What has happened to parents? They are turning on each other over what is happening in THEIR local public schools. Things seem to be intensifying after last year’s shut down of schools due to COVID-19.
Parents have been disagreeing on issues like whether sex education should be taught in the schools, or what books they should read. Last year it was a fight between parents who wanted schools to reopen versus those who wanted schools to remain closed. This year the argument is focused on masking children.
The one common theme that seems to drive these battles isn’t the issue itself, it’s the one-size-fits-all solution —that is no real solution at all.
Many schools finally re-opened last school year with safety measures in place, but some remained closed until Governor Sununu stepped in and forced those schools to open.
Now we have issues with masking children— some parents want all children masked, and some want parents to make that decision for their children. The one-size-fits solution of forcing all children to wear masks isn’t a good solution at all.
Instead of meeting the needs of all children in the school, some school boards chose to make that decision for all of the students. I personally support parents who want their children masked, and certainly those who do not. Who better to make this decision than the parents who know their children the best?
Parents have filed lawsuits, they’ve been showing up at school board meetings, filing petitions to override these decisions by school board members, and seeking to replace board members who are not listening.
Most of us have children who are able to wear masks during the day as mandated, but there are some that have extreme situations that require exceptions. The one-size-fits-all solution is not working, and I’m now receiving reports from parents.
I wrote recently about a student in Nashua who suffers from anxiety, and while many of us may not understand that challenge, it can be difficult to force a child to conform to wearing a mask all day long.
One parent reported that her young daughter was granted an exemption, but then she was forced to sit in a corner with her face turned away from her class.
A new JAMA Study reported, “attending school remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with disproportionate mental health consequences for older and Black and Hispanic children as well as children from families with lower income.”
What schools refused to open in New Hampshire?
SAU16/Exeter, Nashua, and Manchester. These are the schools where administrators claim they are teaching social and emotional learning. Can you imagine? Harming children and at the same time claiming that they can offer social and emotional support to your children. What a sick joke.
One Exeter High School teacher was reported to have a student tape his mask on his face and placed his name on a whiteboard so everyone could see he was having issues wearing a mask. I can imagine that their new assignment as the mask police is a challenge to teachers. It’s why they shouldn’t have been put in this situation, to begin with.
You have parents trying to attack other parents for speaking up for their children’s needs.
One parent recently told me about her son who, since he was 6, has had severe sensory processing issues and wears the same set of clothes every day. She cannot even touch him on the arm. Can you imagine having to deal with trying to get him to wear a mask every day all day long? None of us knows why parents are at these board meetings begging the board members to allow the parents to make this decision.
In Merrimack, parents have reported that they’ve been threatened and harassed at their homes. In the post below, you can see that Jenna Coakley Hardy (who is also serving on the school board) is rallying parents to fight the parents who’ve spoken at the school board meetings on behalf of their children. The parents she disparages in her post are the ones who want to make this decision but also fully support the parents who want to mask their own children.
Her message might have been better received if she had asked that more parents attend the meetings to make sure she is hearing from everyone. But in this case, she makes disparaging comments about parents who have shown up and addressed the board.
I can imagine that this is not an easy position to be in, but Hardy ran for this seat to serve all of the parents in the community. She may have a personal opinion on masks, but she has no idea what each parent is struggling with at home.
If you have a child with severe disabilities who is a challenge to manage, they want to keep that private. The post from Jenna, lacks empathy and compassion for parents who face these challenges. If she is incapable of performing her duties as their elected representative, she should step down from that seat.
I have medical professionals in my family who have to deal with some of the most horrific situations involving abusive and neglectful parents. Those are the ones who deserve condemnation. And yet, we see parents and even school board members condemning parents who are fighting for their children. We may not understand their situation or why their children struggle with a mask, but how about some understanding and compassion?
If you are going to remove their most basic rights as a parent, to make medical decisions for their children, you can expect some backlash. They are going to be angry about that kind of overreach.
I hope parents will address the board in a thoughtful and logical way. And if your board members are not serving you, replace them.
