When should DC drop its school mask mandate?

[Anonymous]

New York City is dropping their school mask mandate as of Monday.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know if this came up at the DCPS oversight hearing at the Council yesterday?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://twitter.com/dcsboe/status/1499779811610439681?s=21

WTAF.

I hate this town.

DP. Requiring a month's notice before the mandate is lifted means, in practical terms, that the earliest the mandate would go into effect is like a month before school ends (unless by some miracle action is taken in the next few weeks, which won't happen).

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:There might have been a wee bit bit of hyperbole in PP's post, but I don't think there can be any question that isolating/masking young children during two critical years of development will impact them negatively, both educationally and emotionally. How could it not? Its not only unnatural, its unnecessary and completely counter to what every other developed nation has done. This is not normal.

THIS. The US has been an outlier in the world and now DC is an outlier in the US.

And by all suggestions, we are going to continue to be an outlier. This is pathetic and the people in charge should be ashamed that they aren't following PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDANCE.

+1
This is absurd. It is irrational and insane to be the only ones in the entire country to continue to force children to mask. WTAF. Mayor Bowser should be ashamed of herself.

People are going to laugh at me but whatever. My daughter's preschool here in MA dropped the mask mandate this week. We land in DC at the end of the month. It gives me half a mind not to start her at the pre-K we lined up because I don't want her going back to this, especially in a new classroom environment.

I am a PK parent in DC and I will not laugh at you. That would be sound and responsible decision-making. See if you can find in-home care. It's not worth a few months of PK programming. Hopefully the madness ends this summer and your kid can go next year without this stupidity.

Another DC PK parent, please don't come to DC - zero PK students here have a problem with wearing masks a few more months until they can get vaccinated - it's their crazy, foaming parents that don't want to wear masks. Kids who can be vaccinated should be vaccinated. Kids who cannot yet be vaccinated should wear masks indoors. It's not that deep. And if you won't get your kid vaccinated or have your kid wear a mask inside, home school with the other fundy cultists.

Sigh. People who would like the city to FOLLOW CDC GUIDANCE are not the fundy cultists. Ma'am, I think you need to let go of the idea that everyone needs to mask.

Sigh. Nowhere does the CDC guidance say children should not wear masks. Schools are free to decide that unvaccinated kids should wear masks, particularly in PK. This is an age that thrives on routine - and if transmission rates go up after Spring Break, putting the mask back is not going to make sense to them. Of course, the CDC also recommends that kids get vaccinated - and plenty of these same antimaskers won't vaccinate their kids. Yikes.

Um, the CDC literally just included schools in their updated guidance on masks. Children are free to continue wearing them but the CDC says they should be optional in areas with low transmission. So yes, dropping mask requirements in schools is literally following CDC guidance.

Also, the CDC is about as conservative as it gets on this and many other things. Other world organizations (WHO, UNICEF, European CDC) advocate never masking young children. The CDC is also conservative on everything (never eat a pink hamburger! always use a dental dam for oral sex!) so it's kinda bonkers to me that they can mellow out on school masking and there are still places in the country that want to be take MORE mandatory precautions than they advocate.

Well, in my public charter school a bunch of parents said in an open meeting that they would not have vaccinated their kids if our school had not made them quarantine when they travel - so that's a school being stricter than the feds - and encouraging parents to protect their kids/others through vaccination. In the same way, taking temperatures encourages parents to protect their kids/others by not sending them to school sick. Masks at PK when PK can't be vaccinated makes sense. I would also be fine with schools telling parents their older kids have to mask if they refuse to get vaccinated. Carrots and sticks.

Carrots and sticks, okay, but what does that have to do with masking PK when there is no option to vaccinate them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has a more useless group of individuals ever been convened than the SBOE?

Btw, SBOE president Zachary Parker is running for an open city council seat in Ward 5, so if you live there please don't vote for him!

I will happily support whoever is running against him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There might have been a wee bit bit of hyperbole in PP's post, but I don't think there can be any question that isolating/masking young children during two critical years of development will impact them negatively, both educationally and emotionally. How could it not? Its not only unnatural, its unnecessary and completely counter to what every other developed nation has done. This is not normal.

THIS. The US has been an outlier in the world and now DC is an outlier in the US.

And by all suggestions, we are going to continue to be an outlier. This is pathetic and the people in charge should be ashamed that they aren't following PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDANCE.

+1
This is absurd. It is irrational and insane to be the only ones in the entire country to continue to force children to mask. WTAF. Mayor Bowser should be ashamed of herself.

People are going to laugh at me but whatever. My daughter's preschool here in MA dropped the mask mandate this week. We land in DC at the end of the month. It gives me half a mind not to start her at the pre-K we lined up because I don't want her going back to this, especially in a new classroom environment.

I am a PK parent in DC and I will not laugh at you. That would be sound and responsible decision-making. See if you can find in-home care. It's not worth a few months of PK programming. Hopefully the madness ends this summer and your kid can go next year without this stupidity.

Another DC PK parent, please don't come to DC - zero PK students here have a problem with wearing masks a few more months until they can get vaccinated - it's their crazy, foaming parents that don't want to wear masks. Kids who can be vaccinated should be vaccinated. Kids who cannot yet be vaccinated should wear masks indoors. It's not that deep. And if you won't get your kid vaccinated or have your kid wear a mask inside, home school with the other fundy cultists.

Sigh. People who would like the city to FOLLOW CDC GUIDANCE are not the fundy cultists. Ma'am, I think you need to let go of the idea that everyone needs to mask.

But how else will pre-schoolers be able to show their classmates they're not Republican?

[Anonymous]

But how else will pre-schoolers be able to show their classmates they're not Republican?

Thank you for at least making me laugh out loud at this nonsense. These poor kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, the CDC is about as conservative as it gets on this and many other things. Other world organizations (WHO, UNICEF, European CDC) advocate never masking young children. The CDC is also conservative on everything (never eat a pink hamburger! always use a dental dam for oral sex!) so it's kinda bonkers to me that they can mellow out on school masking and there are still places in the country that want to be take MORE mandatory precautions than they advocate.

I don't know why, but I just laughed at these two being mentioned together. Maybe because I have the sense of humor of a 15-year-old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, the CDC is about as conservative as it gets on this and many other things. Other world organizations (WHO, UNICEF, European CDC) advocate never masking young children. The CDC is also conservative on everything (never eat a pink hamburger! always use a dental dam for oral sex!) so it's kinda bonkers to me that they can mellow out on school masking and there are still places in the country that want to be take MORE mandatory precautions than they advocate.

I don't know why, but I just laughed at these two being mentioned together. Maybe because I have the sense of humor of a 15-year-old.

High five!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://twitter.com/dcsboe/status/1499779811610439681?s=21

WTAF.

Who had decision-making authority over masks in schools? Is it the mayor or SBOE?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://twitter.com/dcsboe/status/1499779811610439681?s=21

WTAF.

Who had decision-making authority over masks in schools? Is it the mayor or SBOE?

Pretty sure it's the mayor with DC Health. SBOE has no say, aside from perhaps political pressure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://twitter.com/dcsboe/status/1499779811610439681?s=21

WTAF.

I hate this town.

At least it's getting ratio'd at a Justine Sacco level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://twitter.com/dcsboe/status/1499779811610439681?s=21

WTAF.

Who had decision-making authority over masks in schools? Is it the mayor or SBOE?

It’s like 80% the DC Health director LaQuandra Nesbitt. The other 20% is the mayor, to the extent she can quietly steer Nesbitt’s determination without being accused of “letting the politics dictate the science” or some bs like that. The SBOE has no authority in this area whatsoever other than to signal what the WTU wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://twitter.com/dcsboe/status/1499779811610439681?s=21

WTAF.

Who had decision-making authority over masks in schools? Is it the mayor or SBOE?

It’s like 80% the DC Health director LaQuandra Nesbitt. The other 20% is the mayor, to the extent she can quietly steer Nesbitt’s determination without being accused of “letting the politics dictate the science” or some bs like that. The SBOE has no authority in this area whatsoever other than to signal what the WTU wants.

Time to bully* Nesbitt some more.

*Calmly state reasonable, scientific objections, which she calls bullying because she's that mentally fragile and unfit for office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://twitter.com/dcsboe/status/1499779811610439681?s=21

WTAF.

Who had decision-making authority over masks in schools? Is it the mayor or SBOE?

It’s like 80% the DC Health director LaQuandra Nesbitt. The other 20% is the mayor, to the extent she can quietly steer Nesbitt’s determination without being accused of “letting the politics dictate the science” or some bs like that. The SBOE has no authority in this area whatsoever other than to signal what the WTU wants.

Time to bully* Nesbitt some more.

*Calmly state reasonable, scientific objections, which she calls bullying because she's that mentally fragile and unfit for office.

I just write to the Council members and mayor. Nesbitt's email just bounces back. It is VERY easy for her to take the stance that masking can be lifted in schools, as the CDC has already said so. If she doesn't follow the CDC then this isn't about public health, and Nesbitt can't claim it is.