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* From the governor’s press conference today…
Reporter: What are school districts supposed to do when kids show up and, maybe they’re vaccinated maybe they’re not, and they don’t wear a mask? What are they supposed to do?
Pritzker: School districts have been enforcing dress codes for many, many years. And so they’re expected simply to do the same thing they’ve been doing literally for decades. And, you know, I expect that people will do the right thing nonetheless, and not put their school district in a difficult situation of having to tell somebody ‘follow the rules.’
* And, by the way, I have a strong suspicion that at least some of the same people protesting the loudest about masks are also the types who strongly support bans like this…
Schools “can’t enforce masks” but sure did enforce not letting us wear shorts or spaghetti straps.
— Akilah Hughes (@AkilahObviously) August 8, 2021
Most schools already have rules on skirt lengths, shoulder, neckline, midriff exposure and more. Let’s be real, requiring kids to cover their nose and mouth in a pandemic isn’t a “freedom” issue.
— Lina Hidalgo (@LinaHidalgoTX) August 9, 2021
Exactly! They had no problem calling me at work and pulling me away from my job to bring my son a belt because, according to their “uniform code,” he couldn’t stay at school without one.🤬
— LiberalFish (@akemor) August 8, 2021
I think I’ve told you that my grade school lunch ladies refused to serve me because of the length of my hair. I had bangs.
* There’s also this…
My argument also. There's one child in my kids ' school of over 1700 students with a severe peanut allergy and no one has a problem with protecting that child, bc it is the right thing to do!!
— 1♥️NY (@1NY15) August 9, 2021
* The Mahomet-Seymour and Monticello school district superintendents penned an op-ed for the Champaign News-Gazette. Here’s the end…
We don’t like government mandates, either — trust us: There are plenty sent our way every year — and we believe that our school boards and local communities trust us enough to make the right calls for our local districts when it comes to school (not medical or political) decisions.
Ignoring the requirement for universal masking puts our teachers and building administrators in extremely difficult positions. The continued debate is a distraction from the critically important goal of getting our kids back in school. The “fight,” if you will, is no longer at the local level, since local control has been taken away.
We are looking forward to seeing our students and teachers back in our buildings for full school days, sporting and music events, drama productions, regular recess and lunch times and social opportunities.
They showed us last year that masking was not a big deal — if that’s what it takes right now, then so be it. It’s time to move forward with the 2021-22 school year and to focus on what public schools do best — educate students.
…Adding… Center Square…
For Marlena and Ben McCoy in Marion, they had their children politely refuse to wear masks Monday, saying it’s not healthy for them to breathe their own air for eight hours a day.
They said at first, administrators at Crab Orchard in Williamson County said to just take the kids home, but the McCoys insisted that if they’re not being disciplined, their children must be in class. The administrators eventually suspended the three children.
An administrator from the district didn’t return messages seeking comment.
Marlena said they couldn’t stand by anymore without fighting back.
“It’s time to stand up and it’s time to fight against what is not the government’s to take,” Marlena said. “The Bible teaches us to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and they are clearly asking something that is not Caesar’s and we’re not going to be willing to give it anymore.”
It was tough to “walk into the fire,” but Marlena said her children understood.
“They’re excited to be part of whatever this movement is going to be,” she said. “My husband made kind of a silly comment, he said ‘your blood bleeds a little bit more red than most Americans right now,’ because they’re fighting what most won’t.” […]
“He’s putting everything on the line, his sports, his academics,” Phillips said, noting her son is a leader on the middle-school baseball team and a good student. “Suspensions are supposed to be for bad things like fights, not for good students.”
Phillips said her son may go back to school Wednesday with a mask in order to be eligible for a Thursday baseball game, but she also has her eye on a national day of action called “Walkout Wednesday.” She said that could have students across the country walking out of schools at noon to protest COVID-19 mitigation protocols.
“Breathe their own air.” A mask ain’t a diving bell.
* Related…
* Nearly 94,000 Kids Got COVID-19 Last Week. They Were 15% Of All New Infections
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 12:32 pm
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Great response from the superintendent.The kids, in general, really don’t mind or protest-it was not that big of a deal. Are there disadvantages to being in a mask all day? Of course, but preventing spread is most important now.
Comment by Deb H Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 12:38 pm
If a child must be potty trained at 5-6 to go to school, then wearing a mask to go to school is possible.
Unless I’m being told that wearing a mask is more difficult than…
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 12:40 pm
“School districts have been enforcing dress codes for many, many years”
True, but they have not had to deal with an organized 25% of their students showing up at the door without a mask because their parents or even local legislator told them they should to protect their “freedoms”.
Comment by Ole' Nelson Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 12:44 pm
Perhaps the best way to do this is to announce a prohibition and ban on wearing mask and getting the vaccine.
Pretty sure the same gang who screams my freedom would then switch to screaming you can’t deny me wearing or mask or getting a vaccine to protect myself.
Problem solved.
Comment by Give Me A Break Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 12:46 pm
I remember in junior high two teachers taking up two class periods on whether one kid had to tuck in his shirt. It was just bizarre to watch as they thought this was a critical issue.
I think teachers can handle masks. Even when the transition to allowing hats in the day (before banning them again and I think allowing now) some teachers had students take them off. You know what the students did? Take off their hats.
Comment by ArchPundit Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 12:46 pm
===an organized 25% of their students===
Nobody wants a detention/suspension on their record.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 12:48 pm
Sending my kid to school this year with a Spuds Mackenzie hat, Big Johnson t-shirt and PBJ sandwich - all to own the libs
/sarcasm
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 12:54 pm
Public schools can’t be everything to everyone. If you don’t want your kid to wear a mask, homeschool them if you can. There are many kids who have breathing problems with masks.
Comment by Homeschooling Parent Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 12:55 pm
The same people who think mask mandates are harming children and impossible to enforce are the same people who want gender police in every school restroom/locker room and cameras in classrooms to make sure teachers don’t say the word “race.”
Comment by NIU Grad Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 12:57 pm
Schools would be so much better off, if we could just get rid of the parents. S/ (sort of)
Comment by Bruce( no not him) Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 1:07 pm
You can’t cite to your grade-school hair style and not post the pic
Comment by Mike K Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 1:10 pm
We’ve had dress codes that ban certain attire, dress cobes that require uniforms. We even had a ban on 6-12 students wearing hoodies for many years.
The mask is a temporary adjustment of this year’s dress code, look at it that way. Let’s save some lives in the process.
Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 1:10 pm
Just tell them if students do not wear masks the every single curricular activity will be cancelled for safety. No sports, no bands, no clubs
Comment by DuPage Saint Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 1:38 pm
I am a board member of our local school district. Last night our board voted to enact the mask mandate. Springfield dictates the vast majority of issues in schools. This is just one of them. We had two legal opinions done that said yes the governor can enforce the mandate. I am not in love with the mandate for several reasons but want the focus on getting and keeping the kids in school. The help from the State on the binax tests will be huge in reducing contact tracing and keeping more kids in class. On this point the Gov deserves kudos.
Comment by A Watcher Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 1:38 pm
My son would wear 10 masks if it means he can have in person classes again. As many have said, the kids don’t care.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 1:42 pm
==your blood bleeds a little bit more red than most Americans right now==
Here we go with that nonsense again. I would argue your blood bleeds a little bit less red with the way you’re acting.
Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 1:53 pm
=your blood bleeds a little bit more red than most Americans right now=
Ok, but your crocodile tears have flooded most of Southern Illinois right now.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:10 pm
=your blood bleeds a little bit more red than most Americans right now=
Ok, but your crocodile tears have flooded most of Southern Illinois right now.
Comment by Steve Rogers Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:11 pm
I am reading that mask-wearing raises the body CO2 level, for the reason that CO2 is trapped by the mask and inhaled.
So I agree that there is a health issue with a mask.
Comment by Old Illini Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:13 pm
A few years ago, this outfit caused a stir: https://msmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/11222085_10205047610205315_6689208938970330131_o-e1440460237397.jpg because her collarbones showed. And how can we forget the kid who had have his dreadlocks cut because of dress code? My goodness, the knots people tie themselves into to justify their nutty ideas.
Comment by Skeptic Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:14 pm
===I am reading…===
Facebook doesn’t count.
Lemme guess, you want your surgeon maskless too, amirite?
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:15 pm
“I am reading that mask-wearing raises the body CO2 level, for the reason that CO2 is trapped by the mask and inhaled.”
If your breathing is so shallow that you only inhale the air that’s trapped between the mask and your face, you probably will pass out, but it won’t be the masks fault.
Comment by Stig Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:30 pm
==CO2 is trapped by the mask and inhaled.==
Are the McCoys (and Skeptic) pulmonologists? A C02 molecule is 0.00033 microns wide. By comparison, a single grain of sand is about 90 microns.
Comment by Jocko Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:34 pm
- Old Illini -
Your cite was retracted by JAMA, on July 16th.
I merely googled *that* lil “stat”, found the retraction. That easy.
Keep up. Please stop spreading false information
Here’s the retraction
Notice of Retraction. Walach H, et al. Experimental Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Content in Inhaled Air With or Without Face Masks in Healthy Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Pediatr. Published online June 30, 2021.
shorturl.at/fklvE
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:38 pm
@Old - Do better next time…. the FINER print on that so called study.
DETAILS
Inadequate support: The study involved an online survey that collected parents’ reports of negative effects from mask-wearing on children. However, the study cannot demonstrate a causal relationship between mask-wearing and these effects in children, due to limitations in its design. The study also did not account for confounding factors, such as the presence of pre-existing illnesses or conditions in children, which could cause the same negative effects that were reported. The parents who were surveyed in the study might also be biased against mask-wearing, which could influence their responses.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:38 pm
” The clinical implications of elevated CO2 levels with long-term use of face masks needs further studies.”
Comment by Old Illini Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:38 pm
Save it for Facebook, it was retracted by JAMA
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:39 pm
Since you like German studies…
https://www.pnas.org/content/117/51/32293
Face masks considerably reduce COVID-19 cases in Germany
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:40 pm
==The clinical implications of elevated CO2 levels with long-term use of face masks needs further study==
That’s university-speak for “we got nuthin’.”
Comment by Jocko Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:43 pm
Old Illini you are misstating the findings of the study you reference. https://healthfeedback.org/claimreview/german-study-did-not-find-wearing-face-masks-harms-children-study-wasnt-designed-to-accurately-test-these-effects/
Comment by Vincent Vega Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:45 pm
“The Bible teaches us to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s”
The bible also teaches us to obey those in authority.
Comment by Steve Polite Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:47 pm
“blood bleeds more red” parents into bloodletting for their children’s health
Comment by Rabid Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 2:49 pm
===There are many kids who have breathing problems with masks.===
If my Dad, with asthma, 24 (at least) bouts of pneumonia, and a persistent bacterial infection in his lungs can wear a mask for hours without any additional adverse physiological problems, these kids in question are too sick to be in school WITHOUT an ongoing pandemic.
Comment by Graduated College Student Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 3:03 pm
Wut.
It’s time to stand up and it’s time to fight against what is not the government’s to take,” Marlena said. “The Bible teaches us to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and they are clearly asking something that is not Caesar’s and we’re not going to be willing to give it anymore.”
Comment by SaulGoodman Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 3:28 pm
=There are many kids who have breathing problems with masks.=
No there are not, at least not legitimate ones.
I get it, masks are a bit odd and can be uncomfortable. But it is paltry to the discomfort of being intubated or on a ventilator.
As a veteran educator and school administrator, all of the ridiculous hyperbole by the so called patriots has just gotten to the point of surreal. People no longer understand the meaning of words and have diminished the meaning of some words that were pretty important and our forefathers shed blood over.
All because of a mask.
I appreciate the people who suck it up and wear. a mask. I appreciate the kids who come to school and do the right thing everyday without being asked to do so.
I appreciate our teachers and other administrators that enforce the mask rules every day. I appreciate the sanity of the blog because I honestly might lose it if I didn’t come here and see that there are people who get it.
Thanks Rich fellow posters for mostly being the calm in the storm.
Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 3:41 pm
From a Feb 2021 paper on the effects of 3 types of masks:
“According to the literature, these concentrations have no toxicological effect. However, concentrations in the detected range can cause undesirable symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, and loss of concentration.”
Like it or not masks could be an issue for young children with long-term use requirements.
Comment by Old Illini Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 3:41 pm
Old Illini,
Care to provide a citation?
Comment by Graduated College Student Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 3:48 pm
= undesirable symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, and loss of concentration.” =
You know what else are “undesirable symptoms”? Death. Weeks of hospitalization, some of it on a ventilator. Long COVID.
Masks can help prevent those symptoms, not merely in the wearer, but in others.
Comment by JoanP Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 3:49 pm
- Old Illini -
Your Facebook gibberish has been debunked.
Why you feel this need to be the In-Law Uncle is now getting to the embarrassment stage.
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 3:50 pm
===And, by the way, I have a strong suspicion that at least some of the same people protesting the loudest about masks are also the types who strongly support bans like this…===
I have an even stronger suspicion that more than a few of these folks loudly lament that Bible Study isn’t allowed in public schools, but would self-destruct into a frothy mess if it were and, out of fairness to all, the Satanic Glee Club also opened up a chapter in their kid’s high school.
Comment by TwoFeetThick Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 3:50 pm
Graduated College student:
Geiss, O. (2021). Effect of Wearing Face Masks on the Carbon Dioxide Concentration in the Breathing Zone. Aerosol Air Qual. Res. 21, 200403. https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2020.07.0403
Comment by Old Illini Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 3:51 pm
I have never believed parents “know what’s best” for their children, and generational decline is a good argument that parents have not known what is best for their children for some time.
And since when do children do everything their parents tell them to? Me and my peers generally did the exact opposite, or defied them when we felt they were wrong. Is this not how kids act now?
I’m just totally disgusted with everybody on the planet these days…
Comment by Matty Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 3:51 pm
- Old Illini -
LOL
“Aerosol and Air Quality Research (AAQR) is an independently-run non-profit journal that promotes submissions of high-quality research and strives to be one of the leading aerosol and air quality open-access journals in the world.”
This is farcical
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 3:55 pm
Old Illini, reading the text, the “study” was conducted with a single middle-aged adult volunteer, which raises huge questions about sampling size and makes the whole thing statistically irrelevant.
Comment by Graduated College Student Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 3:57 pm
There have only been two studies of children and masks. The only thing they were able to conclude was that it made their face feel hot.
Comment by Jocko Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 4:07 pm
Old Illini you may want to share your findings with your surgeon next time you are in the hospital. You want to make sure the surgeon knows they could lose concentration if a mask is worn while in surgery.
Comment by illinifan Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 4:15 pm
Not so sure I’d be confident about schools enforcing dress codes. I’m pretty sure there have been lawsuits over t-shirts and short shorts. Just sayin’………. always the need to challenge authority for some.
Comment by A Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 4:46 pm
“Phillips said her son may go back to school Wednesday with a mask in order to be eligible for a Thursday baseball game”, I guess freedom is only so important.
Comment by Tom Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 4:51 pm
I noticed today that Capitol Complex police, who are supposedly enforcing the mask policy, aren’t wearing masks. Does anyone know why? It confused me.
Comment by Foolish Sophist Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 4:59 pm
Dropped off 1 of my kids and 2 friends to do their walk through earlier. Everyone wearing masks and I didn’t see any mask fatigue going on or kids passed out on sidewalk. It’s really, really not a big deal to wear a mask.
Comment by BTO2 Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 5:01 pm
““The Bible teaches us to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s”
The bible also teaches us to obey those in authority.”
And, in the context of our governmental system, the Public schools ARE Caesar’s.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 5:16 pm
Despite the problems with implementation last year, I still think ISBE should have reconsidered their stance against all-remote learning as an option for this school year again. At least keep it as an option for the elementary and junior high schools.
Comment by EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 5:59 pm
Over 70% of Canadians are fully vaccinated. The US hasn’t quite made it to 60% yet. We really have more than our share of ignorance in this country.
Comment by The Dude Abides Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 6:15 pm
=the Public schools ARE Caesar’s=
Whatin the world are you talking about? That is just dumb. We are the universal whipping boy for the fanatic right and left.
Comment by JS Mill Tuesday, Aug 10, 21 @ 8:03 pm