Some Don’t Want Masks for Their Kids, But Most Parents Want Their Kids Safe & In School
By Dan Murphy
A debate has begun in the Yonkers Public Schools over the mandate requiring all students to wear masks during instruction. The debate began last month when a group of parents from United Yonkers came to a Board of Education meeting to call on the school board and YPS Superintendent Dr. Edwin Quezada to lift the order and leave the choice up to parents whether or not to have their children wear a mask in school.
Parents who support the mandate came to the YPS meeting on Dec. 15 to push back against the argument to unmask our kids. All of the discussion is despite a recent mask mandate order from Governor Kathy Hochul throughout the State to wear a mask indoors, and support for the policy from YPS Superintendent Dr. Edwin Quezada and the Yonkers Board of Education, who said during the Nov. board meeting that the mask policy “is out of the circle of our control. It’s a Goveror’s mandate. Everyone here has the right to express themselves, but we have kept our schools open because of the mitigation strategies that we have put in place.”
Ever since the COVID pandemic began in 2020, Quezada’s #1 priority has been to keep the Yonkers Public School safely open for as long as possible, because he knows the difficulties that many YPS students have with at home learning.
But parents from United Yonkers, who oppose the mandate and attended the Nov. meeting, disagreed with Quezada that masking is working.
YPS Parent Margaret Madden said on News 12 after the meeting, “We don’t believe that (masks mandates are working to keep children safe). We are looking at the science, and we are pushing for parental choice. If you think your kids should wear a mask, put a mask on your kid but we we think its making it worse.”
Other United Yonkers parents at the Nov. YPS BOE meeting called mask mandates “about freedom of choice,” and another called mask mandates a form of “child abuse.”
No parents spoke in favor of the mask mandate at the Nov. 17 meeting, but about the same number of parents came out on Dec. 15 to support Dr. Quezada, the Board of Education, and the policy of requiring students to wear a mask.
Yonkers resident Eileen O’Connor said, “Hello, my name is Eileen O’Connor. I live in Yonkers. My daughter, Maeve, attended public school here in Yonkers. I am a family nurse practitioner and work in a Family Practice in the South Bx. I worked for 10 years at the Valentine Lane Family Practice, in SW Yonkers.
“I speak tonight as a parent and as a health care provider who cares for young children. When I ask my young patients “how does it feel to be back at school?”, they tell me “its so good to be there with my friends!” It’s so nice to see their teacher in person! I ask them how is it to wear a mask all day and they tell me. “Its ok..”
“It’s ok”…several studies now show that masks make a big difference in keeping our kids and teachers safe! There is no question about that. And the kids are OK.
Kids get their cues from adults. If we model wearing masks indoors in public spaces without making a fuss, they will follow.. Children are smart: They figure out how to read body language, the visible parts of the face and the tone of speech. Yes, of course, it would be better if we could all take these masks off! But not at the risk of transmitting this virus, that is so contagious! It’s killed 800 thousand of us! Our grandparents, parents and yes even some children.
What we should all be advocating for is the safest environment possible for teachers, support staff and children, so that in person school can continue, despite the surging Covid cases here in Yonkers, Westchester and the US. Ventilation systems need to be top notch..are they? Are there enough hepa filters in the class rooms?
Have the teachers a space to decompress? I know that after seeing 2-3 patients, while wearing my n95 mask, I need to remove it and put a surgical mask on. Do the staff have a space for that? I believe the children get to take their masks of periodically during the day. Let’s come together as parents and community members to support our children, our teachers, the staff! How can we help them?
To the BOE, stand strong to keep our kids safe! Make sure the ventilation systems are working well! Create safe spaces for our teachers and support staff who are working so hard during this pandemic! And yes, let’s keep masking up,” said O’Connor.
Other groups that support the mask mandate include Teachthetruth914.org. One member of Teach the Truth Westchester, told us that ther same groups that opposed the teaching of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the NY Public schools is also opposed to requiring that students wear masks in school. Save our Schools, SOS, for Westchester has led the effort against what they call Critical Race Theory, CRT, in the Yorktown and Eastchester school districts.
But the debate hasn’t landed in Yonkers until now. This is a medical and scientific fact. The recommendation from the CDC is that we should wear masks indoors in groups and that masks prevent the spread. People who oppose this mandate are politicizing the issue. Now they want to complain to the Governor about her recent mask mandate,” said one Teach the Truth Westchester parent.
“They believe that its unhealth for children to wear masks in school. I would rather my child wear a mask then catch COVID and spread it to a classmate or bring it home to a family member that is immune compromised. We have to think about the overall public health and wearing a mask is not that big a sacrifice when compared to the risk.”
Another Yonkers parent posted on Facebook. “I want my two children to attend their elementary school next year. If that means that they have to wear a mask then so be it, and they understand that and they don’t want to get anyone else sick, or get their grandparents sick, so they will wear the mask and stay safe. The only thing I agree with United Yonkers on is that yes, forcing my children to wear a mask stinks, but what is the alternative? Having them learn at home with Zoom and no interaction with their classmates.? Have they thought their opposition through?”
Other comments at the Yonkers Board of Education meeting on Dec. 15 included several high school students relaying a message that they want to do anything to be able to stay in school. Several high school students and members of My Brothers Keeper also spoke in favor of continuing to wear a mask to stay in school.
Another 25 members of the audience were against the mask mandate, claiming that wearing a mask does not help prevent the spread, and comments like “my mask is worthless,” and “look at Broadway, they are all vaccinated, but they have to close the shows down.” Other commentors against wearing masks returned to the argument of not vaccinating their children.
The head of the Yonkers PTA Council and the Yonkers Federation of Teachers spoke in favor of wearing masks and staying healthy and safe.
