Is it time to have the difficult conversation about masks and MCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think it’s time to talk about masks because people are just not ready. I think once the mask mandate for the overall county is gone, people will take a few months to get used to it. I am hoping by spring they will start to let go of some of this anxiety and then our kids can unmask in schools provided MSDe agrees.

Cdc recommends masking at school.

And yet tons of kids coming down with colds and throat infections and coughs.

How do you explain that? Masks are not the long term answer. The folks getting sick with Covid are obese and/or have lung issues. Let's tackle that.

Most of them are not masking and living lives as normal outside of school, which is where they are catching it. Not everyone sick with covid is obese or has lung issues. People vaccinated are getting covid and dying too.

So, if masks aren't the long term answer and parents aren't willing to ask responsibly and there is still covid, maybe we should go back to hybrid, virtual or do real lockdowns to get this under control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Masks are not a big deal until we get everyone (most) vaxxed. The kids are pretty indifferent, just the parents. Typical wedge issue/non-issue to stir up the ranks.

I mean we can debate about whether they are necessary but stop gaslighting on them being awesome. Yes, my neurotypical kids will comply and wear them because that is the price for in person school but they are a big deal to them. My daughter says she can’t recognize her classmates on the playground and has difficulty hearing and understanding her teacher. She is soft spoken so when she says please repeat she is often not heard behind 3 layers of cotton. They are not great for learning and developing peer relationships which is probably why other countries are quicker to let them go in schools once cases under control.

Teach her to be more assertive.

Seriously. If she cannot recognize her peers, then she has bigger problems. Maybe she isn't "neurotypical" what ever that means to you. Get your kid evaluated and into therapy if they are having issues. Funny thing. You sound like you are the problem. Kids can still get covid when vaccinated BUT, 1/2 of MCPS is not vaccinated so discussing getting rid of masking is absurd.

[Anonymous]

I think we will have masks through the school year. I think mcps has handled things pretty well. Between masks and the opt-in testing (my kids are getting tested at school weekly), I feel okay about how things are going. The kids are used to wearing masks. No big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Seriously. If she cannot recognize her peers, then she has bigger problems. Maybe she isn't "neurotypical" what ever that means to you. Get your kid evaluated and into therapy if they are having issues. Funny thing. You sound like you are the problem. Kids can still get covid when vaccinated BUT, 1/2 of MCPS is not vaccinated so discussing getting rid of masking is absurd.

People who are vaccinated are

1. much less likely to become infected
2. much less likely to infect others if infected

But you know that.

And yet you keep copy-and-paste-ing the same information.

Why?

[Anonymous]

^^^misinformation, rather

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Most of them are not masking and living lives as normal outside of school, which is where they are catching it. Not everyone sick with covid is obese or has lung issues. People vaccinated are getting covid and dying too.

So, if masks aren't the long term answer and parents aren't willing to ask responsibly and there is still covid, maybe we should go back to hybrid, virtual or do real lockdowns to get this under control.

Maybe we should all go everywhere on pogo sticks. That's equally likely to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Masks are not a big deal until we get everyone (most) vaxxed. The kids are pretty indifferent, just the parents. Typical wedge issue/non-issue to stir up the ranks.

I mean we can debate about whether they are necessary but stop gaslighting on them being awesome. Yes, my neurotypical kids will comply and wear them because that is the price for in person school but they are a big deal to them. My daughter says she can’t recognize her classmates on the playground and has difficulty hearing and understanding her teacher. She is soft spoken so when she says please repeat she is often not heard behind 3 layers of cotton. They are not great for learning and developing peer relationships which is probably why other countries are quicker to let them go in schools once cases under control.

Teach her to be more assertive.

Seriously. If she cannot recognize her peers, then she has bigger problems. Maybe she isn't "neurotypical" what ever that means to you. Get your kid evaluated and into therapy if they are having issues. Funny thing. You sound like you are the problem. Kids can still get covid when vaccinated BUT, 1/2 of MCPS is not vaccinated so discussing getting rid of masking is absurd.

I agree with this mother, and I"m a school counselor with no kids in the system. I think we should ditch masks as soon as the vaccines are administered to kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://corporate.dukehealth.org/news/data-finds-universal-masking-limits-school-transmission-covid-19-despite-delta-variant

“The findings of this study are extremely encouraging for the health and safety of students and staff attending schools where universal masking is in place,” said Kanecia Zimmerman, MD, MPH, co-chair of the ABC Science Collaborative. “The Delta variant is more transmissible than previous ancestral variants, but transmission in schools can continue to be low with vaccination among those who are eligible, strict adherence to masking, and avoidance of pandemic fatigue.”

"A masking mandate in North Carolina schools during the early weeks of the Delta variant surge resulted in a lower rate of infection among school children and staff members than what was reported in the broader community, according to a new report from the ABC Science Collaborative."

We are now in the late weeks of the Delta variant surge. I'm not saying that the state should lift the school mask mandate tomorrow. I'm saying that mitigation measures put in place while Delta was surging may not be appropriate once the Delta surge is over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Masks are not a big deal until we get everyone (most) vaxxed. The kids are pretty indifferent, just the parents. Typical wedge issue/non-issue to stir up the ranks.

I mean we can debate about whether they are necessary but stop gaslighting on them being awesome. Yes, my neurotypical kids will comply and wear them because that is the price for in person school but they are a big deal to them. My daughter says she can’t recognize her classmates on the playground and has difficulty hearing and understanding her teacher. She is soft spoken so when she says please repeat she is often not heard behind 3 layers of cotton. They are not great for learning and developing peer relationships which is probably why other countries are quicker to let them go in schools once cases under control.

Teach her to be more assertive.

Seriously. If she cannot recognize her peers, then she has bigger problems. Maybe she isn't "neurotypical" what ever that means to you. Get your kid evaluated and into therapy if they are having issues. Funny thing. You sound like you are the problem. Kids can still get covid when vaccinated BUT, 1/2 of MCPS is not vaccinated so discussing getting rid of masking is absurd.

I agree with this mother, and I"m a school counselor with no kids in the system. I think we should ditch masks as soon as the vaccines are administered to kids.

With breakthrough cases, are you willing to risk a child dying because you don't feel like wearing a mask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://corporate.dukehealth.org/news/data-finds-universal-masking-limits-school-transmission-covid-19-despite-delta-variant

“The findings of this study are extremely encouraging for the health and safety of students and staff attending schools where universal masking is in place,” said Kanecia Zimmerman, MD, MPH, co-chair of the ABC Science Collaborative. “The Delta variant is more transmissible than previous ancestral variants, but transmission in schools can continue to be low with vaccination among those who are eligible, strict adherence to masking, and avoidance of pandemic fatigue.”

"A masking mandate in North Carolina schools during the early weeks of the Delta variant surge resulted in a lower rate of infection among school children and staff members than what was reported in the broader community, according to a new report from the ABC Science Collaborative."

We are now in the late weeks of the Delta variant surge. I'm not saying that the state should lift the school mask mandate tomorrow. I'm saying that mitigation measures put in place while Delta was surging may not be appropriate once the Delta surge is over.

Except now there are new variants and with families traveling over the holidays there is a good chance it will come here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Masks are not a big deal until we get everyone (most) vaxxed. The kids are pretty indifferent, just the parents. Typical wedge issue/non-issue to stir up the ranks.

I mean we can debate about whether they are necessary but stop gaslighting on them being awesome. Yes, my neurotypical kids will comply and wear them because that is the price for in person school but they are a big deal to them. My daughter says she can’t recognize her classmates on the playground and has difficulty hearing and understanding her teacher. She is soft spoken so when she says please repeat she is often not heard behind 3 layers of cotton. They are not great for learning and developing peer relationships which is probably why other countries are quicker to let them go in schools once cases under control.

Teach her to be more assertive.

Seriously. If she cannot recognize her peers, then she has bigger problems. Maybe she isn't "neurotypical" what ever that means to you. Get your kid evaluated and into therapy if they are having issues. Funny thing. You sound like you are the problem. Kids can still get covid when vaccinated BUT, 1/2 of MCPS is not vaccinated so discussing getting rid of masking is absurd.

I agree with this mother, and I"m a school counselor with no kids in the system. I think we should ditch masks as soon as the vaccines are administered to kids.

With breakthrough cases, are you willing to risk a child dying because you don't feel like wearing a mask.

Let’s unpack that. Yes. And we make similar decisions everyday. The cost of preventing all deaths is too high. That’s why kids attend school. Driving to school is dangerous. School shootings etc. we balance the risk against the benefit. When kids are vaccinated and numbers are low low low (and btw any vulnerable kid who wants to can obviously mask forever) then the benefits of a normal learning and social environment most definitely outweigh the risk. We can argue about when that will be but you are saying it will never happen which is extreme and dear god I hope a minority keyboard warrior view.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://corporate.dukehealth.org/news/data-finds-universal-masking-limits-school-transmission-covid-19-despite-delta-variant

“The findings of this study are extremely encouraging for the health and safety of students and staff attending schools where universal masking is in place,” said Kanecia Zimmerman, MD, MPH, co-chair of the ABC Science Collaborative. “The Delta variant is more transmissible than previous ancestral variants, but transmission in schools can continue to be low with vaccination among those who are eligible, strict adherence to masking, and avoidance of pandemic fatigue.”

"A masking mandate in North Carolina schools during the early weeks of the Delta variant surge resulted in a lower rate of infection among school children and staff members than what was reported in the broader community, according to a new report from the ABC Science Collaborative."

We are now in the late weeks of the Delta variant surge. I'm not saying that the state should lift the school mask mandate tomorrow. I'm saying that mitigation measures put in place while Delta was surging may not be appropriate once the Delta surge is over.

Except now there are new variants and with families traveling over the holidays there is a good chance it will come here.

There's a good chance WHAT will come here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

With breakthrough cases, are you willing to risk a child dying because you don't feel like wearing a mask.

Do you drive? Are you willing to risk killing a child because you don't feel like walking, biking, taking a bus, or forgoing the trip?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

With breakthrough cases, are you willing to risk a child dying because you don't feel like wearing a mask.

Do you drive? Are you willing to risk killing a child because you don't feel like walking, biking, taking a bus, or forgoing the trip?

Really? October 2021 and you still don't know what a pandemic is. MCPS grad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

With breakthrough cases, are you willing to risk a child dying because you don't feel like wearing a mask.

Do you drive? Are you willing to risk killing a child because you don't feel like walking, biking, taking a bus, or forgoing the trip?

Really? October 2021 and you still don't know what a pandemic is. MCPS grad?

I see we have a poster that failed math and stats. That’s the only way your inability to grasp risks makes any sense.