Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school board voted this week to implement a new masking policy which allows parents to opt-out after Feb 14th or "until the Virginia Department of Health designates Falls Church City’s level of community transmission of Covid-19 in the “moderate range” for a 7 consecutive day period as defined by the Centers for Disease Control, whichever is first."

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TP5PlkIDDQabPFdh6Nybs45sNgmLv4sF/view

I watched the school board meeting and feel like they are just trying to avoid getting into any legal battles. Not happy about it. Curious to hear other's opinions.

Agreed. They should have just changed it to whichever is later. February 14th just seems arbitrary.

I think they felt this was the maximum amount of time until people started filing lawsuits. For a small school division, lawsuits are crippling.

Anonymous wrote:I think its fine. I think the Feb 14th date is fine- it gives them time to make 'whatever' changes are needed if transmission rates are still high. I doubt many people will opt out b/c the peer pressure to stay masked is to high. I personally think its all theater- the cloth masks don't make any difference. The n95 style masks do make a difference, but they are super hard on the wearer. They also protect the wearer. So a vulnerable kid or teacher (or an anxious one) can wear a N95, and the rest of the kids can wear nothing. Everyone should be happy about this. I don't think everyone will be happy b/c people view wearing masks as proving you are a good person.

Agree with all of this, but as you noted, this kind of practical approach will never fly in FCC because we’re all so stuck on the idea that good people wear masks.

If you are vulnerable, unvaccinated or anxious. Sorry.

If you are

Anonymous wrote:I think its fine. I think the Feb 14th date is fine- it gives them time to make 'whatever' changes are needed if transmission rates are still high. I doubt many people will opt out b/c the peer pressure to stay masked is to high. I personally think its all theater- the cloth masks don't make any difference. The n95 style masks do make a difference, but they are super hard on the wearer. They also protect the wearer. So a vulnerable kid or teacher (or an anxious one) can wear a N95, and the rest of the kids can wear nothing. Everyone should be happy about this. I don't think everyone will be happy b/c people view wearing masks as proving you are a good person.

Well said. Get your N95s ready, I'd you are vulnerable, unmasked or anxious.

Anonymous wrote:I do not have an issue with the policy and think very few parents will opt out unless cases drastically decrease. I don’t see very many opting out if we are in the moderate range.

I have an issue with the way this is being presented to the community and how they are trying to guilt and shame parents into not opting out. I do not think that’s fair and it is creating a hostile environment.

If you are going to set a policy, then set it. Spare us from the long emails about being a caring community and how we should not opt out.

Personally, I am not opting out my children and I wear a mask anywhere in public. Still, I do not like the tone from Dr. Noonan in his “plea” yesterday.

The guilting and shaming has really gone beyond breathable...its a pattern here that has been years long, made to the nth order the last year two years, however my FCC neighbors continue voting for it so either you suck it up or leave, its really a tyranny by the majority. Does any other school in NOVA have a vaccine passport to attend plays? anyone above 5 needs to produce it or they cant attend....

oh and adding to above- I really appreciated that the school board discussed and voted on this. And I found Noonan's message preachy and offputting. But I find many of his messages to be that way. He comes off as extremely sanctimonious.

I think its fine. I think the Feb 14th date is fine- it gives them time to make 'whatever' changes are needed if transmission rates are still high. I doubt many people will opt out b/c the peer pressure to stay masked is to high. I personally think its all theater- the cloth masks don't make any difference. The n95 style masks do make a difference, but they are super hard on the wearer. They also protect the wearer. So a vulnerable kid or teacher (or an anxious one) can wear a N95, and the rest of the kids can wear nothing. Everyone should be happy about this. I don't think everyone will be happy b/c people view wearing masks as proving you are a good person.

Anonymous wrote:I would be much more comfortable with a flexible policy tied to transmission rates. Feb. 14 is arbitrary.

+1

I do not have an issue with the policy and think very few parents will opt out unless cases drastically decrease. I don’t see very many opting out if we are in the moderate range.

I have an issue with the way this is being presented to the community and how they are trying to guilt and shame parents into not opting out. I do not think that’s fair and it is creating a hostile environment.

If you are going to set a policy, then set it. Spare us from the long emails about being a caring community and how we should not opt out.

Personally, I am not opting out my children and I wear a mask anywhere in public. Still, I do not like the tone from Dr. Noonan in his “plea” yesterday.

I would be much more comfortable with a flexible policy tied to transmission rates. Feb. 14 is arbitrary.

Anonymous wrote:Are you unhappy because it feels like masks will come off sooner than is safe? Or are you unhappy because parents can't opt out on Monday?

Unhappy with the arbitrary date. Wish they would've created a policy based on community transmission levels.

But I completely agree with you about not denying children education due to the choices of their parents. I guess they felt this policy was the lesser of evils.

Are you unhappy because it feels like masks will come off sooner than is safe? Or are you unhappy because parents can't opt out on Monday?

I think either way, very very few kids are going to opt out. Even the most anti-mask families I know are planning to keep their kids masked until Feb 14. I do appreciate at that our district doesn't plan to deny education to kids whose parents opt them out of masking. In most cases, this is not the kid's decision and they shouldn't be denied an education. There are ways to mitigate the impact of a handful of kids showing up without masks, all of which can be implemented without illegally denying a child the right to an education.

My kids will be masked for as long as the mandate remains in place and until they feel like they want to opt out. As of now, they have zero desire to drop masks and said that they'll wear them all year. Note that we don't have KN95s because they're backordered everywhere, so my kids are in facial decorations, as the CDC would call them. I think this is a bunch of security theater unless/until we can get kids into better masks, but whatever keeps the kids in school is fine with me.

Anonymous wrote:The school board voted this week to implement a new masking policy which allows parents to opt-out after Feb 14th or "until the Virginia Department of Health designates Falls Church City’s level of community transmission of Covid-19 in the “moderate range” for a 7 consecutive day period as defined by the Centers for Disease Control, whichever is first."

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TP5PlkIDDQabPFdh6Nybs45sNgmLv4sF/view

I watched the school board meeting and feel like they are just trying to avoid getting into any legal battles. Not happy about it. Curious to hear other's opinions.

Agreed. They should have just changed it to whichever is later. February 14th just seems arbitrary.

The school board voted this week to implement a new masking policy which allows parents to opt-out after Feb 14th or "until the Virginia Department of Health designates Falls Church City’s level of community transmission of Covid-19 in the “moderate range” for a 7 consecutive day period as defined by the Centers for Disease Control, whichever is first."

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TP5PlkIDDQabPFdh6Nybs45sNgmLv4sF/view

I watched the school board meeting and feel like they are just trying to avoid getting into any legal battles. Not happy about it. Curious to hear other's opinions.