Pennsylvania Ping!
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Posted on 10/02/2021 7:28:45 PM PDT by lightman
School administrators have faced hostility from some parents and residents after Pennsylvania’s mask order for schools took effect last month.
This week, the Pennsylvania Principals Association released a survey indicating the intense backlash they are encountering from parents who oppose the statewide mask order. The survey found 44% of the principals who responded said they were threatened “by a parent, student, or community member as a result of the mask mandate.” The survey included responses from 449 members.
Dr. Eric Eshbach, executive director of the Pennsylvania Principals Association, said some of the threats didn’t necessarily indicate violence. Some parents have threatened lawsuits, he said.
Nonetheless, Eshbach said some threats have indeed been threats of violence. And he said hearing nearly half of those surveyed had received some kind of threat was “alarming.”
“I know some have been physically threatened. Some of the threats come in social media,” Eshbach said.
He added, “I’ve talked with members who said after a board meeting, they were advised not to walk to their car alone.”
Eshbach served as a school superintendent for 16 years in central Pennsylvania, leading both the Northern York County and Upper Adams school districts. But he said the hostility he’s witnessed in school board meetings in recent weeks is unprecedented.
“I’ve never seen that level of anger in what I would call some stable school districts,” Eshbach said.
Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration issued the mask order last month amidst a spike in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. The governor had initially said he wanted local school districts to make the call but felt compelled to act due to the rise in COVID-19 cases and a desire to keep kids in classrooms. Wolf also cited what he described as misinformation and pressure on boards to refrain from requiring masks.
Several legal challenges have emerged to overturn the order. Republican lawmakers, who control the General Assembly, are also examining ways to block the mandate from the Democratic governor.
Across central Pennsylvania, school board meetings have become highly contentious, and even raucous, over the mask issue.
Last month, the Cumberland Valley school board opted to meet remotely and stream the meeting to the public when members voted to keep its mask policy and other COVID-19 measures in place. District officials said they opted against meeting in person because of violations of masking policies at past meetings and general crowd control concerns.
Police have attended some other midstate school board meetings. Mark DiRocco, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, said he’s heard a number of school districts have summoned police or hired security to keep order at meetings. His group, which represents school superintendents and other leaders, has heard reports of threats of violence aimed at administrators.
“There have been several superintendents who have also received threatening emails, threatening statements made to them at board meetings,” DiRocco said.
“We find this entire matter to be very concerning. We ask for everyone who is frustrated with whatever decisions are being made in the pandemic to be as reasonable and cooperative as possible.
“These threats … that needs to end right now,” he added.
Earlier this week, the National School Boards Association sent a letter to President Joe Biden, imploring him to direct federal law enforcement “to deal with the growing number of threats of violence and acts of intimidation occurring across the nation.” The group said school board meetings have been disrupted in California, Florida, Georgia and other states.
At a press briefing this week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said it’s largely up to local law enforcement to protect school boards, the Associated Press reported. But she added, “We’re continuing to explore if more can be done from across the administration.”
“Obviously these threats to school board members is horrible. They’re doing their jobs,” she said.
Given the heated emotions seen in recent weeks, DiRocco said local law enforcement agencies should have a presence at school board meetings and other events to make sure no one can carry out a threat.
“Every local municipality with police, they need to step up their game and make sure these school board meetings and other events are covered,” he said.
Eshbach asked for parents to remain civil with school administrators, teachers and board members.
“This kind of behavior, the kind of vitriol, the kind of anger, the kind of threatening … does not help children. It doesn’t help them understand civil discourse,” he said.
He also said he’d ask parents to respect, or at least tolerate, the mask order as a way to preserve in-person education and avoid relying on remote education, as many districts did last year. The principals’ association supports the mask requirement if it ensures kids can stay in classrooms.
“We can’t go through another year like last year,” Eshbach said.
“We want our kids in school,” he added. “Whatever it takes.”
The principals’ survey also found 89% of those responding said their school district was following the mask order from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, while 11% said they were being asked to carry out actions in violation of that order. Some said they were being told to accept mask exemptions from parents, even without any medical documentation from a doctor indicating those children couldn’t wear masks.
The survey found 13% of principals said they felt their job was in jeopardy, because of the contradiction between the state order and the directives of their local school boards.
Dr. Eric Eshbach, executive director of the Pennsylvania Principals Association, said some of the threats didn’t necessarily indicate violence. Some parents have threatened lawsuits, he said.
Pennsylvania Ping!
Please ping me with articles of interest.
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There is probably no School Superintendent in Pennsylvania making less than a 6 figure salary. Same goes for principals.
$uck it up.
First of all, how do we know this is true?
Second, did those each get one threat each? Never mind what kind.
Third, anything contesting the powers that be (that’s you, principals...and boards, and supers, and governors) is construed as “threat”. Liberals are not used to blowback for all their crap.
No sympathy for predators
Just pretend it’s BLM doing it.
It should be higher.
A “threat” to these pussies is undercooked tator tots.
You cannot reason with leftist. They operate on an internal logic that makes sense to them. At some point they must be forced to change their minds. That force may be a lawsuit, an official reprimand of some kind, or actual violence. There is, apart from the grace of God, no other way.
Threatened with a lawsuit should be at 100%.
You can’t expect a bureaucrat to take responsibility for any of their decisions. Particularly one in the government school system.
It’s like sunlight to a vampire - I speak from personal experience from dealing with them.
Has EVERY principal and teacher received all of their jabs?
Just 44%, so much work left to be done.. A 100% of child abusers should be threatened with at least losing their job.
Not nearly enough
Exactly.
Weak-kneed tyrants should stop being such weak-kneed tyrants. There won’t be a problem if they stopped bending the knee to leftists.
Well isn’t that just to damn bad, school boards/superintendents are accountable to the property tax payers, they just want an obedient “school community”.
Its now SOP for all government institutions including the police and schools etc. etc. to play their:
“Victim Cards”
With COVID the hospitals and doctors, pharmacists are all being attacked by angry “anti-maskers” and “anti-vaxxers” we are being told around the world.
They "feel threatened" as they discover that we do NOT consent.
Where's that tiny violin gif?
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