When should DC drop its school mask mandate?

[Anonymous]

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.

What authority do you have to speak for ALL children? Who do you think you are?

[Anonymous]

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.

I remember the thinking of May 2020. Thankfully, most of us have learned so much more about the transmission of airborne viruses and the risk factors for young children sense then. Pity there are so many low-information voters that we have to pace and lead along.

[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.

I remember the thinking of May 2020. Thankfully, most of us have learned so much more about the transmission of airborne viruses and the risk factors for young children sense then. Pity there are so many low-information voters that we have to pace and lead along.

+1

The level of ignorance is astounding.

[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.

What authority do you have to speak for ALL children? Who do you think you are?

Also, we don't know what part masks have played in the widely documented major problems for children with the pandemic in terms of mental health and learning losses....

Particularly for little kids, I can imagine that there are emotional/mental repercussions to not seeing faces for multiple developmental years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

What authority do you have to speak for ALL children? Who do you think you are?

Also, we don't know what part masks have played in the widely documented major problems for children with the pandemic in terms of mental health and learning losses....

Particularly for little kids, I can imagine that there are emotional/mental repercussions to not seeing faces for multiple developmental years.

But wait, you believe in science, right: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/do-masks-really-harm-kids-heres-what-the-science-says.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

What authority do you have to speak for ALL children? Who do you think you are?

Also, we don't know what part masks have played in the widely documented major problems for children with the pandemic in terms of mental health and learning losses....

Particularly for little kids, I can imagine that there are emotional/mental repercussions to not seeing faces for multiple developmental years.

But wait, you believe in science, right: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/do-masks-really-harm-kids-heres-what-the-science-says.

I said that I wondered. And that had a paywall.

Now you show me the evidence that school masking reduces spread, or even the evidence for why you are right and the CDC is wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

What authority do you have to speak for ALL children? Who do you think you are?

Also, we don't know what part masks have played in the widely documented major problems for children with the pandemic in terms of mental health and learning losses....

Particularly for little kids, I can imagine that there are emotional/mental repercussions to not seeing faces for multiple developmental years.

But wait, you believe in science, right: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/do-masks-really-harm-kids-heres-what-the-science-says.

NP. Your link doesn't work for me, but are you seriously trying to suggest that this is a matter of settled science? How can it be given how complex this issue is, and given that a lot of the developmental impacts are only going to be seen long-term (and no, I'm not saying the same thing about vaccines)? The fact that you think this one article on the non-existence of conclusive science on this issue puts this question to rest just shows you don't understand what science actually is.

[Anonymous]

The only way this gets resolved is through compliance or defiance.

No school can legally suspend a kid for insubordination at this level, so, the more kids who don’t wear their masks, the more students will follow suit.

Likewise, students who wish to have the rule enforced will need to continue wear their mask indoors and actively do so in the presence of authority figures.

At this point, there are teachers who do honestly care about the rule, but are tired of enforcing it, so they’re deferring to the kids to do all of the heavy lifting at this point.

This isn’t a policy suggestion, and whether it’s fair is not the question. It’s just what we’re left with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only way this gets resolved is through compliance or defiance.

No school can legally suspend a kid for insubordination at this level, so, the more kids who don’t wear their masks, the more students will follow suit.

Likewise, students who wish to have the rule enforced will need to continue wear their mask indoors and actively do so in the presence of authority figures.

At this point, there are teachers who do honestly care about the rule, but are tired of enforcing it, so they’re deferring to the kids to do all of the heavy lifting at this point.

This isn’t a policy suggestion, and whether it’s fair is not the question. It’s just what we’re left with.

You must have an older kid. This is laughable for young kids.

With a teenager, you could say, “Make your choice and I’ll back you up. If you want to wear your mask, that’s fine. If you don’t, dont, and I’ll help deal with the fallout.”

You cannot say that to a 5 or 6 year old. It is cruel to even think about putting them in that situation. They need to be told what to do, and they need the adults in their lives to agree.

I would like to hear from more teachers if very young kids. Do you really think it makes sense to have these kids continue to mask? Do you really think, based on your classroom experience, that the way these kids are wearing masks is helping? Do you think the masks are inhibiting learning or socializing? I really want to know what your thoughts are.

[Anonymous]

An excerpt from a DCPS covid team email this afternoon:

“ We are seeing a city-wide and region-wide increase in COVID-19 cases, and as with previous case increases within our community, those trends are reflected in the number of reported positive cases at schools. We want to assure you that we are monitoring all our school cases closely and remain in constant communication with public health authorities.”

Are cases really increasing or is this just the narrative being woven to justify not lifting the school mask mandate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only way this gets resolved is through compliance or defiance.

No school can legally suspend a kid for insubordination at this level, so, the more kids who don’t wear their masks, the more students will follow suit.

Likewise, students who wish to have the rule enforced will need to continue wear their mask indoors and actively do so in the presence of authority figures.

At this point, there are teachers who do honestly care about the rule, but are tired of enforcing it, so they’re deferring to the kids to do all of the heavy lifting at this point.

This isn’t a policy suggestion, and whether it’s fair is not the question. It’s just what we’re left with.

You must have an older kid. This is laughable for young kids.

With a teenager, you could say, “Make your choice and I’ll back you up. If you want to wear your mask, that’s fine. If you don’t, dont, and I’ll help deal with the fallout.”

You cannot say that to a 5 or 6 year old. It is cruel to even think about putting them in that situation. They need to be told what to do, and they need the adults in their lives to agree.

I would like to hear from more teachers if very young kids. Do you really think it makes sense to have these kids continue to mask? Do you really think, based on your classroom experience, that the way these kids are wearing masks is helping? Do you think the masks are inhibiting learning or socializing? I really want to know what your thoughts are.

Agreed. Something like this would have to led by older kids/students.

Regardless of my opinions or politics, something like this is out of the hands of the teachers, parents, staff, and administrators. It would have to come from the students themselves. Civil disobedience or compliance. I guarantee no teacher will enforce it out-right if he/she has to compete against the majority. Same rules apply for the Mayor and her cronies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An excerpt from a DCPS covid team email this afternoon:

“ We are seeing a city-wide and region-wide increase in COVID-19 cases, and as with previous case increases within our community, those trends are reflected in the number of reported positive cases at schools. We want to assure you that we are monitoring all our school cases closely and remain in constant communication with public health authorities.”

Are cases really increasing or is this just the narrative being woven to justify not lifting the school mask mandate?

Ugh. Every public health authority agrees at this stage that the relevant metric is not cases, it’s hospital capacity. And by the CDC metrics we are in “low” transmission.

[Anonymous]

Why would I have ever believed that DC would start doing the right thing by students and parents by FOLLOWING CDC GUIDANCE.

I had vague hopes for Bowser this school year. I don’t think any of her challengers is better. This town sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would I have ever believed that DC would start doing the right thing by students and parents by FOLLOWING CDC GUIDANCE.

I had vague hopes for Bowser this school year. I don’t think any of her challengers is better. This town sucks.

Serious Question: Who are the options for DC Mayor this November?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would I have ever believed that DC would start doing the right thing by students and parents by FOLLOWING CDC GUIDANCE.

I had vague hopes for Bowser this school year. I don’t think any of her challengers is better. This town sucks.

Serious Question: Who are the options for DC Mayor this November?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/02/02/dc-mayor-race-bowser-robert-trayon-white/