The Great Mask Hoax of 2020

"In the end, there was no statistically significant difference between those who wore masks and those who did not when it came to being infected by Covid-19. 1.8 per cent of those wearing masks caught Covid, compared to 2.1 per cent of the control group. As a result, it seems that any effect masks have on preventing the spread of the disease in the community is small."

 

 

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/do-masks-stop-the-spread-of-covid-19-

It's Time to Reimagine Washington State's Role in Public Education

Covid-19 has made it clear that there's a need for a new direction for publicly funded schools in our state.  Our state's drastic decline in revenue means it's time to look at meaningful cuts to educational spending. 

In addition we also need to eliminate or cut the property taxes for thousands of struggling property owners hurt by the Covid-19 pandemic. The additional property tax loss will no doubt compound the loss of the other sources of school funding, but it must be done.

The path of least resistance is to take advantage of online or remote learning using programs run by companies with the expertise to provide the scalability and quality needed for student success.

Local citizen groups have been demanding for school choice for years, these groups are predominantly people of color. These parents want the freedom to use state and federal funds to cover the cost of private, online or home schooling. The main opposition to school choice are teacher union's. 

For more than 10 years teachers have openly lobbied against online education, charter schools and home schools and now in a huge reversal it's teacher's unions that are DEMANDING online education or they will strike. 

Why not give them what they want? 

There are already mature online sources and we should use those online programs and mothball the current public schools until we know how this "pandemic" workouts. Mothballing will preserve funds for other needs and give students an opportunity to experience an already existing robust online experience.

For kids who need monitoring, one or two buildings in each region could be made available and staffed with monitors during normal school hours and days.

Unfortunately we will need to layoff the majority of school staff for 2-3 years and rent out the school buildings while and alternative is designed, what that design will be is still unknown, but we know it won't be anything teacher's unions will support.

 

 

Are Seattle School Teachers Members of ANTIFA ?

A Seattle man who came to Portland to protest Saturday night and ended up in a hospital emergency room after he said he was assaulted by federal agents is suing President Donald Trump and the acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The complaint, filed in the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse that’s been the backdrop of nightly demonstrations in downtown Portland, alleges federal law enforcement at Trump’s direction have used excessive force and violated Seattle resident Jeff Paul’s freedom of speech and assembly.

“This is not ok. I’m not the only person who has been injured, and I won’t be the last,‘‘ Paul wrote. “Our government is choosing to harm it’s (sic) citizens to protect buildings and statues. We must stand against this injustice. The government is meant to serve the people, not oppress them.”

Makes you wonder what ideals Mr. Paul might bring into a classroom.  

update:

Some Districts Exempt Students in Special Ed from Vaccination Law

“We are not holding anyone to vaccination requirements that would interfere with access to special education programs,” said Dr. Kimberly Uyeda of the Los Angeles Unified School District."

"“The broadest way the law can be interpreted is that special education students get access to everything, regardless of immunization status,” said Jennifer Nix, an attorney with School and College Legal Services of California. In terms of the risk of lawsuits from special education parents, “it is the safest route, but I don’t know if it’s the right route,” Nix said."

Read full story here

States With Religious and Philosophical Exemptions From School Immunization Requirements

immunization-exemption-state-laws 

nagalase

 

Chickenpox Vaccine Reactivates in Two Boys, Causing Rare Meningitis more Commonly Seen in Unvaccinated Kids

"Doctors described what they believe are the first known cases of meningitis due to reactivation of chickenpox vaccine in two 14-year-old boys who received both recommended doses, according to a paper published Wednesday in the journal Pediatrics.

Experts say the varicella vaccine -- licensed for use in the United States nearly a quarter century ago -- is exceedingly safe, though it is not recommended for people who are pregnant or immunocompromised."

MRC5  nagalase

The chickenpox vaccine is grown in cells originally derived from fetuses aborted in the early 1960s. Vaccines may contain nanofragments of DNA from the fetal cells, which are used because human viruses do not grow well in animal cells, according to a statement the vaccine’s manufacturer, Merck, gave to ABC News

Many people do not want to EAT genetically modified foods, but have no problem letting a doctor INJECT genetically modified organisms into their body or worst their child's body.

SCHOOL DISTRICT'S DOUBLE STANDARD

The Washington Education Association, which represents public school employees, said every single district in the state would need to be individually contacted to get an idea of the local policy involving teachers.

Seattle Public Schools, which is the largest school district in the state, said it encourages vaccinations, but there isn’t a push to track vaccination records of teachers and staff.

“Things like that have been talked about, but we don't have a policy in place and…in the foreseeable future doesn't look like we're going to have one,” said Seattle Public Schools spokesperson Tim Robinson.

A Landmark Lawsuit Aimed to Fix Special Ed for California's Black Students. It Didn’t.

"My dream is to be able to pick up a book and read it by myself."Darryl Lester, lead plaintiff in landmark special education lawsuit in California



"The letter delivered good news: Lester would be getting disability benefits after blowing out his back in a sheet metal accident. But he crumpled it up and threw it in the trash.
Why? Because he couldn’t read it. From first through seventh grades, Lester had attended three public schools in San Francisco. At each, he struggled with reading and didn’t get the help he needed for it."


"Whether Lester has dyslexia is unclear. What is clear is that instead of getting help with his reading, he got teased, into fights and suspended. “I would get frustrated, agitated, upset, and then I’d get sent to the principal's office,” he said.


"Lester’s mom, Lucille Lester, didn’t learn that the school district had labeled her son “mentally retarded” until one of the black psychologists visited their home to evaluate Darryl and go through some tests.
“After he talked to Darryl, he turns to me and says, ‘Well, there is nothing wrong with this child,” she testified in court in 1977."




Read complete story here.

Squaring State Child Vaccine Policy With Individual Rights Under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act: Questions Raised in California

Parents should closely examine the new WA state vaccine requirements and how it may be possible for school districts to revoke your child's IEP over failure to meet the school district's vaccination  requirements.

"Districts may interpret the parent's refusal to vaccinate as a consent to exit an IEP and revoke services"

" The district must give advanced notice to parents informing them of the possibility that their actions will result in revocation of services .Parents must be afforded a reasonable amount of time for parents to fully consider the consequences before schools discontinue special education and related services.2"

Read the full discussion here

Please Vote for Liza Rankin

  UPDATE 10/18/2021....boy was I wrong. Please don't run again Liza.

Liza reached out to those of us advocating for special education and then spent the afternoon listening to the parents', teachers' and advocates' issues. Liza is the only candidate running who organized a meeting for special education and that's an important tell.

I honestly believe that Liza will work to improve the education experience for all students .

For over 14 years parents special education issues have fallen on deaf ears, Liza will listen and work to address your concerns.

Vote for Liza Rankin -Seattle School Board    http://elizasrankin.com/
Endorsement for Liza

Box of Shame Makes a Comeback in Seattle Public Schools

In the late spring of 2019 a Whitman Middle School student asked me to watch a video she had taken in her math class. The video showed a 3x3 square made of tape located on the classroom floor.

The square had written on it "Box of Shame".

The student was upset because the teacher was forcing students who the teacher thought were disengaged to sit on the floor in the Box of Shame for the remainder of class. The student described how the teacher would ridicule any student forced to sit in the box and said all the other students were embarrassed that they did not stop the teacher from abusing the students. Most of the students forced to sit in the Box of Shame have IEP's and are in the class to learn math not to be humiliated.

On June 6, 2019 I emailed the district and reported the abuse. The regional supervisor responded as asked if he could view the video.

I sent him a link to my cloud storage,

https://my.pcloud.com/publink/show?code=XZMNkN7Z9vA63VIfHw8pyry42YhMrymgobty.


As you will see in the emails that the School Board Director for District 1 did not bother to engage.
The abusive teacher used the tried and true "it was a joke" lie and the district very quickly circled the wagons to protect the teacher and principle who was made aware of the practice months earlier.

Is it worth the paper it's written on?