Across the country, children are returning to school. For some kids, it's the first time they will be back in the classroom full-time since the pandemic began in March 2020. It's the responsibility of adults to make sure they can be in the classroom and stay safe.
We have a school board meeting tonight. I am sure the group of far rightists, many parents others just angry hell benders, will attend. Last month it was CRT. The school board said ok to mask choice on July 27 and the Gov of VA clipped that with a state code passed by the General Assembly in March of 21. It states schools have to abide by CDC guidelines. CDC changed to masks indoors on Aug. 4. Aug 5 the Gov pulled the state code card. So students masked up here yesterday when schools opened for first time. I was called up and called a Communist for writing a story that said the General Assembly on the state level would have to address that Code of Virginia, the local school board cannot. Even posted the state code on school boards and their responsibilities.
My adult kids now call me, "Momrad."
We have the ion filters paid for by Federal Pandemic funds I asked for verification and got it. Our school division reflected the low numbers cited in your North Carolina study last Spring.
As for my school division, we have a public dashboard of cases in the schools. Caught hell from the far rightests about that as well.
My advice is contact your representatives, write your Governor, use these facts Judd and team provide. Yep rattle the cage, but you just might be saving the life of a child, a teacher, a bus driver or even your own or someone you love.
Thank you for this well written article which clearly states the facts of the matter. I would like to add that Florida has received about $15 billion to use in making schools safe for students to return full time, & very little of that has been spent. Has the quality of the air circulating in the schools been addressed? I doubt that DeSantis has given much thought to it.
Thank you. There are lots of people with good sense here, just not enough voting yet to turn the state blue! We came close last time, but still have a ways to go! 😸
Again to my point, there is a constant "race to the bottom" between DeathSantis, Abbott and Noem as to which is the most evil heir to the Orange Asscactus. This sadly is the society in which we now live, one in which "freedom" is conflated with anarchy and where selfishness and ignorance have inexplicably become virtues in the eyes of many Republicans.
Oh and check this out - de Santis will allow use of state funds to transfer kids OUT of mask-mandating schools, from Florida Politics website: “ The (FL) Department of Educations rules surrounding school vouchers would let students obtain Hope Scholarships, typically used to protect students from bullying and harassment, to avoid “COVID-19 harassment.” Parents could transfer their children away from public schools with mask policies they find detrimental into private schools with policies that match their beliefs.” Goodbye FL public education.
Very happy to hear an NPR interview of a second FL school superintendent whose board supported her 100% on having a mask mandate. She mentioned that some families might use HOPE funds (state school vouchers) to send their kids to non mandate schools BUT that her district was asking the state to make such funds available to out of district families who preferred a science-based mandate district for their kids. So, kudos to her and other superintendents defying DeSantis as well!
I keep wondering how these governors can get away with willfully endangering their citizens while at the same time begging for help for situations they are intentionally creating. DeSantis, Bennett, Reynolds, Hutchinson, they are doing everything they can to prevent people from protecting themselves, and that's not even accounting for their disinterest in incentivizing vaccines, looser gun laws, etc., which vary by state. I would not normally ask for the federal government to even attempt to interfere with most state-level things, but it feels like people are being shoved into harm's way to score political points, and it's scary. My kid is old enough to be vaxxed, and is, and he'll be masking up, but in the absence of school mandates, which are now ILLEGAL in Iowa, the virus will spread and kids will get sick. Some may die. For no good reason.
I think death is answering a few questions when the anti masker and antivaxxers are having one of their own die. A State Trooper died from it in the area. Some of his anti everything Trump supporter friends have mellowed from the shock of it. The family in the obituary have asked for social distancing and the wearing of masks. Sad and sympathy for all involved. Likely a preventable death, but the loss of a public servant, friend and loved one who joined over 600k thousand in this brutal disease.
We have a real bad case of "Protagonist Syndrome" here in the States, where everyone thinks the world is their own story and nothing bad can happen to them or those that matter. And then it does due to completely predictable outcomes and they just can't believe it.
We have a school board meeting tonight. I am sure the group of far rightists, many parents others just angry hell benders, will attend. Last month it was CRT. The school board said ok to mask choice on July 27 and the Gov of VA clipped that with a state code passed by the General Assembly in March of 21. It states schools have to abide by CDC guidelines. CDC changed to masks indoors on Aug. 4. Aug 5 the Gov pulled the state code card. So students masked up here yesterday when schools opened for first time. I was called up and called a Communist for writing a story that said the General Assembly on the state level would have to address that Code of Virginia, the local school board cannot. Even posted the state code on school boards and their responsibilities.
My adult kids now call me, "Momrad."
We have the ion filters paid for by Federal Pandemic funds I asked for verification and got it. Our school division reflected the low numbers cited in your North Carolina study last Spring.
As for my school division, we have a public dashboard of cases in the schools. Caught hell from the far rightests about that as well.
My advice is contact your representatives, write your Governor, use these facts Judd and team provide. Yep rattle the cage, but you just might be saving the life of a child, a teacher, a bus driver or even your own or someone you love.
Judd you rock!
Thank you for this well written article which clearly states the facts of the matter. I would like to add that Florida has received about $15 billion to use in making schools safe for students to return full time, & very little of that has been spent. Has the quality of the air circulating in the schools been addressed? I doubt that DeSantis has given much thought to it.
You always give me hope that some one in FLA has good sense.
Thank you. There are lots of people with good sense here, just not enough voting yet to turn the state blue! We came close last time, but still have a ways to go! 😸
If Hell exists, I believe there is a place in it for Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott. Truly repugnant.
And don't forget Noem in South Dakota. Not as high a profile as those two, but just as odious and execrable.
And Reynolds in Iowa. All praying at the orange altar in a naked press for power.
Umm gross image but yeah. All about power, and —explain me again how such callous disregard for health and education of children is “pro-life”?
Again to my point, there is a constant "race to the bottom" between DeathSantis, Abbott and Noem as to which is the most evil heir to the Orange Asscactus. This sadly is the society in which we now live, one in which "freedom" is conflated with anarchy and where selfishness and ignorance have inexplicably become virtues in the eyes of many Republicans.
Leon county superintendent Hanna deserves a Nobel Peace Prize in my book. This is what civil disobedience looks like.
Oh and check this out - de Santis will allow use of state funds to transfer kids OUT of mask-mandating schools, from Florida Politics website: “ The (FL) Department of Educations rules surrounding school vouchers would let students obtain Hope Scholarships, typically used to protect students from bullying and harassment, to avoid “COVID-19 harassment.” Parents could transfer their children away from public schools with mask policies they find detrimental into private schools with policies that match their beliefs.” Goodbye FL public education.
Very happy to hear an NPR interview of a second FL school superintendent whose board supported her 100% on having a mask mandate. She mentioned that some families might use HOPE funds (state school vouchers) to send their kids to non mandate schools BUT that her district was asking the state to make such funds available to out of district families who preferred a science-based mandate district for their kids. So, kudos to her and other superintendents defying DeSantis as well!
I keep wondering how these governors can get away with willfully endangering their citizens while at the same time begging for help for situations they are intentionally creating. DeSantis, Bennett, Reynolds, Hutchinson, they are doing everything they can to prevent people from protecting themselves, and that's not even accounting for their disinterest in incentivizing vaccines, looser gun laws, etc., which vary by state. I would not normally ask for the federal government to even attempt to interfere with most state-level things, but it feels like people are being shoved into harm's way to score political points, and it's scary. My kid is old enough to be vaxxed, and is, and he'll be masking up, but in the absence of school mandates, which are now ILLEGAL in Iowa, the virus will spread and kids will get sick. Some may die. For no good reason.
I think death is answering a few questions when the anti masker and antivaxxers are having one of their own die. A State Trooper died from it in the area. Some of his anti everything Trump supporter friends have mellowed from the shock of it. The family in the obituary have asked for social distancing and the wearing of masks. Sad and sympathy for all involved. Likely a preventable death, but the loss of a public servant, friend and loved one who joined over 600k thousand in this brutal disease.
We have a real bad case of "Protagonist Syndrome" here in the States, where everyone thinks the world is their own story and nothing bad can happen to them or those that matter. And then it does due to completely predictable outcomes and they just can't believe it.