March 2022

USE THIS LETTER AS A TEMPLATE TO EMAIL YOUR SCHOOL BOARD

Demand they follow CDPH guidance on K-12 schools and preschools that allows for children to unmask as of March 12. While we believe masks could come off NOW in schools, many districts may be compelled to go FURTHER than CDPH and still require masks in schools past the date. Let them know you would like your district to align with CDPH and allow families to chose whether to send a child in a mask or no.

EMAIL YOUR ENTIRE SCHOOL BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT 

Dear <<School Board, Superintendent, Preschool administrator>>

I am a parent and I am urging you to allow my child to have the option to go maskless at school starting on March 14th. CA's indoor mask mandate expired at midnight on Feb 15 and now CDPH has removed the mask requirement in schools as of March 11th. I am imploring you to respect the guidance from our State’s public health authorities and not require our districts’ schools to continue to mask beyond the date given. 

Children are the least likely to suffer serious outcomes from Covid, but face the most potential harm from prolonged masking. Students learning to speak and read are unable to see how their teachers pronounce sounds and words, and are experiencing speech delays at historic levels. Children under 5 are unable to see teachers' and peers' faces, which helps them learn to understand emotions.

One-way masking works when a well-fitted, high-quality mask is worn. Any staff members or students who wish to continue wearing masks should have the option to do that. But those who wish to not wear a mask, based on their individual level of risk, should also have that option, as they will have in almost all other indoor settings now

Facts on COVID and kids:

  • An unvaccinated child is at less risk of serious Covid illness than a vaccinated 70-year-old.

  • The CDC has published COVID-19 risk assessments by age. Being a child aged 5 to 17 is 99.9% protective against the risk of death and 98% protective against hospitalization. 

  • COVID-19 is a significantly lower risk to kids than drowning, homicides, suicides, cancer, car accidents, common flu, and heart disease. 

  • According to research, “The infection fatality rate for those aged 5 to 9 is less than 0.001 percent, about one-tenth the risk of flu for that age group. It suggests that a child of that age, even sick, faces roughly one-ten-thousandth the mortality risk of an 85-year-old.” 

  • California was the 49th state to lift its school mask mandate.

  • Britain has never masked children in school. Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden also do not require masks for  elementary school students. Some countries also do not require masks for teachers or secondary students either.

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) states: “Children aged 5 years and under should not be required to wear masks. This is based on the safety and overall interest of the child and the capacity to appropriately use a mask with minimal assistance.” According to the WHO, masks on children ages 6-11 should be based on a number of factors, including the “impact of wearing on learning and psychosocial development.”

  • The CDC’s European counterpart, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, only recommends masking for children ages 12 and up. 

Recent media coverage: