Two Florida counties double down on school mask mandates
3 years, 4 months ago

Two Florida counties double down on school mask mandates

CNN  

CNN — Florida’s Broward and Alachua counties are not backing down on mask mandates in schools, despite Gov. More than 14,000 Covid-19 cases have been confirmed in Florida’s 15 largest school districts since the start of the school year – 11,851 students and 2,610 school employees, according to a CNN analysis. More than 360 students and over 16 faculty and staff members have tested positive in the Alachua County Public Schools district, Superintendent Carlee Simon told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Tuesday. Florida is among a small number of states – others include Texas and Oklahoma – that have moved to restrict school districts’ ability to require masks in schools to protect students from Covid-19 infection. In its letter to the state, Alachua Superintendent Carlee Simon also noted that any funds withheld would not come from “student services or teacher pay.” Simon told CNN that the federal government had reached out to her district with offers of financial support if needed, as well as “though legal means as well as political means.” “They’re helping us and offering their support associated with us managing the actual Covid situation, from testing to just helping us keep our schools open,” Simon said.

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History of this topic

Florida ends automatic due payments for teacher’s unions
1 year, 7 months ago

Florida ends automatic due payments for teacher’s unions

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Teachers and other government employees will have to write monthly checks if they want to stay in their union after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday banning automatic dues deductions from public employees’ paychecks, The anti-union bill also gives employees the right to immediately quit a union for no reason and requires unions to recertify …

Georgia push on COVID rules aims at vaccines, school masks
2 years, 8 months ago

Georgia push on COVID rules aims at vaccines, school masks

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — Georgia public school students are now free of mask mandates for five years, while a one-year ban on letting governments and schools require vaccines against COVID-19 neared Gov. The Republican Kemp on Tuesday signed Senate Bill 514, which would let parents opt their children out of school mask mandates for the next five years. “The Unmask Georgia Students …

Chicago Public Schools drop mask requirement in classrooms
2 years, 9 months ago

Chicago Public Schools drop mask requirement in classrooms

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Chicago Public Schools will stop requiring face masks for staff and students in the nation’s third-largest school district starting March 14, officials announced Monday. “CPS was one of the first to require universal masking in schools, and we would not be moving to a mask-optional model unless the data and our public health experts indicated that it is …

Mask mandates are being ditched by more states and schools. But a decision on public transportation is still up in the air
2 years, 9 months ago

Mask mandates are being ditched by more states and schools. But a decision on public transportation is still up in the air

CNN  

CNN — Even some of the most ardent supporters of Covid-19 precautions are ditching mask mandates as health officials release new guidelines and hospitalizations plummet. Dr. Mark Ghaly, state Health and Human Services Agency secretary, said he’s “pleased with how the data has come down.” Los Angeles County is aligning itself with California’s new masking guidance by no longer requiring …

Governor Kathy Hochul says New York indoor school mask mandate to be lifted this week
2 years, 9 months ago

Governor Kathy Hochul says New York indoor school mask mandate to be lifted this week

CNN  

CNN — New York will no longer require students to wear masks in schools beginning on Wednesday, Gov. Counties and cities that have a higher rate of Covid-19 transmission have the “flexibility” to keep the mask requirement in schools, Hochul said, and parents and guardians may still send their children to school in masks. “If we see no unforeseen spikes …

Glenn Youngkin, Virginia governor, signs bill allowing parents to opt out of school mask mandates
2 years, 10 months ago

Glenn Youngkin, Virginia governor, signs bill allowing parents to opt out of school mask mandates

CNN  

CNN — Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a bill Wednesday that allows parents to opt their children out of school mask mandates. Youngkin had campaigned on rolling back Virginia’s Covid-19 restrictions and giving parents more agency in their children’s education, but the order he signed on his first day in office was met with lawsuits from Virginia school districts …

California delays decision on lifting school mask mandate
2 years, 10 months ago

California delays decision on lifting school mask mandate

Associated Press  

Gavin Newsom delayed a closely watched decision on lifting California’s school mask mandate Monday, even as other Democratic governors around the country have dropped them in recent weeks. But the teachers’ stance was made clear minutes after Ghaly finished speaking, when the powerful California Teachers Association issued a statement praising the “cautious approach to masking.” “We know that masking, strong …

California to keep mask mandate in schools as indoor mandate ends
2 years, 10 months ago

California to keep mask mandate in schools as indoor mandate ends

CNN  

CNN — Just one day before California is set to relax a statewide mask mandate for vaccinated people in indoor public spaces, the state’s top health official announced that masks will still be required in schools. There will be no change to the school requirement, Health & Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly announced at a press conference Monday. …

Maryland governor calls to end school mask requirement
2 years, 10 months ago

Maryland governor calls to end school mask requirement

Associated Press  

Larry Hogan called on the State Board of Education on Thursday to stop requiring face coverings in schools. “A growing number of medical professionals, parents, and bipartisan state officials throughout the nation are calling for an end to school mask requirements,” the Republican governor wrote in a letter to Clarence Crawford, the board’s president. “If these trends are not reversed …

As states drop school mask mandates, health experts clash on whether it's too soon
2 years, 10 months ago

As states drop school mask mandates, health experts clash on whether it's too soon

Salon  

As U.S. omicron case numbers drop from their January peak, some states with in-person instruction have started to drop their mask mandates for schools. Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases and associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, Davis, agreed that it's too early for schools to lift their mask mandates. Blumberg noted that …

As state mask rules end, school leaders are in the middle
2 years, 10 months ago

As state mask rules end, school leaders are in the middle

Associated Press  

As some of the last statewide mask mandates in the U.S. near an end, decisions about whether students and teachers should continue to wear masks in school are shifting to local leaders, who are caught in the middle of one of the most combustible issues of the pandemic. If the decision had to be made right away, he said, his …

US state mask mandates to expire, creating tensions for schools
2 years, 10 months ago

US state mask mandates to expire, creating tensions for schools

Al Jazeera  

School board meeting have devolved into shouting matches and arrests over whether masks should be worn. “We can’t allow those individual passions to decide the debate.” The issue of masks in schools has been so contentious in much of the country that school board meetings have devolved into shouting matches and arrests, superintendents have seen protesters outside their homes, and …

Governors in 4 states plan for end to school mask mandates
2 years, 10 months ago

Governors in 4 states plan for end to school mask mandates

Associated Press  

TRENTON, N.J. — The governors of four states announced plans Monday to lift statewide mask requirements in schools by the end of February or March, citing the rapid easing of COVID-19′s omicron surge. Phil Murphy called the move “a huge step back to normalcy for our kids” and said individual school districts will be free to continue requiring masks after …

New Jersey school mask mandates are set to end in 2nd week of March
2 years, 10 months ago

New Jersey school mask mandates are set to end in 2nd week of March

NPR  

New Jersey school mask mandates are set to end in 2nd week of March New Jersey's governor is calling for a return to "normal" as the state's COVID cases start to fall. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: New Jersey will no longer require students and school employees to wear masks, starting the second week of March. And just to give you a …

Schools adapt for return from break as COVID-19 cases surge
2 years, 11 months ago

Schools adapt for return from break as COVID-19 cases surge

Associated Press  

Mask requirements are returning in some school districts that had dropped them. The virus, León said, continues “to be a brutal, relentless and ruthless virus that rears its ugly head at inopportune times.” Long after the widespread closures in the pandemic’s early days, school and elected leaders say they are using the lessons and tools of the past two years …

Last 3 Florida school districts drop student mask mandates
3 years, 1 month ago

Last 3 Florida school districts drop student mask mandates

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The last three school districts …

Florida: Miami-Date and Broward school districts relax mask protocols amid improving Covid-19 conditions
3 years, 1 month ago

Florida: Miami-Date and Broward school districts relax mask protocols amid improving Covid-19 conditions

CNN  

CNN — Two of Florida’s largest school districts are easing their face mask protocols because officials say they’re seeing improved Covid-19 conditions, weeks after tensions peaked between local and state officials regarding the policy. Miami-Dade County Public Schools and the Broward County School Board announced Tuesday their decisions to remove requirements for K-8 students and staff to wear face coverings, …

How long will Covid-19 masking rules last?
3 years, 1 month ago

How long will Covid-19 masking rules last?

CNN  

CNN — A federal court judge’s decision to strike down Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on school mask rules for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act could reverberate around the country and make new children eligible for the requirements. Atlanta’s mayor declared the city a “green zone” and said dropping Covid-19 cases allowed her to follow the science and lift …

Florida Board of Education votes to sanction 8 school districts with mask mandates with no opt-out
3 years, 2 months ago

Florida Board of Education votes to sanction 8 school districts with mask mandates with no opt-out

CNN  

CNN — The Florida Board of Education on Thursday voted to sanction eight school districts that have instituted Covid-19 mask mandates without giving parents the ability to opt their students out. Additionally, the Department of Health had a “clear inability” to complete contact tracing, case investigations and timely notifications to impacted families, she said, which had “a direct impact of …

"Disgraceful": Florida faces questioning from Biden admin after failing to submit COVID funding plan
3 years, 2 months ago

"Disgraceful": Florida faces questioning from Biden admin after failing to submit COVID funding plan

Salon  

Florida was the only state that failed to submit a plan necessary to qualify for a federal aid program designed to buoy the state's public school system, according to the U.S. Department Education – and the department is struggling to ascertain why. " Back in March, as part of President Biden's American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, …

Florida is only state not to submit school Covid-19 relief funding plan, US Education Department says
3 years, 2 months ago

Florida is only state not to submit school Covid-19 relief funding plan, US Education Department says

CNN  

CNN — Florida is the only state that has not yet submitted a plan to the US Department of Education for how it will use federal Covid-19 relief funds for schools, according to a new letter from the agency – the latest in a series of escalating stances against the Biden administration. The Florida Education Department’s “failure to meet its …

SC school mask mandate ban disrupts learning, groups say
3 years, 3 months ago

SC school mask mandate ban disrupts learning, groups say

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — As the South Carolina Supreme Court mulls the legality of a state rule that effectively bans masks in most schools, health care workers and educators are renewing calls for state lawmakers to repeal the provision altogether. Pediatricians and school nurses joined state education groups at a news conference Tuesday to warn that lawmakers’ inaction will only continue …

Schools get the brunt of latest COVID wave in South Carolina
3 years, 3 months ago

Schools get the brunt of latest COVID wave in South Carolina

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — In the past few weeks, South Carolina has set records for COVID-19 hospitalizations and new cases have approached peak levels of last winter. Henry McMaster has maintained that parents alone should decide if children wear masks in schools, even as the state’s new cases soared from 150 a day on average to more than 5,000. The Republican-dominated …

South Carolina officials want out of mask mandate ban suit
3 years, 3 months ago

South Carolina officials want out of mask mandate ban suit

Associated Press  

South Carolina officials who have been sued over a law banning school districts from issuing face mask mandates say that they should be removed from pending litigation. In papers filed last week, attorneys for McMaster — a Republican who has said repeatedly that parents alone should decide if children wear masks in schools — argued that the ACLU and its …

Court: DeSantis ban on school mask mandates back in force
3 years, 3 months ago

Court: DeSantis ban on school mask mandates back in force

Associated Press  

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The on-again, off-again ban imposed by Republican Gov. DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw said in a tweet that the appeals court decision means “the rule requiring ALL Florida school districts to protect parents’ rights to make choices about masking kids is BACK in effect!” The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday it has begun a new grant …

Court sides with Florida’s Ron DeSantis and reinstates school mask mandate ban pending appeal
3 years, 3 months ago

Court sides with Florida’s Ron DeSantis and reinstates school mask mandate ban pending appeal

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A …

Judge: Florida can’t enforce ban on school mask mandates
3 years, 3 months ago

Judge: Florida can’t enforce ban on school mask mandates

Associated Press  

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A Florida judge ruled Wednesday that the state cannot enforce a ban on public schools mandating the use of masks to guard against the coronavirus, while an appeals court sorts out whether the ban is ultimately legal. Ron DeSantis and state education officials exceeded their authority by imposing the blanket ban through executive order and tagging …

Florida school mask debate headed for appeals court battle
3 years, 3 months ago

Florida school mask debate headed for appeals court battle

Associated Press  

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The battle over mask requirements to guard against coronavirus in Florida schools headed for a new legal phase Friday following an appeal by Republican Gov. Jacob Oliva, public schools chancellor at the state Department of Education, said in a notice Thursday to local superintendents that “enforcement must cease if the stay is lifted.” Under the DeSantis …

15 Miami-Dade school staffers die of COVID in 10 days amid DeSantis' war on mask mandates
3 years, 3 months ago

15 Miami-Dade school staffers die of COVID in 10 days amid DeSantis' war on mask mandates

Salon  

On Friday, NBC 6 Miami reported that 15 staffers and educators in the Miami-Dade County school system have died of COVID 19 — just in the past ten days. "Miami-Dade County Public Schools resumed classes on Aug. 23, and it's unknown when the employees contracted COVID-19." Coleman helped shape the lives of hundreds of young men over the years during …

Officials withhold school board salaries over mask mandates
3 years, 3 months ago

Officials withhold school board salaries over mask mandates

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida state education officials on Monday began to make good on threats to withhold funding from local school districts that defied Gov. Broward County Interim Superintendent Vickie Cartwright said in a statement that Broward County School Board believes they are in compliance with the law. Corcoran said those districts are violating parental rights by not allowing a …

Broward and Alachua counties stick with mask mandates despite financial penalties
3 years, 3 months ago

Broward and Alachua counties stick with mask mandates despite financial penalties

CNN  

CNN — Broward and Alachua counties in Florida are moving forward with mask mandates for their public school systems despite financial penalties from the state of Florida for not allowing parents to opt out of the requirement, in defiance of an order by Gov. We believe this is a necessary step to ensure that Florida’s districts have the right to …

State mask bans face federal civil rights inquiries
3 years, 3 months ago

State mask bans face federal civil rights inquiries

Associated Press  

The Education Department on Monday opened civil rights investigations into five Republican-led states that have banned or limited mask requirements in schools, saying the policies could amount to discrimination against students with disabilities or health conditions. In its letters, the department said it’s concerned that the states “may be preventing schools from making individualized assessments about mask use so that …

Education Dept. Announces Civil Rights Investigations Into 5 States' Mask Mandate Bans
3 years, 3 months ago

Education Dept. Announces Civil Rights Investigations Into 5 States' Mask Mandate Bans

NPR  

Announces Civil Rights Investigations Into 5 States' Mask Mandate Bans Enlarge this image toggle caption John Partipilo/AP John Partipilo/AP The U.S. Department of Education sent a warning to five states on Monday that their statewide bans on mask mandates, including in schools, could violate students' civil rights. Sponsor Message Federal law "guarantees qualified students with disabilities the right to a …

Florida Judge Throws Out Gov. Ron DeSantis' Order Prohibiting School Mask Mandates
3 years, 3 months ago

Florida Judge Throws Out Gov. Ron DeSantis' Order Prohibiting School Mask Mandates

NPR  

Florida Judge Throws Out Gov. Ron DeSantis' Order Prohibiting School Mask Mandates Enlarge this image toggle caption Marta Lavandier/AP Marta Lavandier/AP A Florida judge has ruled that school districts in the state can require students to wear masks. Judge John Cooper ruled on a lawsuit brought by parents who say DeSantis overstepped his authority when his administration said school districts …

Judge rules against Florida Gov. DeSantis’ ban on mask mandates in schools
3 years, 3 months ago

Judge rules against Florida Gov. DeSantis’ ban on mask mandates in schools

CNN  

Miami CNN — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on mask mandates in schools will not remain in place, Leon County’s 2nd Judicial Circuit Court Judge John Cooper ruled Friday. This ruling was made with incoherent justifications, not based in science and facts – frankly not even remotely focused on the merits of the case presented.” The ruling comes after a …

State education board clears way for school mask mandate
3 years, 3 months ago

State education board clears way for school mask mandate

Associated Press  

— The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education overwhelmingly approved a measure Tuesday that gives state Education Commissioner Jeff Riley the authority to issue a universal mask mandate for K-12 public schools. And after the challenges of last year, it will be incredibly important for this year to get off on a strong start.” He also said it is …

Masks required by some schools in defiance of the state rule
3 years, 4 months ago

Masks required by some schools in defiance of the state rule

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A growing number of school districts in South Carolina are defying a provision from state lawmakers banning mandatory face coverings for students. Many districts remain afraid that the General Assembly will withhold state budget money if they defy the order that was passed mostly along party lines in June, when the state was seeing 20 times fewer …

Florida school mask mandate power struggle goes before judge
3 years, 4 months ago

Florida school mask mandate power struggle goes before judge

Associated Press  

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida’s power struggle over wearing masks in school to guard against coronavirus infections landed Monday before a judge considering a lawsuit that challenges Gov. “It is certainly an emergency.” The Florida Constitution and state law give school boards the authority to decide health and safety matters affecting their students, Dodson said. Citing state statistics from 2020, …

Why I voted to defy Ron DeSantis on masks for schools (Opinion)
3 years, 4 months ago

Why I voted to defy Ron DeSantis on masks for schools (Opinion)

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Lucia Baez-Geller was elected to the Miami-Dade County School Board in November 2020 after a 15-year career in teaching at Miami-Dade County Public Schools. CNN — Last Wednesday, the public school board of Miami-Dade County, Florida’s largest school district, in which I serve, voted seven to one in favor of a mask mandate without parental opt-outs, unless there …

Schools Blocking Mask Mandates Could Face Civil Rights Probes, Official Says
3 years, 4 months ago

Schools Blocking Mask Mandates Could Face Civil Rights Probes, Official Says

NPR  

Schools Blocking Mask Mandates Could Face Civil Rights Probes, Official Says Enlarge this image toggle caption Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images The Department of Education is preparing its Office of Civil Rights to investigate schools that have blocked school mask mandates and other efforts to try to keep students and educators safe from COVID-19. Republican-led states like …

GOP governors, school districts battle over mask mandates
3 years, 4 months ago

GOP governors, school districts battle over mask mandates

Associated Press  

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Millions of students in Florida, Texas and Arizona are now required to wear masks in class as school boards in mostly Democratic areas have defied their Republican governors and made face coverings mandatory. “We’re going to continue our mask mandate to keep students safe, to keep parents safe, to keep families safe and most importantly our …

Florida Board of Education orders Broward, Alachua counties to allow mask opt-out in 48 hours or start losing funding
3 years, 4 months ago

Florida Board of Education orders Broward, Alachua counties to allow mask opt-out in 48 hours or start losing funding

CNN  

CNN — The Florida State Board of Education has sent an order to Broward and Alachua counties’ school board officials stating that they have 48 hours to comply with the state’s wishes to allow an opt-out option for masks or the state will begin withholding funds, according to copies of the orders shown to CNN. The State Board of Education …

Ron DeSantis leans into mask-mandate fights as Covid cases soar in Florida
3 years, 4 months ago

Ron DeSantis leans into mask-mandate fights as Covid cases soar in Florida

CNN  

CNN — As the number of new coronavirus cases in his state soars, Florida Gov. DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw argued that rather than the governor being keen to pick fights in areas where he might have already lacked political support, DeSantis is simply carrying out the law he signed in late June, which effectively banned schools from implementing mask mandates …

States banning mask mandates could face civil rights probes
3 years, 4 months ago

States banning mask mandates could face civil rights probes

Associated Press  

In an escalating battle with Republican governors, President Joe Biden on Wednesday ordered his Education secretary to explore possible legal action against states that have blocked school mask mandates and other public health measures meant to protect students against COVID-19. In an announcement on its website, the Education Department said policies that ban mask mandates could amount to discrimination if …

AG says 7 counties, 48 school districts mandating masks
3 years, 4 months ago

AG says 7 counties, 48 school districts mandating masks

Associated Press  

Seven counties and 48 school districts have imposed masking and social distancing requirements, the Texas Attorney General’s Office reported Wednesday. Most county and school district masking and social distancing mandates involved urban centers and their suburbs, although a handful involved small-town districts. Nueces County and eight school districts — the Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Coppell and Cedar Hill districts in …

Top doc told Whitmer school mask mandate would curb virus
3 years, 4 months ago

Top doc told Whitmer school mask mandate would curb virus

Associated Press  

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan’s top doctor said Wednesday she told Gov. Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive and chief deputy health director, reiterated that she is “concerned” about the coronavirus’ potential impact on schools as the delta variant takes hold. When pressed, she said she had “recommended that if a mask mandate were in place and it were …

Arizona governor blocks cash from schools mandating masks
3 years, 4 months ago

Arizona governor blocks cash from schools mandating masks

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. “These grants acknowledge efforts by schools and educators that are following state laws and keeping their classroom doors open for Arizona’s students.” School districts with current mask mandates will have 10 days to rescind them or lose out on the money, Ducey spokesman C.J. Ducey also created a $10 million grant program that largely mirrors the …

Florida Covid-19: Miami-Dade County votes in favor of mask mandate, defies governor
3 years, 4 months ago

Florida Covid-19: Miami-Dade County votes in favor of mask mandate, defies governor

CNN  

Miami CNN — Miami-Dade County, Florida’s largest school district, voted 7-1 in favor of a mask mandate Wednesday, in defiance of Gov. “For the consequences associated with doing the right thing, whatever that right thing is, I will wear proudly as a badge of honor,” Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said at the State Board of Education meeting …

In Florida, Texas And Arizona, Defiant School Leaders Are Sticking With Mask Mandates
3 years, 4 months ago

In Florida, Texas And Arizona, Defiant School Leaders Are Sticking With Mask Mandates

NPR  

In Florida, Texas And Arizona, Defiant School Leaders Are Sticking With Mask Mandates Enlarge this image toggle caption Chris O'Meara/AP Chris O'Meara/AP Across the country, as students and teachers head back into school buildings in the midst of a COVID-19 surge, school superintendents in Florida, Texas and Arizona are standing firm against state leaders who say masks shouldn't be mandated …

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