A request to vote on the recommendation to end the two-year mask mandate
This letter was sent to the entire Denver Public Schools Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero prior to its public release.
Good afternoon,
Today, Colleagues, I am emailing you all as Vice President of the Denver School Board, a father to an unvaccinated child who has had a recent battle with COVID-19, and the son of an immunocompromised mother.
I am very concerned with the recent decision to end the two-year mask mandate in Denver Public Schools. We have been the regional leader regarding the response to COVID-19. We have maintained 100% compliance with the public health order regarding vaccinations. Until today, we have been the unwavering leader related to our schools’ mask mandate. Denver Public Schools serves 91,000 students and employs roughly 14,000 people. Our student demographics are predominantly students of color. As a Black man, I must voice my strong opposition to this recommendation on behalf of our students and educators of color that have been disproportionally impacted by the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. In October of 2021, there was a report about how students are losing parents and caretakers to COVID-19 at an alarming rate. “From April 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, over 140,000 children in the US experienced the death of a parent or grandparent caregiver.” The study also revealed significant racial and ethnic disparities in caregiver deaths due to Covid-19. The National Center for Health Statistics data showed that children of racial and ethnic minorities accounted for 65% of those who lost a primary caregiver, while White children accounted for 35%, even though minorities account for just 39% of the total US population.
Our public health officials are at odds. At the same time, the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment moves to lift the mask mandate in our schools. The Director of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has said, “The CDC still recommends that all schools encourage students to wear well-fitting masks consistently and while indoors. And that’s consistent with our guidance that still also recommends that people mask in public indoor settings in areas of high or substantial transmission,” — CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky (February 8th, 2022)
The Director goes on to say, “We owe it to our children to make sure that they can safely stay in school. Right now, that includes masking. But, unfortunately, we’ve seen outbreaks that have occurred in communities where students were not masked in schools and had to close,” she said. “And much of our guidance is based on the amount of community transmission.”
So, how are we supposed to stand firm with the recommendation to end the mask mandate in Denver Public Schools if our public health officials are at odds? I believe the common sense approach is to create our own mandate for the remainder of the semester. I support easing restrictions on large crowds that have been reintroduced since the Omicron surge.
Less than a month ago, we had students walk out demanding better COVID regulations and better enforcement of our mask mandate, and our educators asked for accessibility to more KN95 masks, among other things. Therefore, I am very concerned with moving forward to end the mandate that has reduced the spread of all the variants of COVID and kept Denver Public Schools open to those who want to attend school in person. I believe this decision disregards our immunocompromised students, educators, and families.
I have communicated with some of you and understand the want to be consistent in following DDPHE. With that said Madam President, I am requesting that the Board of Education vote on this recommendation at the February 24th, 2022, Board of Education meeting. Our communities deserve the opportunity to engage on this topic regardless of where they stand on the issue.
IF this Board voted down the recommendation from DDPHE, we would communicate that we will remain a ‘Mask Mandated School District’ until further notice. Our constituents deserve transparency and should know where each of us stands on this critical issue.
—
Tay Anderson — (He/Him/His)
Board of Education, Vice President
