Mom: "It's time to give the kids back their life and education"

This mom is all of us right now.

Ridiculous mandates, over-testing, unreasonable quarantines, illogical masking policies… the list goes on. This next generation is going to have a tough time grappling with concepts like “reason” and “logic.”

One mom emailed us her letter to the school board. See below… feel free to re-use it.

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Dear School Board,

Let’s review.

Masks were optional from June of last year. It was left up to parent choice, even as school started in August and Delta surged, you made the commitment to give parents a choice. Cases came down on their own, like we knew they would because thats how viruses work. We knew cases would rise in the winter because we know the seasonality of viruses.

So imagine my surprise when after 4 months of no masks, we are back to mandating masks for just 2 weeks. I’m sorry I’m skeptical about the 2 weeks thing when the last time we were told to do something for 2 weeks is now nearing the 700 day mark.

And what was the basis for this? Ohio Hospital Association wrote a note pleading with school districts to mandate masks because of hospital capacity. But did any of you ask them why they chose schools? Schools are one of the places that have the lowest rate of transmission. Did you ask them if they sent this to restaurants and bars? Arcades and bowling alleys? Hair salons? Did you ask them for data showing that masking kids would make a difference with hospital capacity? Did you question them about the extremely flawed mask study they used that has been retracted and debunked? Did you ask them if the types of mask matters since now we are being told cloth doesn’t work? Did you ask them about the social and emotional downsides to masking? Or the way masks inhibit learning? Did you ask them if there are more children hospitalized for mental health reasons than covid?

I could keep going. But if you didn’t push back and just blindly accepted what they said, you didn’t do your job. You didn’t do the job that our tax money pays for. And guess what? My kids job is to go to school and learn. My children's job is not to make sure there is enough hospital capacity. My child didn’t fire unvaccinated healthcare workers. My child isn’t responsible for the mismanagement of Ohio hospitals. Our kids did their part when they missed an entire 4th quarter of their school year. They did their part when they sat in front of a computer that you called school. They did their part when they were asked to give up sports and extracurriculars and to mask and to quarantine and to not have a graduation or a prom. Enough is enough. I refuse to have our children pay the price any longer.

And please don’t insult me by saying “no one likes masks but if it keeps our kids in school” - did you bother to ask why it keeps our kids in school? It’s not because they work. We have 2 years of data from schools across the country and within our state that have been mask optional or mask mandated and there has been statically zero difference. Masks keep our kids in school because health departments told you you won't have to quarantine. Students won't have to and teachers won't have to. Masks keep our kids in school because you followed the rules. You are rewarded for following the rules that make no sense. Your compliance to a rule keeps schools open. Make no mistake - it is not the masks. The implication that masks actually keep anyone safer, especially kids that don't properly wear them, is strictly theater and a way to look like you are "doing something."

I would ask what the off-ramp is but the problem with an off-ramp is there then can always be an on-ramp. If you set a metric that metric can change at any time. Cases will rise every time this year. We cannot mask and quarantine kids every year. Kids need normalcy.

My son was quarantined yesterday - I guess it was bound to happen at some point. But here's where I'm confused - yesterday was day 5 for him. He stayed at school until 1:00. Let's say he has it (he doesn't because he's already had it and has antibodies), who are we protecting? He's been playing with friends all weekend. His sister who he is with more than anyone gets to stay at school. Who knows if she has it and is exposing her whole class. His dad that teaches? Hope he doesn't have it and exposing all the teachers and students at Kidder. (My son tested negative today.)

Do you not see how ridiculous this all is? My child, who is struggling in math right now, had to miss in time in school for no reason other than the guise of keeping people safe. And he's being punished for not wearing a mask. But funny enough, the person who has Covid was wearing a mask.

I know you are doing what the health department says but at what point do you get to do your job? Push back. Demand an end date. Schools are not health departments. It seems that everyone can tell you how to do your job except for the taxpayers & parents of the students. There are more things than covid that kids need protection from.

Next time the Ohio Hospital Association wants you to do their bidding, ask them how many suicides & self harm have been reported since this all started. Ask them about usage of pediatric psychiatric beds. Because I work with mental health with Cleveland Clinic & I can assure you the answers will surprise you.

It's time to give the kids back their life and education. They can't do this. Schools can't do this and parents can't do this. And if it continues I will find somewhere that's normal. Because it's out there. Maybe we should try it.

Signed,

Frustrated Moms of America