Anonymous wrote:Search for gauze mask, sheer mask, mesh mask, breathable mask.

There is an entire industry sprouting up for mask theatre--they look like masks but don't impede breathing Or so anything. I'll be buying these.

They will probably not be allowed, like neck gaiters.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS will be requiring masks, I have seen this in their school guidance plan. No, I cannot share my admin will likely know it was me.

Just know at least for the first term masks are going to be a requirement, even if you are vaccinated.

Things like PTO, IEP meetings, and the like will also be online and not in the school building.

PP - what are they saying about the ridiculous travel guidance? Are they going to continue to hold families hostage from going to low risk places like Vermont where they have a higher vaccine uptake than DC?

Lol someone is worried about their Christmas ski trip.

I would like to see a clear plan presented to the entire school community that explains under what conditions certain restrictions will be dropped. So whether we’re talking masks or travel restrictions or quarantines or responses to positive cases, I am okay with whatever restrictions we need to undertake in order to ensure kids can actually go to school. And I also want to know what case level is the cut off for dropping those restrictions and, probably, for bringing them back.

And the sooner the better. We would also like to travel to visit family in Colorado, but I would like to know what the impact of that trip will be on school before we go. I want to follow the rules, but it’s very hard to make our own cost/benefit assessment when we just don’t know.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS will be requiring masks, I have seen this in their school guidance plan. No, I cannot share my admin will likely know it was me.

Just know at least for the first term masks are going to be a requirement, even if you are vaccinated.

Things like PTO, IEP meetings, and the like will also be online and not in the school building.

IEP meetings still online? Wow. I get the masks even if I disagree but special needs kids will literally never recover from YEARS now of being underserved.

I meant PTC meetings lol but I'm sure PTO will be online too.

And why would having IEP meetings online do anything to sped kids? They'll still get IPL...

Anonymous wrote:DCPS will be requiring masks, I have seen this in their school guidance plan. No, I cannot share my admin will likely know it was me.

Just know at least for the first term masks are going to be a requirement, even if you are vaccinated.

Things like PTO, IEP meetings, and the like will also be online and not in the school building.

IEP meetings still online? Wow. I get the masks even if I disagree but special needs kids will literally never recover from YEARS now of being underserved.

Anonymous wrote:DCPS will be requiring masks, I have seen this in their school guidance plan. No, I cannot share my admin will likely know it was me.

Just know at least for the first term masks are going to be a requirement, even if you are vaccinated.

Things like PTO, IEP meetings, and the like will also be online and not in the school building.

PP - what are they saying about the ridiculous travel guidance? Are they going to continue to hold families hostage from going to low risk places like Vermont where they have a higher vaccine uptake than DC?

Search for gauze mask, sheer mask, mesh mask, breathable mask.

There is an entire industry sprouting up for mask theatre--they look like masks but don't impede breathing Or so anything. I'll be buying these.

You can buy single layer gauze masks on Etsy (basically mesh material). I'll be buying my kids those masks.

Anonymous wrote:How are they going to enforce mask wearing? I'm not going to require my high schooler to actually put one on. Will they suspend kids?

Not likely. They will do the same thing they do when kids wear really inappropriate clothing, instead of changing your child will be given a mask to wear. Depending on the teacher they may not allow them into the classroom until it’s on.

How are they going to enforce mask wearing? I'm not going to require my high schooler to actually put one on. Will they suspend kids?

DCPS will be requiring masks, I have seen this in their school guidance plan. No, I cannot share my admin will likely know it was me.

Just know at least for the first term masks are going to be a requirement, even if you are vaccinated.

Things like PTO, IEP meetings, and the like will also be online and not in the school building.

I still advocate for students and staff being required to wear masks. Not everyone is able to be vaccinated and students typically comply with rules more when everyone has to abide by the rules. If some students who are not vaxxed saw other students and staff not wearing masks, it makes it more of a battle. Plus a widespread mask mandate lessons the stigma of wearing one. Kids find the smallest things to tease and bully one another about and the last thing we need is some student who’s immunocompromised or not vaxxed for any reason to be targeted.

-Elementary school administrator

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not want my fully vaccinated 17 year old to have to wear a mask in a DCPS high school. CDC says that is perfectly find. Yet somehow I still expect DCPS to screw this up.

Let's start putting the pressure on Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, head of the DC Dept of Health. I have worked with her in the past and found her to be a very rational, measured person. Here's hoping that she will respond positively to the new CDC recommendation.

Dr. Nesbitt is literally the worst thing to ever happen to DOH, ESPECIALLY as far as school health programs are concerned. Don't hold your breath.

+1. She's ignorant and dangerous, and has demonstrated this before the pandemic.

where are you getting that from? DC’s covid management has not been that much different from other states. testing was very well done once it rolled out. vaccines were a little bumpy but that was a supply-demand bottleneck. Her main job is getting the vaccine out to wards 7 and 8 now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not want my fully vaccinated 17 year old to have to wear a mask in a DCPS high school. CDC says that is perfectly find. Yet somehow I still expect DCPS to screw this up.

Let's start putting the pressure on Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, head of the DC Dept of Health. I have worked with her in the past and found her to be a very rational, measured person. Here's hoping that she will respond positively to the new CDC recommendation.

Dr. Nesbitt is literally the worst thing to ever happen to DOH, ESPECIALLY as far as school health programs are concerned. Don't hold your breath.

+1. She's ignorant and dangerous, and has demonstrated this before the pandemic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m vaccinated and my employer doesn’t require masks. I won’t be wearing one. I can’t imagine vaccinated teachers want to scream over a hot mask all day?!

As a vaccinated high school teacher who taught most of the year in a mask, I'd much rather wear a mask all day than have to enforce mask wearing for some but not all students.

I vote for masks for everyone, until it's safe to have no one wearing them. I think that schools need to drop restrictions one at a time, wait see if numbers go up, and then drop something else. Dropping those restrictions that lead to hybrid -- usually distancing and cohorting, first makes the most sense. Once we've had 5 days of school for everyone but the small segment who choose a separate virtual school, and we've kept spread low, then we talk about dropping masks.

Agree

It will never be perfectly "safe" for everyone to go without a mask. That's a ridiculous standard to set. Vaccines have been available for months. Anyone who doesn't get one is taking the risk upon themselves. Responsible people who get vaccinated shouldn't have to wear masks as some sort of supportive safety theater to protect those too irresponsible to protect themselves. We don't ask people to drive 20 miles below the speed limit on highways to "protect" those who refuse to wear seat belts. Enough already.

So....are the masks to protect the wearer or to limit the spread of droplets from a sick person? Is it droplets? Is it aerosolized?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not want my fully vaccinated 17 year old to have to wear a mask in a DCPS high school. CDC says that is perfectly find. Yet somehow I still expect DCPS to screw this up.

Let's start putting the pressure on Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, head of the DC Dept of Health. I have worked with her in the past and found her to be a very rational, measured person. Here's hoping that she will respond positively to the new CDC recommendation.

Dr. Nesbitt is literally the worst thing to ever happen to DOH, ESPECIALLY as far as school health programs are concerned. Don't hold your breath.