Over the weekend, students performed at the Rock & Roll Revival musical at the JMB auditorium. Happy and unmasked, the students had a blast - the way we expect their school experience to be. What a joy it is to see our students unmasked. We should have more of these performances!
However, Houston, we have a problem.
Our elected board and Superintendent Donna Hanlin have implemented double standards - one set of rules for performers and another for students. This is discrimination. It is amazing what happens when money and politics are involved, and an exclusive exception was made for a musical performance. Meanwhile, our students who are "academically performing" are required to wear a mask. In addition, those who are in band and choir are required to mask indoors while performing. Read the comments below on the exceptions made by officials, while excluding the rest of our students:
Our school officials are a disgrace. They have made exemptions for some students and not others in a school building. This is what systemic inequality, inequity, exclusivity, and privilege looks like.
You can download a PDF version of the above.
Section 03.B.13 of the mask mandate "Face Coverings in School Facilities" states: "Any person participating in a school approved fine arts dress rehearsal or performance." A fine arts performance is listed as a exemption, but discriminates against a student who is not performing. This is the exact mandate that the WCBOE voted to adopt, going against the school's anti-discrimination policy which reads:
Wicomico County Public Schools (WCPS) prohibits illegal discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, immigration status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, family/parental status, marital status, age, physical or mental disability, poverty and socioeconomic status, language, or other legally or constitutionally protected attributes or affiliations and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated Title 36 youth groups. Discrimination undermines our community’s long-standing efforts to create, foster, and promote equity, inclusion, and acceptance for all. For information about Title VII and Title IX inquiries and complaints and Section 504/Title II inquiries and complaints copy and paste this link: https://www.wcboe.org/domain/2527504 . Title IX Training link: https://www.wcboe.org/Page/6008
The State of Maryland caught in a lie over their new regulations.
In January, the AELR legislative committee voted to extend the mask mandate in schools. When they did so, they added new exceptions and conditions. There was a discovery on the front page of the Maryland Emergency Action on Regulations. The state is caught in a lie if you read the highlighted page one below. The full Maryland mask mandate emergency regulations can be downloaded here.
The Maryland state mandate and its additional exemptions and conditions are more restrictive than the federal standard. The state standard forces and the federal standard simply recommends (not a mandate).
It's time for parental mask choice.
No matter what the State of Maryland says, no matter what the Maryland State Department of Education says, no matter what the State Superintendent of Schools says, no matter what Superintendent Donna Hanlin says, no matter what the Wicomico County Board of Education says, they have absolutely no authority to cover anyone's face or require a student to wear mask in order to receive an education. That political ship has sailed.
The Wicomico County Board of Education has broken through the ice and they're drowning. They have gone way too far. Their illegal and unconstitutional mask mandate that they have forced upon our children must be no more.
IMMEDIATELY CALLING ALL PARENTS TO CHOOSE FOR THEIR CHILD AND SEND THEM TO SCHOOL ACCORDINGLY WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
WCBOE Board Members
Gene Malone - gmalone@wcboe.org 443-783-5530
Allen Brown - abrown@wcboe.org 410-742-9668
John Palmer - jpalmer@wcboe.org 410-896-3670
Tonya Lewis - tlewis@wcboe.org 410-430-5265
Michael Murray - mmurray@wcboe.org 410- 546-2458
Ann Suthowski - asuthowsk@wcboe.org 410-742-8310
Donald Fitzgerald - dfitzger@wcboe.org
Fellows & Editors
February 13, 2022. DelmarvaPTC.org.
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