FOLLOWUP: Seattle Public Schools says mask policy will 'continue until further notice'

Anne February 18, 2022 (3:53 pm)

Good-teachers/staff who are in the classrooms in close proximity with our children all day -5 days a week should be the ones who decide when masks are no longer needed.

JJ February 18, 2022 (5:14 pm)

Teacher here! Thank you for saying this!
Alex February 18, 2022 (5:46 pm)

Once King County drops the indoor mask mandate, it would seem like its up to the teacher whether to wear a mask, but it is up to the parents whether their child is masked or not. Why should a teacher overrule the KC Health Dept. when it comes to the students?
WSDUDEMAN February 18, 2022 (6:33 pm)

If teachers and staff are the decision makers here, kids currently in Kindergarten will be wearing masks until they finish grade school. Teachers and students should continue wearing masks if they so desire. However, the blanket mask policy should align with the general public health directives.
- wsteacher February 19, 2022 (8:54 am)
  
  This school year we have had our windows open all year (even on the coldest days), noisy air purifiers in each room (in some rooms there are 2 if them), eating lunch outside, hand sanitizing several times a day, and masks. Most covid cases were traced to transmissions outside of school. The only kids who have complained about masks are the kids whose parents have complained about masks. As a teacher, I am okay if masks stay on for this school year or come off tomorrow. I just want the community to stop telling us what to do in our jobs as if they know the environment we work in and as if they know what we do day to day. Leave this decision up to teachers and school staff.
  - Buddy February 19, 2022 (11:39 am)
    
    Don’t forget that all schools no matter what district also employees janitors, cafeteria workers, paraprofessional who work in classrooms, security, secretary, people who come in to fix copy machines, and people who stock pop machines and vending machines, and other people. All of these individuals have families to protect from the Covid virus. Just beware that another mutant of the virus is just right around the corner to wreck havoc in our daily lives and danger is just around the corner and no one knows when it will apprear.
D February 19, 2022 (1:56 pm)

If all my students are required to be vaccinated like so many other infectious diseases, then I will not mind the masks coming off so much. It sucks having kids under 5 that are unable to get vaccinated, though.

Rae February 18, 2022 (4:59 pm)

No, teachers should not be the ones that decide if our children wear masks. Public officials are encouraging people to return to offices, where there will be no mask mandate. Restaurants and bars are filling up again. Children are at the lowest risk of Covid but face the most restrictions. It’s time that we switch to personal protection and allow parents to decide whether to mask our kids. To say that there are no harm‘s from masking isn’t true. I’m hoping that King County will fall in line with Washington state since we are the most vaccinated county in the state. Hospitalizations are dropping rapidly & cases are low.

Allison February 18, 2022 (5:41 pm)

It isn’t “just” teachers who are making these decisions. Please read this statement from the WCAAP.https://wcaap.org/statement-on-ending-mask-mandate-for-k-12-students-and-childcare-settings-in-washington-state/
- Mark W. Noonan February 19, 2022 (4:46 pm)
  
  It’s unrealistic to wait for more children to be vaccinated. At the rate it’s going it could take another 18-24 months.
Yup February 18, 2022 (5:59 pm)

Just wait for the new variant to come out, oh wait it has. Better read up on it before you make these decisions. If we leave this up to the parents, we know where that will go. They will send sick kids to school, just like they do now. But without a mask, REQUIRED by SPS, not the teachers. This new variant will spread faster and cause more damage to these kids. Business restrictions will be up to the business.
- MA February 19, 2022 (7:19 am)
  
  and then the next variant, and the next one, and the next one, and the next one after that. do you have kids? if so, is your end game masking kids forever?
  - k February 19, 2022 (5:48 pm)
    
    Well, the plan is to have the kids wear underwear forever. And pants. And a shirt. And shoes (preferably with socks) when they leave the house. And yes, that’s the plan forever. So one more mandated piece of cloth isn’t radically different than the other articles of clothing that the kids are asked to wear all the time. No one’s asking for an end to the pants mandate or claiming pants are detrimental to the mental health of children (and you KNOW a heck of a lot of those kids would choose no pants if they could). It’s the adults who are bothered most by the mask mandates, not the kids. To the kids it’s not that different from forcing them to put on shoes (BOTH shoes please, and on the right feet!) before leaving the house.
    - Walker February 19, 2022 (6:36 pm)
      
      Cute, but not quite right. Underwear, pants, shoes, etc. do not hinder the way we speak and communicate with one another. Your pants don’t obscure your lips when they move, or hide facial expressions that most often convey more than words. It’s best we keep this conversation grounded in reality, wouldn’t you say?
    - corvids February 19, 2022 (8:13 pm)
      
      Not all facial expressions are positive. It’s possible there are some positive benefits to mask wearing, during such a stressful, contentious time, that we aren’t considering.
    - BrianInAdmiral February 19, 2022 (6:43 pm)
      
      You don’t have any kids do you? First off, the CDC does not recommend cloth masks anymore because they are largely ineffective. Instead parents are being asked to buy N95 masks for the kids – a real expense. Additionally, it’s laughable to compare pants and underwear to a mask. My daughter doesn’t even know what most of her friends look like. Continuing that any longer than absolutely necessary is insanity. There are real world developmental consequences to mandatory masking in classrooms that can’t be ignored. I have trusted the recommendation of public health officials so far. Letting the teachers union make public health policy is ridiculous. End the school mask mandate on March 21st.
    - WS resident February 21, 2022 (8:09 am)
      
      Private school teacher here hoping the mask mandate will go away at my school, sad that it won’t for my kids who attend SPS. Comparing masks to clothing is ridiculous. It is challenging to teach young children with masks, trying to pronounce words for a spelling test without them seeing your lips, helping them pronounce sounds by describing where to put your tongue/teeth/lips, not being able to see and celebrate their lost teeth, not being able to show them facial expressions (especially for kids on the autism spectrum), for hearing impaired kids not looking at lips is detrimental. Then try figuring out what student is talking when they shouldn’t be is more challenging since you can’t see their lips move. There will be more variants, it’s time to move on. It sounds like kids under 5 will be approved to be vaccinated soon, it’s time to start treating this like we always have with colds/flus. I followed all of the “rules “ for almost 2 years now, even the ridiculous restaurant rules that don’t make sense from a scientific viewpoint. I feel like some people in Seattle would just prefer to stay away from human interaction forever, which is sad. I have friends in Idaho and Arizona and their life is completely normal and has been. Their kids can attend basketball games at their high schools as well as school dances (unlike SPS). SPS won’t even sponsor a prom this year again! Shockingly they don’t have teachers/students dying at higher rates. The pick and choose “science on this virus” isn’t always correct and only time will tell who did a better job with both keeping people healthy and also having a normal life (mental and emotional health too).
    - Mark March 8, 2022 (12:04 pm)
      
      @corvids, you are correct. not all facial expressions are positive. those that are not are just as important for kids to see. they need to understand when others are sad or mad, etc. it allows for socialization and helps them learn how to interact with others in appropriate ways. I hope you are not a teacher if you do not understand that simple concept.
wseakell February 18, 2022 (6:10 pm)

Parent here – thank you for speaking with so much reason! If a teacher wants personal protection, having the vaccine + booster and N-95 mask will provide plenty of that personal protection. It’s time to start letting parents and kids decide, when risk is so minimal for children and vaccinated adults. I hope parents and kids speak out against this and push back on the SPS stance.
High Point February 18, 2022 (6:20 pm)

You always have a choice if your child is masked while learning. Public school is not a requirement for children. There are plenty of other options available to you.
Concerned Parent February 18, 2022 (6:46 pm)

Yes, teachers should be the ones that decide if our children wear masks. Teachers are doing the best they can to protect the health and safety of themselves and our children. How could you even be so selfish as to only think of your family?! Shame on you.
- SPSparent February 18, 2022 (8:41 pm)
  
  Teachers who are concerned can continue to wear masks if they choose. Why is it a government mandated thing? Before COVID, the flu was a risk for a lot of high risk people, but we didn’t make ALL of society wear masks because of it. Regardless of your views, masking *is* having impacts on mental health of children- the analysis before was that the risks of COVID outweighed those of the mental health. However, with a large portion of the population vaccinated or natural immunity (and no, I am not saying they shouldn’t get vaccinated- but that is on THEM now), the risk to most of vaccinated society is low. Those who are higher risk have the ability to minimize their risks – the same way they did during cold and flu season beforehand. It shouldn’t be our burden to bear indefinitely.
  - corvids February 19, 2022 (8:56 pm)
    
    I am genuinely concerned that after two years of a devestating pandemic, many people still don’t seem to understand the difference between the standard flu bug and covid situation, and try to compare the two. It’s really disheartening. Also, not understanding that masks provide better protection of spreading to others, and less protection to the mask wearer, although there is some.
Everett February 18, 2022 (6:51 pm)

This! I’m a teacher in Seattle and also think that masks should be up to the individual. I’m in my 12th year of teaching now and have noticed how masking has significantly impacted children’s mental health, behavior, and academics. Masking has served its purpose and it’s time to get on with life.Families or teachers who are concerned can still choose to wear high quality masks to protect themselves and their loved ones, but to mandate it for all children is simply cruel.
- Canton February 19, 2022 (12:01 am)
  
  Thank you, for perspective as a local teacher. Have to agree about the mental implications with the masks and our kids. The N95 masks are supposed to be now available. The parents and teachers, that are concerned, now have a tool that will give 95% protection vs. the cloth masks. It’s time for the kids to have some relief.
WSTeacher February 28, 2022 (1:01 am)

I am incredibly impressed with our students and how adaptive they have become the last two years. Masks are the least of their worries. My students hate them but are happy to wear them so they can be in school. The biggest impact on them is not the mask, but not being able to see their friends. The social isolation of the last two years. I feel we should wear them until the end of school. I also believe it should be up to the district along with SPS staff. Please know that the teachers are also concerned about students getting sick.

Mj February 18, 2022 (5:25 pm)

Enough already, all teachers, faculty and staff are vaccinated and all students are eligible to be, most already are. Thus why the continued mandate of forced masking on fully vaccinated people?

WSB February 18, 2022 (9:18 pm)

Fact-check – no, the vaccination rate does not cover “most” students – King County dashboard, demographics tab, in the 5-to-11-year-old category, 48% have completed the vaccination series. 12-to-17-year-olds, much higher – 76%.
- Bronson February 18, 2022 (9:25 pm)
  
  Fact check aside – whose fault is that? Vaccines are widely available. There are no excuses for the majority of people, including those ages 5-11. Never mind the mortality rate is so minuscule for that age group.
- Sam February 19, 2022 (8:19 am)
  
  As a style guide question, how do you define “most?”
  - Paul February 19, 2022 (11:51 am)
    
    Regardless of ‘style guide’ the bar for most would be at least 51% no?
High Point February 19, 2022 (11:37 am)

There are SPS schools with preschools, so your premise is false.

k February 18, 2022 (5:36 pm)

Thank you so much to the leaders who recognize that TEACHERS and staff are also in schools, and protecting teachers and staff is important! There is literally no evidence that wearing masks is harmful to kids. What IS harmful to kids is having teachers out sick over and over, or potentially dying or having permanently health issues due to preventable disease. There’s already a sub shortage. When your kid is in a class of 120 because there aren’t enough teachers, you might re-think how great their mask-less education experience is without the teachers people think so little about.

pagefive February 18, 2022 (6:32 pm)

The Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics continues to endorse universal masking for all teachers, staff and students in school and child care settings. https://wcaap.org/statement-on-ending-mask-mandate-for-k-12-students-and-childcare-settings-in-washington-state/ Please continue to trust and follow the guidance of our public health experts and medical professionals. Yes, I’m one of them and can assure you we don’t have any secret agenda here. This is about preventing hospitalizations and death… not to mention the debilitating effects of long COVID.

SPSparent February 18, 2022 (8:45 pm)

What are your feelings on this study?https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00431-021-04345-z” Children in the control group experienced significantly more concentration difficulties, headache, muscle and joint pain, cough, nausea, diarrhea and fever than SARS-CoV-2 infected.”
- Jort February 18, 2022 (11:32 pm)
  
  I think that I would read the actual paper, instead of just blindly reposting it without reading it, specifically that the study’s primary intent was to determine the likelihood of “long covid” symptoms (which were, in fact, studied), and not the effect of masks in children (effects which were noted, but not the intended primary question of the study). Those are my feelings on that study.
  - Pessoa February 19, 2022 (11:14 am)
    
    Jort: The Springer abstract is relevant as masking is a precaution that is alleged to prevent coronavirus transmission and, presumably, “long Covid.”
    - Math Teacher February 19, 2022 (2:12 pm)
      
      The Springer data set is valuable research that can point to areas for further research and study, but as it is based on voluntary survey responses, and self-selection of responses, it doesn’t provide statistically sound comparisons.
  - MA February 19, 2022 (11:15 am)
    
    Here are my feelings on that study:
    “Most children have a mild course of acute COVID-19.”
    “Conclusions: Long COVID in children is rare and mainly of short duration.”
    
    At some point can we stop blaming all future ills on long covid?
    And for the love of god, yes SOME may get sick but MOST children have mild symptoms….not ALL, not NONE, but MOST.
    Can’t believe how afraid and helpless our state and in particular Seattle has become.

Vee February 18, 2022 (7:14 pm)

This is ridiculous. if they truly care about kids academics and mental health, stop the mask wearing, and parents can decide if they want their kids to wear, I’m tired of this poor teacher rhetoric. enough people are vaccinated, children need some normalcy. enough is enough

WS Res February 18, 2022 (11:41 pm)

I’m tired of this poor teacher rhetoric – So what you’re saying is that it’s just too hard to continue to be empathetic to other people. Good grief.
- Vee February 19, 2022 (10:46 am)
  
  I’m empathetic for the students!!!

Masks Save Lives February 18, 2022 (8:06 pm)

Thank you to Seattle Public Schools for continuing the mask mandate for now. PAGEFIVE is absolutely right on. Don’t be a COVIDiot.

Genesse Parent February 18, 2022 (8:53 pm)

I was so relieved to hear about the removal of the mask mandate for Washington State! Our family is vaccinated and ready for normal. I hope their school no longer requires masks after March 21st.

TJ February 18, 2022 (9:53 pm)

Nobody should be surprised by SPS, but they should be angry. Schools will be the last thing to go back to normal when they should be the first. And SPS will be the last district to ditch masks, I bet not until the start of next school year. Same amount of kids in classes as other districts, nothing different, except a bigger union and more beaucracy. After 2 years, it is clear some people are use to living this and can’t let go. If you keep looking for reasons to hold off on returning to normal then you will never ever get to that point. Waiting to see about new variants, worrying about “long covid”, worrying about at risk others, I mean you will never get to the daylight. This is a personal choice now. Wear a mask if you want. The hard reality is it is not everyone’s responsibility to protect at risk people. As stated in other comments, it hasn’t been that way with the flu. My aunt passed away at 79 six years ago after being sick with a “virus”, which turned into pneumonia. Never did hear what “virus” she had, but my family was never upset that she caught it somewhere from someone. Point being we own our health.

Ivan Weiss February 19, 2022 (7:29 am)

“The hard reality is it is not everyone’s responsibility to protect at risk people.”
—
Maybe that’s YOUR “hard reality,” pal. But for most of us, still, protecting the at risk people in our communities is not only our responsibility, but our highest calling. Although I am not a Christian, I suspect Jesus Christ would be closer to my position than to yours. And I suspect also who would be closer to yours. Adolf Hitler. That’s right, Hitler.
—
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/13/opinion/nazis-holocaust-disabled.html
—
Let ’em all die if they can’t keep up, right? Not my problem, right?
- WS Guy February 19, 2022 (12:08 pm)
  
  You’re Jesus and she’s Hitler. Hilarious post, 10/10.

Mj February 18, 2022 (10:13 pm)

Bronson – thank you and regarding the King County Dashboard does it break down the data by School District, my suspicion is that the vaccination rate in the SPS’s is far greater than the County wide rate.

Parents February 19, 2022 (5:43 am)

Keep me posted if there will be a recall effort like in San Francisco. Students need to get back to 100% productivity/development. We need more experts passionate about education, not masks, remote working/learning. These people were literally forced to return to the classroom by the governor by law… Not sure where students would be if this was not done. They also said it was too soon not possible..

Andros February 19, 2022 (8:41 am)

I love how there is always someone here that will say masks hurt a child’s mental health, but then give no evidence to back it up.

anonyme February 19, 2022 (10:53 am)

Andros, thanks for making this point. There are numerous reports of increased mental illness due to Covid, but there is nothing specifying masking as the underlying cause. It seems far more likely that the anxiety is due to other Covid-related causes, including the often virulent rhetoric from the anti-masking factions.
wseakell February 19, 2022 (5:34 pm)

Parents like me experience first-hand the negative effects masking for the last 2-years has had on development, so have a degree of first hand knowledge. Pessoa posts a study below if you’re looking for one. Although not everything needs a study – parents are seeing the mental health implications day in and day out.
- heartless February 19, 2022 (7:46 pm)
  
  With all due respect, WSEAKELL, there is no way you can unravel the cause of any “mental health” issues with your child(ren). You think it could be the masks, I guess, but maybe it’s just living through a fucking pandemic. That’s why people study things. And yeah, if you really want the truth, most things do need to be studied.
- Pessoa February 20, 2022 (5:11 pm)
  
  Thanks for the mention, wseakell. I agree that many things we can observe first-hand, but we need studies that aren’t subject to personal bias to formulate public policy, and probably the more the better. But of course within this we must absolutely make room for personal choice, for the outliers in the tails of the distribution curve. Cheers.

Pessoa February 19, 2022 (11:30 am)

I am going to post this link, and if anyone has the mental stamina or patience, they can read the entire abstract. I won’t pick through it to find the bits that unfairly characterize the study or buttress a point of view – I’ll leave that to others. There are many unanswered questions about the psychological impacts of mask wearing on children, some conceivably might be mitigated by adaptive mechanisms, but we simply don’t know. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.669432/full

CAM February 19, 2022 (4:18 pm)

1. Frontiers is a pay to publish journal system with a network of former reviewers who claim to have left due to having no ability to refuse publication of subpar research. 2. The authors of this don’t appear to have any background in psychology or mental health. 3. They had no exclusion criteria to eliminate participants from the study that might also have confounding variables that would contribute to difficulties recognizing emotions. 4. Having greater difficulty recognizing facial expression of emotion in unfamiliar faces is not a sign of a mental health problem or a sign of mental distress in most cases unless other factors are also present. 5. Please stop trying to find data to support something that doesn’t exist.
- Pessoa February 20, 2022 (10:48 am)
  
  CAM: Are you dismissing these findings because of the alleged shoddy reputation of the journal or the author’s lack of mental health credentials – or because her findings don’t align with your position? The author, a scientist at the Italian Institute of Technology, Visually Impaired Unit, seems to have adequate qualifications. Exclusion criteria was not provided in the study, though one assumes reasonable attempts were made to exclude participants with psychiatric disorders, such as autism, that might skew the results. The authors actually speculated in discussion that masking may be more problematic for those populations. The author really didn’t draw any wild conclusions beyond the scope of the study which found, unremarkably, that masks impair facial expressions, most noticeably in toddlers.

WestCMom February 19, 2022 (12:42 pm)

I haven’t noticed many kids complaining about masks. Kids adapt so much better than adults. I imagine that for a lot of kids the masks give them a sense of safety and control when the world has been so stressful. A lot of people are forgetting that our babies aren’t vaccinated yet. How many 5 and under have siblings in school? There’s the “but kids aren’t getting that sick” argument, but this virus mutates and I’m personally worried for my little ones and their peers. SPS is being smart about this. Masks are such an easy thing to do to keep our families safe.

BrianInAdmiral February 19, 2022 (6:53 pm)

Everybody agrees that COVID will be around forever. Do you plan to mask yourself and your kids in perpetuity against the recommendations of public health officials? I am fine with voluntary mask usage, but it’s time to end the mandates if the public health officials determine it’s ok.

C February 19, 2022 (1:36 pm)

Healthcare worker here-let’s all stopthe armchair commenting… Teachers have every right to want to feel protected at work, and masks aren’t hurting anybody. I’m tired of people who have been working from home or an empty office is trying to give their opinions about what it feels like to work in a room full of people who could possibly expose you to a deadly virus.

BrianInAdmiral February 19, 2022 (6:48 pm)

Is this about facts or feelings? If the facts show that masks are no longer necessary then I don’t really care about a teacher’s feelings. And how dare you say that I shouldn’t have a voice in my child’s education. I too work in healthcare and disagree with your opinion about masks impact on child development. Read the studies. It’s becoming increasingly clear. I’m a long time progressive and I’ll be ready for school board recalls if the masking continues any longer than recommended by public health officials.
- heartless February 19, 2022 (7:39 pm)
  
  There really isn’t any evidence that wearing masks or being around mask-wearers is problematic for children. The data simply isn’t there–at most it’s people pointing out that judging someone else’s emotions is harder when they’re masked. That’s not impactful. Heck, some cultural differences already do that (i.e., degrees of facial expression of emotion vary considerably across cultures) and the kids are just fine. Further, in the case of masks, kids still get a ton of exposure to non-masked faces, certainly enough to study emotional affectation. Anyway–there is no evidence that masks are harming kids. If you really want to get into this, please link a study you think provides evidence to the contrary and we can talk about it.
  
  That said, it will be nice to not have to worry about masks. I might still wear one on the bus, during air travel, etc., but for places like school and outside events, it will be really nice to not have to worry about them. (Just as some people have been too quick to dismiss the efficacy of masks others are too quick to tout them as a silver bullet. The uncomfortable truth is that while they absolutely help, they help a lot less than many of us want to admit.)

CurrentSPSSubstitute February 19, 2022 (1:44 pm)

As a current paraprofessional substitute, I am not willing to risk my health and my family’s health going into various classrooms throughout a school day with children being unmasked. We already have a substitute shortage, if we take away mask mandate I’m not sure how many subs we will have left. Then when teachers come down with COVID-19 and there is no one to cover their classes we won’t have many options left! Majority of people saying they want normalcy I bet don’t spend hours a day in close contact with children who don’t always have the best hygiene practices (washing hands, picking nose, wiggling out loose teeth, etc). Come on people, let’s keep up our hard work and keep kids in school! They do amazing with masks and do not make a fuss, it’s so impressive!

Vaccinate to drop masks February 19, 2022 (2:05 pm)

If masks impact education, which they do in terms of communication, then simply require vaccinations for all in schools. If we had mandatory vaccines, like MMR, the mask could be more safely let go of. Of our tools to fight covid in this round or next, vaccines are huge. Next is masking. Require student vaccinations and dump the masks.

Pessoa February 20, 2022 (5:34 pm)

There are documented adverse reactions associated with vaccines in younger adults. Though very rare, so are the odds of a serious illness from a coronavirus infection even in an unvaccinated healthy child. When risk is present there must be choice.

corvids February 19, 2022 (3:00 pm)

Glad that we are at a place with the pandemic where those who are unhappy or have difficulty with masks will be relieved to not be required to wear them as much. Also glad that those who are more at ease with mask wearing and feel they are of value can continue to wear them. And that we may be able to choose environments and businesses to patronize that feel aligned with our needs. Hoping that we can learn to adapt to this hybrid world and respect one another and businesses decisions, and wear masks without conflict in situations where it is asked of us. Do support businesses and schools determining what health and safety protocols are best for their environments, for their staff and customers, as they have more choice around this.In some Asian communities, people have been choosing to wear masks as a precaution to avoid spreading infections, for years. I think we are now seeing the benefit of this practice here, in also preventing less serious bugs and infections. Don’t see any reason to be down on others for wanting to continue using this tool, to help prevent spreading infections.And to those who say our immune systems need to be challenged and exposed to bugs like covid… try saying that to the millions of people who have died around the world from covid over the past couple of years? Or to the folks who spoke out against mask wearing and vaccination, and them died from the virus? Just some thoughts, not looking for a fight with those who have a different perspective.

WSDUDEMAN February 19, 2022 (6:50 pm)

Just had Covid go through our house. A couple days of not feeling well and we are all good. My 1st grader was sick for a single day, then just tired for a couple days. It would be a great if we used the Covid experience as a wake up call that as a nation, we are generally not fit and not very healthy. This virus has been absolutely devastating to those with existing health challenges and of course to the elderly…it should an inflection point where we as a society need to take a deep look at our lifestyles and food choices and collectively try and point ourselves and most importantly our youth in the right direction as we move forward. But, that is rather wishful thinking….

corvids February 19, 2022 (7:16 pm)

‘we as a society need to take a deep look at our lifestyles and food choices and collectively try and point ourselves and most importantly our youth in the right direction as we move forward’

Right on dudeman, 👍
Math Teacher February 19, 2022 (7:34 pm)

I had a car accident, and nobody was injured. So what? Seatbelts are still a good idea. I’m glad that your family was fortunate to not suffer extreme cases of this virus, but individual personal experience is not in itself evidence that lifestyles or food choices are to blame for others’ severe cases.
- WSDUDEMAN February 19, 2022 (8:29 pm)
  
  I didn’t imply masks are a bad idea. The point was that for a vast majority of people who come in contact with the virus, it is not a life threatening situation. But people are VERY scared. I get it. The other statements pertain to the loss of life that our country has experienced. Certain health related issues ARE brought on my lifestyle and/or food choices, others are not. I’m saying that overall, we are not a healthy country and this doesn’t help in dealing with Covid. It’s an opportunity for education. Even childhood obesity rates increased to 19 to 22% during the pandemic, per the CDC. That’s not great.
WS Res February 19, 2022 (10:01 pm)

This virus has been absolutely devastating to those with existing health challenges and of course to the elderly… Indeed it has. And so… what? Screw those people, let ’em fend for themselves? If they die, they die? If they’re permanently disabled, not my problem? If they go bankrupt due to healthcare costs and being unable to work, well that’s just the price of doing business? And of course, if only it were as simple as “level of health vunerability = level of COVID vulnerability” a sort of “screw you, I got my health” might almost make sense in a Machiavellian way, but it’s never that simple.
- WSDUDEMAN February 20, 2022 (11:33 am)
  
  If that was your takeaway from what I had written, I am sorry for whatever it is you are dealing with in life. I wish you well.

corvids February 19, 2022 (7:02 pm)

…And, If we truly care about kids, we adults might stop arguing so much, and try to recognize there are far greater issues impacting kids than having to wear a mask during a pandemic. Of course kids are anxious, take a look around at the world, and how adults have been handling and responding, to everything. Perhaps what kids need most are mature, healthy, loving, compassionate, trauma informed adults… parents, teachers, community, and society.

“So much of what we call abnormality in this culture is actually normal responses to an abnormal culture. The abnormality does not reside in the pathology of individuals, but in the very culture that drives people into suffering and dysfunction.”— Gabor Maté

anonyme February 20, 2022 (5:45 am)

Excellent points, Corvids. The quote encompasses so much more than our response to Covid. I think much of what we refer to as mental illness in our society is a response to a culture that glorifies greed and status over human connection while placing a pathological emphasis on individualism.
- corvids February 21, 2022 (5:31 pm)
  
  Thanks anonyme, and for yours too.
  
  Think much of what is often pathologized as mental illness might actually be normal human suffering and reactions to conditions and experiences and all that is not well in the world. If you are expressing suffering, something must be wrong with you and must be fixed or changed! Rather than, what’s causing this, and how can we understand and help one another heal, grow, and suffer less?
  
  If you like the quote I shared, maybe this film would be of interest to you? 💛
  https://thewisdomoftrauma.com
- Pessoa February 22, 2022 (4:49 pm)
  
  There is, of course, a vast difference between principled individualism and unprincipled individualism. Same could be said for collectivism.

Kelly February 19, 2022 (9:31 pm)

I’m so incredibly tired of the horrible, hate-filled comments directed at schools, teachers, and unions. We’re not going back to 2019 no matter how hard you complain. You were mad about online school when teachers pivoted to a completely new way of doing, well, everything, and had about 1 day to figure it out. That was really hard for kids, parents, AND teachers. Spoiler alert: some teachers are even parents too, so that was something extra for them to navigate. Schools reopened understaffed (as always) and dealing with staff and students getting Covid left and right. Principals spent hours upon hours doing Covid protocols, contacting families, testing, and doing contact tracing. Teachers and staff have been covering for those who are out. We were extremely short-staffed pre-pandemic, but the pandemic has exacerbated the situation further. Teachers routinely go without planning time (1 hour per day to plan and grade and do all the administrative tasks) in order to cover for those missing. So, planning needs to happen before our before-school meetings, after our after-school meetings, or on weekends. Yes, teachers have an incredible number of meetings (sped, 504, parent concern, staff, pbis, leadership, extracurricular sponsors, etc) that are required outside of the time when kids are at school. My students do not complain about wearing masks. This is outrage manufactured by adults. Kids and teachers are mostly happy to be back at school and are doing our best to enjoy our time together. Let’s do the best we can to look out for each other and demonstrate kindness to others by continuing to wear masks, especially as King County Health Dept has not set a date for lifting the mask requirement in our county.