Pennsylvania Ping!
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Posted on 06/23/2020 12:59:45 PM PDT by lightman
A vocal group of Spring Grove Area residents on Monday night emphatically opposed any school reopening plan that requires district students and staff to wear masks.
And at least two school board members backed their demands, with one calling the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to mitigate it "a crock of s—."
At a Monday board meeting, several residents argued that no one is afraid of the virus and cited a petition with 400 signatures in support of their plan for a regular reopening of the district's schools that doesn't follow state and federal health guidelines.
Health experts have said masks are a key component to stemming the spread of the coronavirus. But the issue has become increasingly political nationally.
The petition's signers did not want students or faculty wearing masks when school resumed and did not want children to be forced into a “rushed” COVID-19 vaccine in order to attend.
“If you look at the statistics, there’s nothing concrete that exists.” said resident Debbie Harris, citing the discrepancies between deaths reported to the coroner and the state and the numbers changing week to week.
The strong opposition to health experts and officials guiding decisions across the state has been a talking point among Republicans and fueled a lengthy battle between Gov Tom Wolf and GOP state lawmakers.
Residents at Spring Grove’s Monday meeting also brought up House Resolution 836, which would have voided the governor’s declaration in relation to the treatment of various businesses during the pandemic.
They just launched a Saturn V!
Pennsylvania Ping!
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Ping.
the way they plan to “reopen” the schools is insane. Nobody could either teach or learn in that environment...or even tolerate it.
It it’s a public school then he IS the government.
Our local school districts are proposing plans that are almost exactly what pre-covid looked like. The parents are ok with it. The people opposing? Teachers.
Bad cut and paste on my part...the rest of the story:
Repeatedly throughout Monday’s school board meeting, the crowd ignored the rules of public comment and erupted in shouts, such as “It’s a public meeting, you work for us. Sorry.”
Harris said her son, who has Asperger’s syndrome and ADHD, was thriving at the district before the shutdown, and she does not want him to fail because of political agendas and false narratives.
Some residents promoted no social distancing of any kind, demanding a business-as-usual approach to the new school year. They claimed seeing teachers wearing masks would instill fear in students.
They were also adamant on a completely in-person return, noting virtual learning adversely affected student and parent mental health.
A couple of school board members echoed their rhetoric.
Board member David Trettel said that the science regarding the virus is constantly changing, noting that it does not spread as easily through surface contact as once claimed.
“Let’s take a look at what the science actually says and not what was said three months ago,” he said, adding that he would rather seek forgiveness from the Pennsylvania Department of Education than ask permission in regard to health and safety decisions.
Board member Douglas White called the whole situation with the pandemic “a crock of s—.”
“Sometimes you have to go outside of the box,” he said of reopening plans. “Sometimes you have to say to the government, ‘F you.’”
Both members ran for reelection on cross-filed Democratic and Republican tickets in November.
Josh Newark, of Jackson Township, who will be starting his 19th year as a high school social studies teacher, urged the board to view the issue through the lens of health and not politics.
His wife has the autoimmune disease lupus, and he knows half a dozen staff members with compromised immune systems, he said.
Newark cited several health and research organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Mayo Clinic and the National Academy of Sciences — in addition to the state Department of Health’s reopening guidance — all of which support the use of masks.
“This is not a political issue. It is a public health issue,” he said. “Wearing a mask does not make me weak. It does not infringe upon my freedoms.”
More: Pa. high court to decide lawsuit seeking end to Wolf’s disaster order
The board approved an athletic and extracurricular health and safety plan Monday, with board members White, Trettel and Maurice Gaskins opposing it.
The district’s primary health and safety plan, which will determine the use of masks, social distancing and other safety measures, must be approved by the board before reopening.
It is tentatively scheduled for discussion July 6 with a vote July 13.
“It it’s a public school then he IS the government.”
No duh.
You say “F you” to the government by demanding vouchers, for private and home schooling.
he IS government
and govt that demands more of your wallet every year for worse and worse schooling performance
FU Spring Gorve govtard official!
Reuse of cloth masks should only be used after being sanitized. Hands should never be on face, that’s how virus enters the body. Masks and hands may well spread the disease. Children may contract the virus but suffer much less than they do from the common flu. Teachers with health issues are susceptible to the virus. But they are smart and can take the necessary measures to stay healthy. If they want to.
Quit holding the kids hostage - or defund the schools.
It’s about time. Here’s a social/political movement I can get behind.
#CovidIsOver
+1
Stop fearing and start living!
:)
Absolutely!
I think this story is an indication of just how many people have had about all they can enjoy of this farce.
My cousin has Aspergers Syndrome and he’s struggling with paranoia. It’s honestly just sad that he can’t reason about it. Sure he has good logical capacity, just not thinking critically for some reason about what he’s being told on the news, and it’s honestly a bit sad.
I don’t show my kids the news. I am worried that they might go paranoid given how they talk about COVID-19. I wish someone could think of how much out of 330 million 150,000 or even 200,000 is.
By the by:
I don’t know anyone who has had the virus. People I know don’t know anyone who has had the virus.
I got my dog groomed last week. The groomer has been open all through this “crisis.” None of her customers, and she is very busy, has had the virus. Of those she asked, none of them know anyone who has had the virus.
Just FYI.
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