The Montgomery County Public Schools’ Board of Education is scheduled to vote Tuesday afternoon during its business meeting on whether to lift its mask mandate in schools.
The vote comes following the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) change in guidelines that now has Montgomery County in the low transmission rate. Also, the state BOE voted last month to give school districts the option of removing the mask mandate, which most schools in the state already have done.
Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) “does not oppose making masks optional in schools,” said President Jennifer Martin during a two-minute video that will be aired during the public comments session of the meeting. That will take place a few hours before the BOE members take up the mask mandate discussion.
Martin stressed that while the teachers union doesn’t oppose lifting the mask mandate, it wants to ensure that plans are in place to protect the health and safety of those with risk factors making them more susceptible to becoming seriously ill if they do contract Covid-19.
She called for MCPS to continue frequent testing, improved ventilation and contact tracing. She also asked that all students and staff be required to have a negative test before returning to school after the spring break, when many families go on vacation.
MCPS needs to “develop a sensible plan that is communicated clearly” on how it will deal with any future surges or new, potent variants, Martin said.
In a statement emailed to MyMCM, Martin wrote, “Given that the CDC, state, and county are relaxing masking protocols, the union accepts (does not support or oppose) the MCPS Board’s expected lifting of the mask mandate.”
After this story was published, MCEA amended its quote, which now states, Many educators are looking forward to relaxing the rules around masking. Others have concerns about what the change will mean for their own health and safety, or about the health and safety of vulnerable students and family members. Since the beginning of the pandemic, MCEA has consistently taken the position that we should follow the guidance of the CDC and state and local health officials.
She also wrote, “Many educators are looking forward to relaxing the rules around masking. Others have concerns about what the change will mean for their own health and safety, or about the health and safety of vulnerable students and family members. Since the beginning of the pandemic, MCEA has consistently taken the position that we should follow the guidance of the CDC and state and local health officials”
MyMCM will be monitoring Tuesday afternoon’s discussion and vote.
.@mocoboe has indicated that it intends to discuss the MCPS mask policy at its next meeting on March 8. This is the first of a number of messages that will help students, staff and families make this transition following any change to the mask policy. https://t.co/khiNH194jy
— MCPS (@MCPS) March 4, 2022
