Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Report From the School Mask Mandate Battlefield

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by

Dick Hall-Sizemore
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by Dick Hall-Sizemore

My grandkids have been homeschooled since they were old enough to go to school (going on 16 years or so now). Therefore, I don’t have a dog in this fight over school mask mandates. Neither do most of the commenters on this blog, I suspect.

Thus, a recent conversation with a friend who does have kids in public school (two K-5 boys) was most enlightening. I freely admit that this is one conversation and may not be representative. But this friend is smart, savvy, and observant and I trust his/her general observations.

When I mentioned that Monday would be the test of the governor’s Executive Order on school mask mandate, he sort-of rolled his eyes and lamented that policy was being based on the loudest voices. Most of the parents in our Henrico neighborhood school that her sons attended supported the mask mandate, she said. It was the few who did not that showed up at the school yelling at the principal and yelling at the teachers.

What about the kids? “The kids don’t care,” she replied. She said that her sons complain about what kids have always complained about: homework, tests, the teacher, other kids, the food. But, they have never complained about having to wear masks to school. They get used to them. In the afternoon, after walking about halfway to their house after getting off the bus, this is a typical exchange between him and the kids:

  • Parent: You can take your mask off now.
  • Kid: Oh. OK.

He said that a group of about seven families got together over Halloween to take their kids trick or treating, about 15 to 16 kids in all. None complained about wearing a mask.

As we parted, she commented about the schools having to deal with “whiny children.” She was not referring to the 5- to 11-year-olds in the classrooms.

Charles Schulz was certainly on to something when he created his Peanuts with no adults.

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16 responses to “Report From the School Mask Mandate Battlefield”

  1. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    Indeed , Scott Gotllieb, who used to be a favorite of the “skeptics” :

    ” 20 hr 9 min ago
    Schools should wait to lift mask mandates, Gottlieb says

    Former US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said on CBS Face the Nation on Sunday it’s too soon and “imprudent” for schools to lift mask mandates right now while there are high numbers of coronavirus cases.

    Gottlieb said some schools can’t implement social distancing or testing and may need to rely on masks as their only tool to prevent the virus from spreading.

    “So to withdraw it right at the peak of the epidemic, I think is imprudent. We should wait. I think within two weeks we’ll be able to make that decision,” Gottlieb said.”

    I think we can safely say that Mr. Gottlieb IS a creditable scientist wrthy of listening to , including Gov. Youngkin.

    1. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      You accept his advice when you agree with it. Please. You are so predictable.

      https://www.cnbc.com/video/2022/01/24/dr-scott-gottlieb-us-needs-to-be-willing-to-ease-covid-restrictions-as-conditions-improve.html?&qsearchterm=Gottlieb

      There is what he said on CNBC this morning and it also shows plenty of his past appearances. My bet you disagree with him on at least half of those because they don’t fit your narrative. His message today was the masks mandates should be lifted “soon.” You agree with soon?

    2. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      You accept his advice when you agree with it. Please. You are so predictable.

      https://www.cnbc.com/video/2022/01/24/dr-scott-gottlieb-us-needs-to-be-willing-to-ease-covid-restrictions-as-conditions-improve.html?&qsearchterm=Gottlieb

      There is what he said on CNBC this morning and it also shows plenty of his past appearances. My bet you disagree with him on at least half of those because they don’t fit your narrative. His message today was the masks mandates should be lifted “soon.” You agree with soon?

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        I’ve pretty much always accepted his advice, and even more so when it is consistent with other scientists.

        Unlike some folks who seem to hop from one guy to the next depending…. and often the one guy is a lone voice or aligned with other naysayers.

        When Gottlieb is agreeing with the CDC and a slew of other credible scientists – it’s not just Gottlieb that I’m listening to.

  2. vicnicholls Avatar
    vicnicholls

    Oddly enough Dick, everyone I know with and without kids is get rid of it.

  3. VaNavVet Avatar
    VaNavVet

    Youngkin should have spoken to those loud voices yelling at the teachers and principals before issuing the order. A little late now that the horse is out of the barn. Perhaps he should look into a compromise modeled after Virginia Beach.

  4. walter smith Avatar
    walter smith

    That was “merely anecdotal.”
    And wasn’t it just the whiners who got rid of statues?
    I think it is damning that the kids accept it.
    I almost respect the dirty hippie Viet Nam war protesters in comparison.
    They don’t work. It is theater. It is religion for Leftists, like Bob Mueller and Tony Fauci prayer candles…praying to the God of SCIENCE!, instead of objective reason dispassionately measured and observed. Psychological and health damage done for no good reason, far outweighing benefit, if any.
    Grow up! Life has risks.

  5. killerhertz Avatar
    killerhertz

    I have two elementary age children and we can’t stand masks.

  6. Rebecca Hickman Avatar
    Rebecca Hickman

    I have grandchildren who are 13,11,10 and 9. Their parents have very different views ……two are fully Vaz’ed ( including being in a study to get it early) and not. They live in another State. Two wear masks everywhere and two changed schools to where masked are optional. In other words parental choice. I love them dearly and I respect their parents enough to respect their decisions ……..it would be nice if they had that option in Virginia.

  7. Stephen Haner Avatar
    Stephen Haner

    Based on what I hear through or about our grandchildren, I agree not that many kids are upset about the masks. But I return to the other point, that mostly they are wearing loose, cloth or surgical masks. Strap ’em all into fitted KN95s with the headbands and I predict more objections.

    Youngkin was on WRVA this morning basically counseling patience and not confrontation, awaiting a court ruling. “Cool the jets” seemed to be the message. He left and show host John Reid proceeded to fire up the crowd again, encouraging (polite) confrontation and defiance to any local mandate.

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      When Youngkin CHOOSES to go on that program KNOWING how that program is already about the issue – it’s not exactly a “cool the jets” thing IMHO.

      “Polite confrontation and defiance” – yes indeed.

      alright now, ya’ll behave… at least until I leave…

    2. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      The kids of my friend were wearing the NK95 masks and have been wearing that kind all year.

    3. VaNavVet Avatar
      VaNavVet

      Not at all sure that a court ruling will settle anything as I doubt that the court will force a school district to remove its mask mandate when it is recommended by the local health director. More likely to require some type of “opt out” policy with a compromise as is being done in Virginia Beach Public Schools.

      1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
        Dick Hall-Sizemore

        An “opt out” approach is not a mandate. It would compromise the effort to protect students and staff.

  8. Nancy Avatar
    Nancy

    I have three kids in Albemarle County schools. Our school board and superintendent decided to keep the mandate, without input from any parents or students. Not only that,but we were sent an email saying if our children cannot keep a mask on then parents will be called to pick them up from school.
    My kids care. They would like nothing better than to ditch the masks. However, they have been dealing with some pretty spiteful and vicious teachers for a while now. They are in high school and have worked too hard to have a woke teacher take their frustrations out on their grades that they worked so hard their whole lives for, especially when they are so close to graduation. So they comply, they do the work, they take the tests, and they say what they think the teachers want to hear. Yes, they hate school, but not for the same reasons we did when we were young. They hate it because teachers can impose their opinions on them and they know they have to bite their lip or suffer the consequences. This is not their fight. It is ours. We should not ask them to sacrifice. They are not pawns. They understand what is going on but it isn’t a level playing field.

  9. Scott McPhail Avatar
    Scott McPhail

    “He said that a group of about seven families got together over Halloween to take their kids trick or treating, about 15-16 kids in all. None complained about wearing a mask.”

    Well I suppose it must have been pretty natural for them by now . .

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