Editor,
The SMUHSD board voted 5-0 to continue masking students indefinitely — a decision not supported by federal, state or local public health officials — while students in surrounding school districts have a mask choice. What inside scientific information on masking students does the SMUHSD board have that our public health officials don’t? The answer is nothing.
When the SMUHSD board decided to adopt stringent COVID restrictions, students and parents were told it was a public health requirement. Students and parents were assured that the board would revise restrictions in accordance with public health guidance. Now, SMUHSD board members are basing health policy on “feelings,” which is as bananas and unscientific as it sounds. Public health policy is meant to be set by rigorous evaluation, not how a handful of people “feel” about their own risk adversity.
The state and local public health officials that the board looked to when implementing restrictions have now advised removing restrictions. Those agencies have been clear that masking is no longer a requirement in schools. Extending masking beyond this point goes against the recognized public health policy without any data to back up why masking is being extended.
The board’s decision to mask students indefinitely is shameful, ignorant, cruel, fearful and cowardly. Throughout history, when faced with pandemics, more “primitive” societies engaged in similar sorts of bizarre, superstitious behavior — but they never made kids suffer most. I look forward to campaigning against and voting each and every board member out of office.
Wendy Mendoza
Burlingame
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(15) comments
For those readers that read Terence's 11:05 comment I would suggest you also Google Craig Paardekooper so you will have a reference point about where he finds his data and "facts" that he so often tells us about.
Terence, just for your info I found similar info on another "hype" site a few days ago that listed "hot batches" of vaccine that caused (in their minds) high death numbers and serious adverse effects from Pfizer vaccines. I checked my codes and all three of them were on the list, two of them near the top of their most dangerous batches. If they say we should have another booster next year I hope they have some more of the "good stuff". Don't forget the old saying that figures don't lie but liars can figure.
Taffy, my friend, where have you been – this past Sunday the Pfizer CEO said that a fourth jab is necessary. Get to your health provider stat, else they’ll have to destroy another dose because nobody else wants it. Actually, get fifteen more doses. And by all means, ask for the “good stuff” assuming those lots are still alive and kicking.
Figures don’t lie? If you give hospitals more money for a COVID death than a “normal” death, there’s incentive for figures to lie. Do you remember when Fauci told you to wear a mask, then no mask, then two masks? Which is it? Figures lie. Have you seen how the flu seems to have disappeared amongst the little tykes? But their COVID cases have risen? Figures lie. BTW, didn’t you say you going to research the research on effective COVID treatments? You never did. Figures lie.
Ms Mendoza - Thank you for writing about the critical issue. There is so much information now about this that it is hard to believe that our children will still be punished.....Yes, vote the Board out!!
"“Given this virus represents, at most, a slightly bigger risk to the old and ill than seasonal influenza, and a less risk, a smaller risk, to almost everyone else who’s younger and fit,” Michael Yeadon, Phd, noted authority says, “it was never necessary for us to have done anything. We didn’t need to do anything — lockdowns, masks, testing, vaccines even.”
Hello Lou,
I hate to disappoint you but your "noted authority, Michael Yeadon, Phd" has been shown to spread undocumented claims about a number of things because he is a dedicated anti-vaxer. He tried to lend credibility to his bunk business because he was a scientist at Pfizer, however he was not involved with the development of the Covid vaccine, in fact he has not worked with Pfizer since the department he worked in was shut down over 10 years ago. Some of his claims are the vaccine makes women sterile, the pandemic was effectively over in October 2020 and there would be no second wave. He also is linked to those that say the vaccine will make you magnetic and has done an interview with Steve Bannon, the same Steve Bannon of the Trump administration, which by itself is cause for concern. If he were a US citizen I am sure he would also be on the bandwagon for the "stolen election" lie pushed by Trump and his gullible followers.
Don't bother checking Taffy's smear of Mr. Yeadon since Taffy's anti-Trump tirade undermines his smears. Instead, let’s review a few facts from CDC Director Walensky’s recent talk from St. Louis, where she admits doctors felt the COVID jab was a cure-all and disregarded other treatments. Walensky’s admission that she learned jab juice was effective by watching CNN... Walensky blaming jab juice providers with not warning the CDC that their concoctions would be less effective against potential variants... Sure, let’s put our trust in Walensky. The same Walensky who finally admitted what many of us already knew, the vast majority of COVID deaths had four co-morbidities.
BTW, I hear a review of Pfizer vaccine documents indicate Pfizer was adding varying amounts of active jab juice to their experimental shots. Perhaps this explains the ineffectiveness of these jabs? There’s a website, howbadismybatch.com, where you can see how many adverse events are linked to the batch(es) (whether Pfizer or some other juice provider) you were given. I’ll let people determine whether they feel the mined data is accurate, but real-world (and likely even the fantasy world that Taffy mentions) results indicate agreement with presented data.
There is no peer reviewed scicnce that shows masks prevent infections in school age children, particularly when they've been vaccinated.
The Journal of the American Medical Association disagrees with you: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2789005?resultClick=1 AND https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788457
Plus, again, keeping staff and families healthy is as important to keeping a school running as it is keeping children healthy.
Before anyone puts their eggs in these two referenced baskets, they may want to review the limitations of each study, since one basket consists of a survey and the other basket consists of a simulated model. Surveys can introduce bias and simulated models introduce uncertainties and limitations. The best studies are based on data, not surveys or simulated models. Any studies based on data out there?
There are few places that concentrate so many people so close together indoors for as long as schools. Even more so in high schools, where classes are switched every 60-90 minutes and you sit close to another set of people. Caution is warranted, especially close to spring break when people travel.
The immunocompromised are often invisible among us, and continuing masking, for at least a while longer, lets them live fuller lives. Because, again, my mask protects you, and vice verse.
I feel that the SMFCSD was irresponsible in allowing kids and teachers to remove their masks ( however STRONGLY RECOMMENDING THAT THEY KEEP THEM ON). I feel that they should have at least waited until two weeks after Spring break was over to see what our numbers would be as students and parents take off to parts unknown.
Well written, Ms. Mendoza. Potential options? Tell kids, and their friends, and their friends to not wear masks on campus. Or find an enterprising lawyer who will sue the school members and the district. Between those two groups, I’m sure there are some deep pockets. Assuming the options above or other options are not successful, submit another letter with your recommendations when the vote is near. Even if it’s an “anyone but” recommendation. Actually, even if options are successful, submit a letter with your recommendations.
Terrance, once again you remind me of the sort who would bring a jar of Skippy to a designated peanut-free area because you think your right to be stubborn is more important than the health of others.
John--You've captured the essence of Terence in a nutshell (no pun intended).
Hi, Tommy
Once again... tires screeching around the corner. In the words of Will Hunting, "Do you have any thoughts of your own on this matter?"
(No one at Google was harmed in citing a line from the movie, "Good Will Hunting.")
Mr. Bakerr, your comment brings to mind so-called Dem leaders who institute mask mandates unto others (a la Biden, Newsom, Pelosi, Garcetti, and Breed, to name a few) but who eschew masks themselves. I guess they’d remind you of the sort who would bring cases of Skippy, Jif, Peter Pan, and Nutella (because we can’t discriminate) to designated peanut-free areas because they think their hypocrisy is more important than the health of others.
Instead of conflating allergic responses to COVID theatre, perhaps you and/or Mr. Tee could educate us by reading Mr. McVicker’s comment from two days ago on “Endemic COVID path emerges in San Mateo County” and solve the formulas, substituting students for the population at large. BTW, if your mask protects me and you, it sounds like we’re both good since you’ve got it covered. Pun intended.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.