My 2nd grader’s teacher intends to mask all year

[Anonymous]

You're all being awful. OP has a right to be concerned about her child. She's not "blaming" the teacher for her son's speech delay, NOR is she suggesting the teacher shouldn't' have a right to make her own decision on masking. She's simply expressing her concern that it is having a negative impact on her child this year -- a child who was quite small when the pandemic first began and has likely struggled with schooling since 2020 with school closures, virtual education, constant stoppages and quarantines, etc. OP, if your son has an IEP I would see if you can switch classes -- making clear that you respect this teacher's wish to remain masked, but that it will have a negative impact on your son's speech and language development.

I don't know why it's so hard for some people to understand that both the OP AND the teacher could BOTH have legitimate viewpoints, and that neither one is 'wrong' -- but that the situation isn't optimal for both of them right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're all being awful. OP has a right to be concerned about her child. She's not "blaming" the teacher for her son's speech delay, NOR is she suggesting the teacher shouldn't' have a right to make her own decision on masking. She's simply expressing her concern that it is having a negative impact on her child this year -- a child who was quite small when the pandemic first began and has likely struggled with schooling since 2020 with school closures, virtual education, constant stoppages and quarantines, etc. OP, if your son has an IEP I would see if you can switch classes -- making clear that you respect this teacher's wish to remain masked, but that it will have a negative impact on your son's speech and language development.

I don't know why it's so hard for some people to understand that both the OP AND the teacher could BOTH have legitimate viewpoints, and that neither one is 'wrong' -- but that the situation isn't optimal for both of them right now.

She isnt entitled to “optimal.” She is entitled to public school with a teacher. A string of subs counts as a teacher. OP should be grateful her kid has a full-time teacher at all this year. There is a shortage and many don’t. Instead, she’s on here whining about “WAAAAHHHH, THE TEACHER’S WEARING A MAAAAASK!!!”

Grow up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is a new teacher wearing a mark relevant to your kid’s delays?

I honestly don’t get it. Is there a theory that a teacher in a mask is less effective at dealing with kids that have learning disabilities?

This is no longer a delay at this age. It is a disorder. Kid had these issues before Covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would only make a big deal about this if my child were hard of hearing.

By 1st/2nd grade, teacher speech patterns likely won't influence a speech delay one way or another.

If your child cannot yet read, then work with them at home on the letter sounds and tongue placement. I wouldn't change teachers in your particular circumstance.

If that was the case, then time to learn/use ASL.

[Anonymous]

What does a teacher wearing a mask have to do with your kid’s learning disability??

People keep asking. OP keeps not answering.

I assume your kid isn’t deaf and reliant on reading lips. So what, pray tell, does the teacher wearing a mask have to do with the fact that your kid can’t read?

[Anonymous]

They have special masks with clear plastic in front of the mouth for teaching kids with special needs. MCPS schools have them. I don't understand what the big deal is. Oh yeah, MCPS parents who have to complain about some.thing. always. Never mind, I forgot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They have special masks with clear plastic in front of the mouth for teaching kids with special needs. MCPS schools have them. I don't understand what the big deal is. Oh yeah, MCPS parents who have to complain about some.thing. always. Never mind, I forgot.

those clear masks don’t actually help all that much and in some cases make the speaker less intelligible. they’ve done research on it. and they are uncomfortable to wear and fog up so I doubt many are wearing them.

https://cognitiveresearchjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41235-021-00314-0

it’s almost 2023. OP is well justified in being concerned about this and asking to transfer to an unmasked teacher.

[Anonymous]

I don't see how this needs to be crowdsourced. Ask for a new teacher. The end.

[Anonymous]

I work in a classroom. I wear a mask. There are no problems with being understood. I also pull down my mask if I have to get someone's attention. Everything seems to work just fine. Parents -- you are not in charge of everything. Get a governess if you want to control every aspect of how your teachers teach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They have special masks with clear plastic in front of the mouth for teaching kids with special needs. MCPS schools have them. I don't understand what the big deal is. Oh yeah, MCPS parents who have to complain about some.thing. always. Never mind, I forgot.

And those muffle voices even more than cloth masks, while still obstructing a large portion of the face. They're also pretty horrible to wear, so no teacher is going to be wearing those throughout the day in class.

I get that teachers get to decide for themselves whether to mask, but those that do should recognize the harm they're doing to the kids with that choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in a classroom. I wear a mask. There are no problems with being understood. I also pull down my mask if I have to get someone's attention. Everything seems to work just fine. Parents -- you are not in charge of everything. Get a governess if you want to control every aspect of how your teachers teach.

??? Nobody is asking to control every aspect of how teachers teach. Is there a specific post you're referencing? That would be helpful. OP just wants a new teacher.

[Anonymous]

There is no clear evidence that masks impact children’s speech or social skills. It’s just something that gets repeated because anti-maskers need a justification.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no clear evidence that masks impact children’s speech or social skills. It’s just something that gets repeated because anti-maskers need a justification.

Nobody needs to justify anything. I don't mask, nor do my kids, and we haven't for a long time. I don't care what you think about that one way or the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're all being awful. OP has a right to be concerned about her child. She's not "blaming" the teacher for her son's speech delay, NOR is she suggesting the teacher shouldn't' have a right to make her own decision on masking. She's simply expressing her concern that it is having a negative impact on her child this year -- a child who was quite small when the pandemic first began and has likely struggled with schooling since 2020 with school closures, virtual education, constant stoppages and quarantines, etc. OP, if your son has an IEP I would see if you can switch classes -- making clear that you respect this teacher's wish to remain masked, but that it will have a negative impact on your son's speech and language development.

I don't know why it's so hard for some people to understand that both the OP AND the teacher could BOTH have legitimate viewpoints, and that neither one is 'wrong' -- but that the situation isn't optimal for both of them right now.

There are lots of valid reasons for a child to switch classes I don't think a teacher's choice to wear a mask is one of them. If I were the principal and got such a request I would be rolling my eyes at this parent. And what if the child's special education teacher or speech therapist or other staff in the building are wearing masks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no clear evidence that masks impact children’s speech or social skills. It’s just something that gets repeated because anti-maskers need a justification.

Nobody needs to justify anything. I don't mask, nor do my kids, and we haven't for a long time. I don't care what you think about that one way or the other.

Except this is a thread about a parent who thinks that their child should be removed from a classroom where a teacher is wearing a mask because of ....reasons