Tag: school

Masks Off In Schools – Why Now?

On Monday, kids won’t have to wear masks in school anymore. The governor lifted the mask mandate. In a time of confusion and constant change, I wonder if this will help us move forward or if it will create unnecessary angst and conflict.

On the side of taking masks off, the omicron variant is milder. People are getting it, they’re sick for a few days, then they’re over it. The hospitalization and death rates are lower. Our hospitals are no longer overwhelmed with cases. Patients who’ve needed treatment for other ailments but were displaced by Covid patients are finally able to make their appointments. 

Some teachers welcome it, too. I ran into an acquaintance last week. She’s a kindergarten teacher, and I asked her what she thought about the mask mandate being lifted. “I love it!” she exclaimed. She told me how hard it is to hear her kids through their masks when they’re reading aloud. She can’t wait. Then she hesitated before saying, “I hope it’s as easy for them to take the masks off as it was to put them on.” When we taught kids to put their masks on, we had to impress upon them the gravity of the situation. Did we do such a good job they’ll be scared to remove them?

On the side of leaving masks on, some people within our communities have underlying conditions that make even the omicron variant dangerous for them. Teachers with at risk family members, kids with at risk parents or grandparents. For them, the thought of walking into school everyday interacting with people who are maskless induces a whole new anxiety. “What if I give it to my grandmother?” 

To those who are concerned about their families, we try to reassure them by saying, “You can still wear a mask.”

Are we aware of the underlying message we’re sending? “I’m sorry you’re in that situation, but you’ll have to deal with it on your own.” 

Mary came home Friday and shared that one of her teachers asked kids to keep wearing masks. She’s worried about one of her family members. Another teacher told her students teachers aren’t allowed to ask students to wear masks (apparently the first teacher doesn’t know this yet). All of the teachers are trying to learn what the rules are and how best to adapt to the new expectations. All in one week. We’ve been wearing masks for two years, and we gave the teachers one week. Emily and Ellie’s school is in a city building where, apparently, masks are still required. No one is spending their weekend trying to figure out how to transition to new expectations.

The divide will be visible. Students and teachers with at-risk family members will continue wearing masks, feeling constant anxiety they might bring COVID-19 home with them while others will feel the freedom of walking around maskless.

The question is, how will we handle it? Will we band together in support of that teacher and voluntarily put on our masks in their classroom? Or will we celebrate our new found freedom dismissive of what our fellow teachers, friends, families are going through? Afterall, they can still wear a mask……

Mary isn’t sure what to do. She feels badly for the people she knows who are worried about their families. She’s planning to keep wearing her mask. They’ve been doing it for so long, she wonders what’s being gained by taking it off. 

That’s the question I keep asking myself. What’s gained? We’re about two months to the end of the school year. Are we creating a change management nightmare? We’ve gotten the kids to put on their masks. Now we’re going to encourage kids to take them off. Maybe struggling to convince some it’s safe. What if another variant surges and we have to put the mask mandate back in place? 

It would have been easier to keep masks on for the rest of the school year. It would have given us several months to see what’s next with Covid-19. If we’re really through the worst, great. Those who are feeling angst today will feel greater comfort and confidence returning to a maskless environment next Fall. If another variant emerges, no change in mask policy will be needed. As we approach the new school year, a decision can be made and new expectations can be set. Implementing change at the start of a new school year will be easier than doing it mid-flight.

There isn’t a single good answer. Taking masks off will be a welcome change for many – like the Kindergarten teacher I talked with. For others it brings more anxiety in an already anxiety ridden year (or two). I just hope we can approach this upcoming change with empathy and kindness. Empathy for those who are concerned, kindness towards everyone trying to adapt.

A Path of Their Own

Emily and Ellie, our twin girls, have always been somewhat shy. They avoid interactions with others when they can, and they tend to go with the flow to avoid drawing unwanted attention. That’s why we were startled when Emily declared, “I’m not going to West Seattle High School.”

WSHS is the neighborhood school. Payton, our oldest, went there and Mary, our second, is a senior there. It was, and has been, great for them. We assumed Emily and Ellie would follow. It’s the path of least resistance. But to say I was totally surprised wouldn’t be true, either. Ellie and Emily’s school experience has been different. They often come home complaining that their teachers spend more time managing the classroom than teaching. Payton and Mary had some classes like this, but it felt more consistent for the twins (I have to give credit to a couple of teachers and staff who are amazing…Ms. Russell, their language arts teacher and Ms. Bell the librarian – both inspired and taught the girls a lot). Unfortunately, the twins’ experience weighed more heavily towards the unruly classrooms, and Emily and Ellie wanted a place where they could learn.

We looked into their options, and they chose three to consider: The Center School (TCS), Nova and Vashon High School.

TCS and Nova are alternative schools. TCS’s curriculum is centered around learning through art. Nova focuses on learning through inquiry and problem based instruction. Both are part of the Seattle Public School system, so tuition wouldn’t be required (we can’t afford private school – saving for college is daunting enough). Vashon is a smaller high school. Every year a small cohort of kids in West Seattle go to Vashon HS. We know of a couple of kids who go to TCS. We hadn’t heard of anyone going to Nova.

The decision wouldn’t come without risks. School funding is always in question. Would alternative schools like Nova and TCS suffer first if Seattle Schools face a funding shortage? The commute. TCS and Nova would require a city bus ride to downtown Seattle. Is that safe? Vashon requires a bus and a ferry ride. How much time would the girls have to spend commuting each day? The risks were mitigated a bit when we learned that, if the school they chose didn’t work out, the girls could switch back to West Seattle HS anytime, but we wanted to learn more. 

Ellie and Emily’s best friend’s older brother went to TCS, so we talked with his parents. He, too, needed a different environment and smaller class sizes felt right, and they were happy with it. The teachers and staff really committed, good education. They had some gripes – the communication isn’t always clear, the counselor isn’t as responsive as they’d like – things you see at most schools. When we asked about the bus ride, her parents said several kids from West Seattle went to TCS. They discovered each other soon after the year started, and they tended to travel together, so they weren’t really alone. The commute was a non-issue. 

We attended a couple of the school Open Houses. It was the year of Covid-19. School buildings were closed, so Open Houses were virtual. Chad, Emily, Ellie and I sat on our couch, the computer stationed on the piano bench in front of us, and we watched and listened to teachers and students from TCS and Nova talk about the schools – the purpose, the approach and, most importantly, the kids’ experiences. The kids who shared had a similar quiet demeanor as Ellie and Emily. They talked about how their existing schools just weren’t working for them. They said the switch TCS / Nova provided an environment where they were more comfortable engaging and participating. More than one said, “I’ve found my voice.” 

That’s probably what solidified for me that one of these schools would be right for the girls. After the open houses, we asked them again, “what do you think?” Emily declared, “My first choice is the Center School, my second choice is Vashon, my third is Nova.” Ellie was quieter. 

It’s easy to assume twins will make the same decisions. They’re closer to each other than to anyone else, and their choices are often the same. But they are, and want to be, unique individuals. So, we made sure to tell each of them explicitly – you can make your own decision. We weren’t sure what we’d do if only one wanted a downtown school (imagining Emily riding the city bus by herself gave us trepidation, but we’d cross that bridge if and when we got there). “Ellie, what are you thinking?” Ellie agreed with Emily’s choices, she just needed more time to work herself up to the change. We gave her some space to think and didn’t raise the question for several days.

When it came time to submit their school choices, they both chose The Center School as their #1 option. We submitted the paperwork, and in April, they got the formal confirmation, they were enrolled in TCS for their Freshman year of high school. They would be taking a path of their own.