Over the summer, angry people began showing up at school board meetings objecting to schools teaching about the civil rights movement and the history of slavery in America.
More recently, school board meetings have been disrupted by even larger and often angrier groups of people who are making threats; spreading conspiracies; and attacking teachers, board members, and even students. They use obscene language and rail against district health and safety plans that would require students and staff to wear masks in buildings. Many school districts now have law enforcement stationed at school board meetings because these people have threatened violence.
Some of these people are district parents or residents. But many are not. And many, including district parents and residents, are members of well-organized extremist groups that are not focused on improving education. They believe there is a political benefit in dividing our communities and they are turning out to school board meetings to spread fear, misinformation and disruption by opposing basic health safety and medical guidance like wearing masks and getting vaccines.
But–they are a minority. While these people may be loud, disruptive, and threatening at school board meetings, they are not most people.
Most people WANT a safe environment and a civilized dialogue.
A recent poll found that 72% of people call mask mandates a “matter of health and safety,” not an infringement on personal liberty. Another poll shows that 64% of Americans support their state or local government requiring masks in all public places to slow the spread of COVID. And two-thirds of eligible PA residents are fully vaccinated; more than 80% have one shot.
It should not be a bold act to follow basic health and medical guidance.
But with no state or federal mandate for masking, volunteer school board members have been left on their own to make critical decisions about the health, safety, and education of children in public schools as they open school buildings during a surge in COVID cases fueled by the Delta variant.
And in many districts, school board members are not hearing from district families and community members who support mask mandates and other health and safety measures that will give students what they deserve– the best chance possible of staying healthy and in school this year.
What can you do to help PA school children?
- Contact your school board members. Speak up at your local school board meeting. If board members have already done the right thing, thank them. If they haven’t, ask them to. Remind them that MOST people want to protect our kids and do our part to keep our community safe. If there are no meetings coming up, send your board members an email (see below).
- Call Governor Wolf’s office at (717) 787-2500 and ask him to mandate masks in public schools while community transmission of COVID is substantial or high in districts.
- Call your state representative and senator. Click HERE to find their office phone numbers. Tell them you support the use of mask mandates in schools while community transmission is substantial or high in communities. More and more state lawmakers are beginning to pressure school boards to oppose mask mandates.
- Research your school board elections. Make sure you know who is running and what they stand for. The people who your community elects on November 2 this year will have the authority to make decisions not only about health and safety issues, but also about your district’s budget and curriculum and a whole lot more. (See below).
Pennsylvania’s public school children deserve to have the best shot possible at a year of in-person instruction in buildings where they can be safe and healthy. You can help.
Thank you for your continued support of public education.
Best,
Susan Spicka, Executive Director, Education Voters of PA
Getting in touch with your school board.
Contact your board members via email. Your school district’s website should have individual email addresses for board members. If there are no emails for board members, contact the school board secretary and ask that your message be shared with all board members.
Plan to attend upcoming board meetings. If you are uncomfortable attending in person, ask your superintendent and school board president to offer a virtual meeting where public comment may be made via Zoom or emailed before the meeting and read by the board secretary during the meeting. If they will not offer a virtual meeting, then ask that your comment will be forwarded to board members and read aloud during the meeting.
In the short term, school boards need to understand that the disruptive people at school board meetings do not represent the view of the majority. And instead of putting students’ health, safety and education at risk by coddling extremists, they should be focused on doing everything they can to keep COVID out of school buildings so that students can stay in them and learn this year.
What can you do moving forward?
Do your research and learn who is running for your school board this year. On November 2nd, communities will elect four or five new school board members who will have the authority to make decisions not only about health and safety issues, but also about your district’s budget, policies, and curriculum.
It can take some work to learn about candidates. Ask current school board members what they know. Do a Google search or look people up on Facebook. This is not an election to sit out. Please put in a little time to support your local school children, especially the children who are too young to be vaccinated.