Vancouver resident Valerie Anderson shares her latest experiences with Vancouver Public Colleges’ masks mandate
Editor’s be aware: Opinions expressed on this letter to the editor are these of the writer alone and don’t replicate the editorial place of ClarkCountyToday.com
I lately had the chance to watch the actions surrounding Homecoming weekend at my son’s highschool. Whereas I suppose I ought to have been grateful there have been any actions in any respect, the blended messages, worry mongering, bullying and lies surrounding the COVID protocols left me confused and offended.
For months now, the management of my son’s college, the VPS college board and the OSPI himself have made it clear to me that they’re topic to the whims of the emperor governor and “following the science” (following the narrative) of the state mandates and native well being departments. “We’re simply doing what we’re advised. Our palms are tied.” Even though RCW28A.320.015 provides native college districts the ability to behave on behalf of the perfect pursuits of their very own communities, constituents and college students as they see match.
However that’s what I used to be advised. “We observe the principles.”
Besides, after they don’t. Besides, when college district management and even academics and coaches individually make up their very own guidelines and usurp the authority of the emperor governor himself.
Take as an illustration, when a sport is held at a big out of doors stadium; it’s a ticketed occasion, a tally is taken of these in attendance and it’s clearly lower than 500 folks. Present mandate states no masks required outdoors if lower than 500 in attendance. Indicators have been posted on the stadium: MASKS REQUIRED IN STADIUM. Bulletins have been produced from the PA each 20 minutes: MASKS ARE REQUIRED. Have been folks sporting masks? Effectively, that’s a jumble of blended messages! Soccer gamers engaged in full contact sport, with one other group from one other neighborhood, are NOT required to put on masks, nor are their coaches. Homecoming courtroom and their escorts weren’t required to put on masks. Dad and mom and households residing in the identical family who escorted their senior gamers onto the sector ALL wore masks. It was defined to me that they weren’t advised that they needed to, however… since there have been indicators posted in all places, and bulletins each 20 minutes advised them they needed to and nobody advised them they didn’t, I’d say it’s clear they have been bullied into doing so. Cheerleaders, though they by no means contact one another and keep greater than 6 toes aside, all the time put on masks. Why? It’s not required by the present district and space athletic Covid mandates. I requested. The reply I used to be given was, they’ve determined to put on masks as a result of it “makes them really feel most comfy”. Do you assume their coach had one thing to do with that? The identical instructor who was sporting two masks final 12 months as a result of she apparently didn’t know that completely NO ONE in her age class and underneath in Clark County had ever died of Covid? And now, after she’s been vaccinated, she and her cheer group, who might or is probably not vaccinated, are “extra comfy” sporting masks outdoors… whereas sustaining 6 foot distances…?
As a frontline medical employee, I totally perceive how tough it’s to be employed in a system through which you’re feeling powerless to impact significant change, to must implement arbitrary and nonsensical guidelines and really feel like you haven’t any different alternative than to do as you might be advised to maintain your job. What I don’t perceive is including pointless guidelines the place there are none, creating an environment of confusion and misinformation, and as an alternative of standing up in opposition to tyranny, including to it by permitting petty egos and private neuroses hinder efforts to teach, encourage and empower the subsequent era of Individuals.
What grieves me probably the most is that after I requested my son about it, he understood it precisely for what it’s: LIES. “Once I’m taking part in a sport and I’m full-on tackling somebody Covid doesn’t exist. However, after I’m sitting up within the stands, it’s harmful? I’ve one instructor who wears his masks underneath his chin and doesn’t care if any of us put on our masks, and one other instructor says she’s going to ship me residence if I’m strolling down the corridor on my own with my masks underneath my nostril. I’m with the identical youngsters in school and we’re purported to put on masks, however after we’re collectively after college we by no means do. It’s all a joke.”
It’s mendacity. And if they’ll be taught to mislead their academics, they’ll be taught to mislead you.
Are you uninterested in it? Are you able to make a change? Are you prepared to start out VOTING for a change? It’s time.
There are two positions open for election for VPS college board, and two new candidates who’re LISTENING to oldsters, and fully uncorrupted by the unions, or by battle of curiosity (they aren’t academics in different college districts), they’re merely mother and father and/or neighborhood members who need what’s greatest for our youngsters. If elected, they might be a minority to nearly all of corrupt, entrenched board members, however they might be there to combat for our college students, our mother and father, our neighborhood and our taxpayers.
VOTE: Michelle Belkot and Jorge Bailey for Vancouver Public College Board
And the subsequent election cycle? Maybe a pair extra will probably be gone, till we’ve a board that listens and learns. And, perhaps they’ll rent a superintendent who listens and learns. Wouldn’t that be astonishing!
And perhaps we will flip the Titanic round.
These of us who’re attending and talking in school board conferences, talking out on social media, and easily paying consideration and advocating for the perfect curiosity for our youngsters, grandchildren, communities and nation, come from very totally different views: Some, like me, are determined simply to shove our Juniors and Seniors throughout the end line in some semblance of normalcy and be finished with it. Some have been advised to sink or swim throughout Covid lockdowns and came upon they may swim simply wonderful with out the general public faculties and are actually doing so. Some are simply now starting their academic journey with their valuable younger ones and wish nothing to do with the general public faculties and have opted out. All of us care deeply about preserving the establishment of the general public college system; a free, high quality schooling for all youngsters within the US, and see it’s imminent and tragic failure on the horizon if present management refuses to listen to from the communities they’re elected and employed to serve.
“Do what you possibly can with what you could have, the place you might be,” acknowledged President Teddy Roosevelt.
Do you train your youngsters that it’s unsuitable to lie? Good for you. Do you train your youngsters it’s unsuitable for an grownup to ask them to lie? Concentrate. Our public faculties, our present Covid ‘guidelines’ are asking them to lie day by day. They’re making a tradition of confusion, worry and bullying and it doesn’t have to be that means.
Don’t ask your youngsters to take part within the lies any longer. In the event that they be taught to mislead them, they’ll be taught to mislead you.
Ask questions. Push again onerous. Vote for change.
Valerie Anderson
Vancouver
