have made life miserable for kids in particular, yet haven’t stopped COVID.

+1

+ a million!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Educated, successful professional. Not an anti-vaxxer. Not religious. Not a gun owner. Not even an anti-masker, but still voted for Youngkin. We desperately need an off-ramp for all of these measures that have made life miserable for kids in particular, yet haven’t stopped COVID.

+1

+ a million!

+ 6 million!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Youngkin’s kids went to Little Langley, NCS, St Albans and Georgetown Prep. All privates. Most not even in Virginia. Very very telling.

Um, His opponent sent his kids to the Ultra Elite Potomac School in McLean.

And? Had zero to do with current subject. But nice try whataboutism-er.

It is relevant. His democrat opponent sent his kids to the most expensive and ultra elite school in virginia (more elite than Little Langley, more expensive and harder to get into). He had choice for his kids due to the amount of money he has, and exercised that choice. And, his policy proposal is not to give parents public school choice options outside their zipcodes, and not to give vouchers for privae schools. I think that is very apalling, and very very elite.

That’s not how public school works in this country - no one is owed vouchers or “public school choice.” You go to the public school to which you are assigned or test in to a magnet. That is our public school system. If you don’t like it, it’s on you to find an alternative. Stop promoting the notion that you are OWED anything beyond a free education for your kid in the public school system. That’s not how it works.

- product of public schools.

+1

Taxpayers shouldn't subsidize private school. Despite what the entitled private school elites may try to sell the masses.