This week my 4-year-old learned how to put on and take off his own shirt. He learned this new skill in about 2 minutes after 4 tries. Now he is an absolute pro. Later that day we visited our local library and both my 6 year old and 4 year old wore masks while we browsed the stacks and they washed their hands once we returned home.
Our kids go to school to learn. It defies all logic that school children across our district cannot also learn to wear a mask at school for their own safety, for the safety of staff and faculty, and for the safety of our entire Orange County community. The anti-masking and anti-social distancing theme of the the panel held on June 24th by this body defies recommendations of the CDC, the Orange County Health Agency, the Orange County Board of Education, the State Board of Education, and most recently the American Academy of Pediatrics who released their guidelines recommending a return to school with mandatory masking for all students in Middle and High School and for elementary school students when possible among a the number of other safety measures. This body holds an advisory position over individual school districts and the Orange County Department of Education. You can not set policy. Therefore, the only purpose for this one-sided, biased panel could have been to sway public opinion. To amplify the voices of the anti-mask, anti-social distancing faction of OC residents. These anti-safety residents have gathered in large groups with zero safety precautions and screamed in the faces of Union Leaders and county officials with no masks. They have threatened death to a public health official who was forced to resign for her own safety. You have failed in your stated vision to offer the kind of leadership that our county needs while battling a global pandemic that has taken the lives of 330 people across our county and over 128,000 across our Nation. I hope that the Trustees across our county disregard the information presented by this Board on June 24th. I hope that my fellow residents remember the actions of the OCBE when they head to the ballot box in November. Brooke Harper Parent PYLUSD
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For the protection of their patients this statement was released anonymously. Identity verified by admin.
Board of education of Orange County, Good afternoon, and thank you for hearing my concerns. I am a physician and a mother of two children who attend public elementary school in Huntington Beach, Orange County. I am writing to voice my agreement with the goals of this “expert panel” to conduct an open discussion, provide guidance, evaluate how to implement best practice recommendations, and particularly, use data and science to come up with a plan to reopen the public schools in our county. I am, however, concerned about the biased first principles set forth by this group; they are written in a way that indicates the board has made up their mind that they want to reopen the schools, without following the guidelines or science, and are written in antagonistic language, plagued with absolutes. I’ll go over the “first principles” one by one: 1. “Delaying the opening of public school until a cure or a vaccination for Covid 19 is developed is unacceptable”. First of all, if this is a discussion we are entering, there should be no place for the word “unacceptable”, unless we are talking about breaking the law or doing something unethical. I do not plan on sending my children physically back to school as we knew it ,until there is a cure or vaccination, or at the very least, a solid plan. This does not mean anybody has to miss school. The last three months of school were done via telework and the teachers of Seacliff Elementary did an outstanding job. 2. “Social distancing of children, who generally represent the lowest risk cohort for Covid is unacceptable”. Again, they use the word “unacceptable” in what is supposed to be a discussion. This sentence contains half-truths. While children may be at the lowest risk of DYING from Covid-19, they do become infected and transmit the virus. They can bring the virus from their own homes to the school, infect other children and the teachers, who will, in turn spread thr infection. 3. This point states that for children wearing masks is “not based on science” and “could be potentially harmful” and, you guessed it, the angry person who redacted this document used the word “unacceptable” again. There is no science to back this claim; masks help prevent the spread of infection if everyone uses them properly. Please follow the science; face coverings work best when paired with handwashing and social distancing. 4. This last statement implies a family can get up and change school districts at the drop of a hat, or afford private school. I can afford to send both my children to private school and I could sell my house and go to a city with more reasonable people, but most families in Orange County cannot, so you have an obligation to work towards doing what is best for all the children and adults that live in Orange County. I’d like to address my physician colleagues on this panel. We took an oath to do no harm, so please do the right thing. Physical distancing, hand washing, wearing a mask, it is not rocket science, and it is not a huge sacrifice in light of a pandemic. Annoyed MD For a simple explanation in lay language, and a series of scientific articles on the subject of face coverings, please click on Dear Members, As you know, we, your Orange County Medical Association are the voice of physicians and serve as a resource for all organizations and partners working to protect and improve the health of our County. We were recently informed that Orange County Department of Education is holding a special meeting tonight, June 24, 2020 at 6:30 P.M. to address the reopening of schools in our county. To our dismay, few of the representatives from the Orange County Board of Education Reopening Task Force, which includes education, public health, infectious disease, pediatric and school nurse professionals, were invited to tonight's meeting. We join with many other medical professional organizations and healthcare institutions in Orange County in supporting the position that any policy concerning the opening of our schools during the COVID-19 pandemic be made using the most scientific and evidence-based recommendations in partnership with education and public health experts. It is still the position of the Orange County Medical Association that mandatory wearing of masks and common-sense social distancing is the frontline in reducing the spread of the virus in our community. Diana E. Ramos, M.D., MPH President Orange County Medical Association Fullerton College Cypress College Cynthia Aguirre, La Habra School Board Member Adam Rogers, La Habra School Board Member Trustee Jeanette Vázquez Juan G. Álvarez Joanne Fawley Keri Kropke- Brea Olinda Unified School District Board Member Anaheim Elementary School District Brea Olinda Unified School District Fullerton Joint Union High School District Gina Clayton-Tarvin, President, OVSD Board of Trustees — supporting Orange County Medical Association. Top of Form Bottom of Form |
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