Nearly 2 Million Kids Left Public Schools From 2020 to 2021

 "Covid lockdowns and restrictions, coupled with a newfound awareness by parents of woke indoctrination in many public schools, have families embracing private educational options."

Last June, the federal Department of Education released preliminary enrollment data for the 2020-21 school year. That initial report showed a drop in public school enrollment of 3.8 percent over the previous school year of 2019-20. Since there were approximately 51.1 million children attending public schools in 2019-20, that’s an enrollment loss of nearly 2 million in just that one school year.

All states reported enrollment declines, and enrollment among the youngest students—those in preschool and kindergarten—declined the most, at 22 percent and 9 percent, respectively. The final enrollment data for 2020-21 won’t get released until later this spring, but preliminary reports for the 2021-22 academic year show a decline in public school enrollment for the second straight year. 

https://thefederalist.com/2022/02/21/nearly-2-million-kids-left-public-schools-from-2020-to-2021/

 

Some School Systems Pause Diversity Programs Amid Pushback

 

Conservative takeovers of local school boards have already altered lessons on race and social injustice in many classrooms. Now some districts are finding their broader efforts on diversity, equity and inclusion are also being challenged.

As her Colorado school district’s equity director, Alexis Knox-Miller thought the work she and a volunteer team were doing was on solid ground, especially with an audit in hand that detailed where the district was falling short in making sure all students had the same opportunities.

But in December, Knox-Miller reluctantly disbanded the equity leadership team after more than a year of meetings. New conservative members had won a majority on the school board after voicing doubts about the work, and she worried the efforts might not lead anywhere.

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-education-race-and-ethnicity-50c02554ffb341073a1da08e336b6fe4

Amendment To Block Federal Funds To Schools That Enforce Child COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

 

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz introduced an amendment on Thursday to block federal funds to schools and child care centers that enforce COVID-19 vaccine mandates on students and young children.

The amendment would modify the $1.6 trillion continuing resolution (CR) to fund the Federal government through March 11, 2022, by prohibiting federal funds from being distributed to schools and child care centers that have a COVID-19 vaccine mandate related to enrollment, in-person attendance, and participation in school-sponsored activities.

Californian Health Officials are Planning to Drop School Mask Mandates

California is set to DROP school mask mandates in two weeks as cases fall 65% and pressure grows on other states to follow suit as cases drop 43% across US

• Californian health officials are planning to drop school mask mandates as early as two weeks from now, joining a growing list of liberal leaning states to make the move
• Despite plummeting cases in much of the U.S., the CDC and Joe Biden have been hesitant to relax mask guidance 
• Other liberal leaning states like Connecticut, Delaware and Massachusetts have also lifted school mask mandates in recent weeks
• School mask mandates are the most controversial remaining policies related to the pandemic and the calls from parents and health experts to lift them have grown in recent weeks 
  

 

San Fran Parents Fight Back and WIN!

 Three San Francisco School Board members were removed from their positions by voters on Tuesday, CNN projects, following a tough recall campaign that pitted Democrats against Democrats as interlocking controversies over school closings and renamings fueled a well-funded backlash.

The successful effort in one of the country's most liberal cities is likely to embolden Republicans who have channeled parental anger over school reopenings and mask mandates into a powerful wedge issue, including last fall in Virginia. For Democrats, especially those making decisions in blue states, the vote highlighted internal divisions over how to handle the pandemic as cases decline but the threat of another surge looms.

More than 70% of voters supported the recall of School Board President Gabriela López, Vice President Faauuga Moliga and Commissioner Alison Collins as of Wednesday morning, according to preliminary results from the San Francisco Department of Elections. Their temporary replacements will be named by Mayor London Breed, a Democrat who in announcing her support for the recall last year said the city was at a "crossroads" and called the board's priorities "severely misplaced."

 

Update  

 San Francisco School Board President Blames ‘White Supremacists’ for Successful Recall

Following an overwhelming defeat in this week’s recall battle, the president of San Francisco Board of Education claimed that her ouster was the consequence of “fighting for racial justice,” and that those who voted “yes” are aligned with “white supremacists.”

 

Yesterday I Was Levi’s Brand President. I Quit So I Could Be Free.

 

 I wrote op-eds, appeared on local news shows, attended meetings with the mayor’s office, organized rallies and pleaded on social media to get the schools open. I was condemned for speaking out. This time, I was called a racist—a strange accusation given that I have two black sons—a eugenicist, and a QAnon conspiracy theorist.

In the summer of 2020, I finally got the call. “You know when you speak, you speak on behalf of the company,” our head of corporate communications told me, urging me to pipe down. I responded: “My title is not in my Twitter bio. I’m speaking as a public school mom of four kids.” 

But the calls kept coming. From legal. From HR. From a board member. And finally, from my boss, the CEO of the company. I explained why I felt so strongly about the issue, citing data on the safety of schools and the harms caused by virtual learning. While they didn’t try to muzzle me outright, I was told repeatedly to “think about what I was saying.”

https://bariweiss.substack.com/p/yesterday-i-was-levis-brand-president

OSPI Walking Back Mask Mandates

OSPI NEWS RELEASE: REYKDAL: From Pandemic to Endemic – It's Time to Remove the State Mask Mandate for Students

 With high immunity rates and our ability to carry out rapid antigen tests with nearly every school district participating in our state’s COVID-19 testing program, the time is now to rebalance the health and educational benefits of masking in our schools.

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WAOSPI/bulletins/309eab7

No Mask, No Class: Loudoun County Schools Ignore Executive Order, Threaten Suspensions.

Last week, school parents in Loudoun County started to receive letters warning that there will be consequences for not continuing to follow the mandatory masking policies

  "Under Virginia law, parents, not the government, have the fundamental right to make decisions concerning the care of their children,” Youngkin’s order read, adding later that “parents should have the ability to decide whether their child should wear masks for the duration of the school day. This approach is consistent with the broad rights of parents.”

“Given under my hand and under the Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia this 15th day of January, 2022.”

Additionally, lawsuits have started to pile up, accusing Youngkin and his administration of putting children with disabilities in danger.

“The ACLU of Virginia, one of several groups representing the parents, said in a statement Tuesday that the children involved have conditions including cancer, cystic fibrosis, moderate-to-severe asthma, Down syndrome, lung conditions and weakened immune systems,” WTOP News reported.

But on the other side of the argument, some children have conditions that are exacerbated by wearing a mask. Take for example Abbie Platt, who has three children in the Loudoun County school system

 

https://thedrilldown.com/newsroom/no-mask-no-class-loudoun-county-ignores-executive-order-threatening-suspensions/

 

Parents Outraged Over Photo of Teacher Taping Mask to Child’s Face

Parents in the North Penn School District expressed outrage after a photo emerged showing a teacher forcibly taping a mask to a child’s face.

The school district confirmed that the incident happened after the photo went viral.

“Pro-mask or anti-mask, I hope we can all agree that taping masks to children’s faces crosses the LINE,” said a Facebook post by North Penn Stronger Together. “This was not a joke for the child or the parents.”

The photo “taken in one of our classrooms last week and circulating on social media does not represent the universal values that the North Penn School District strives to instill in both our students and staff,” says the statement.

“After an immediate investigation, it was determined that while the incident was isolated and no malice was intended, the actions of the teacher were entirely inappropriate and unacceptable, no matter the context,” the statement read. “We understand that the act of taping a mask to a student’s face is concerning to many and apologize that it occurred.”

Parents are demanding that the district take immediate disciplinary action against the teacher.