MIAA continues mask policy used for Fall sports to start Winter season

"This #MIAA memo regarding Winter Masking guidelines was recently sent to schools. #patience #understanding #OneTeamOneMIAA" 

 Shared from Twitter: https://t.co/LZBxAHutWu

MIAA continues mask policy used for Fall sports to start Winter season

Mask Waiver for Franklin High School - Implementation process, timeline, and details proposed

To: Franklin School Committee 

From: Sara Ahern, Superintendent 

Date: November 16, 2021
Re: Agenda Item for Discussion/Action - Policy EBCFA Face Coverings

As you are aware, DESE approved a Mask Waiver for Franklin High School since the vaccination rate at the school is above 80%. With this waiver, the School Committee can make a local decision to ease the mask mandate for vaccinated students and staff, making wearing a mask or face covering optional for these individuals. The following memo outlines a proposed timeline, details, and process.

Background Information:
● The overall vaccination rate at FHS is 82%.
● There have only been 10 cases at FHS since the start of the school year. This is 10% of the FPS cases but FHS has 35% of the school population.
● We have had no evidence of in-school transmission or clusters at FHS.
● Hundreds of students eat lunch, unmasked, in the cafeteria each day.

With the waiver now granted, I propose the following provisions:
● Masks become optional for vaccinated FHS students and staff

○ Beginning December 13, 2021 through December 23, 2021 (this will allow us to see if we have an uptick in cases following the Thanksgiving holiday and plan for implementation); then again, beginning January 10, 2022 following the winter break.

○ Families complete an attestation form related to vaccination status and permission to share it

● Masks would still be required for

○ Unvaccinated FHS students and staff

○ All visitors, regardless of vaccination status

○ All individuals in the Nurse’s office

○ All individuals on buses/school transportation

○ All spectators/audience members at events, regardless of vaccination status

○ Vaccinated individuals identified as close contacts

● Athletics - Mask requirements for athletes and MIAA events remain to be determined. We will remain apprised of MIAA/DESE/Hockomock League Rules (see also above).
● Masks remain optional as long as the following metrics are met

○ 14-day percent positivity in Franklin less than 4%

○ There is no evidence of in-school transmission

○ There is no evidence of clusters based on classroom or activity

● Recognizing that this is a fluid situation, additional metrics or provisions may need to be established

While this will not be welcome news to all, the sentiment I sense from FHS is that the school community is generally in favor of relaxing the mask mandate for vaccinated individuals. Masks are only one mitigation strategy among many that we are using to prevent the spread of COVID. Important FHS mitigation strategies also include vaccination, UVGI throughout the entire school, portable HEPA filtration units, good hand hygiene practices, monitoring symptoms and staying home when sick, Test and Stay for close contacts, and symptomatic COVID testing.

Shared from the Franklin Public Schools page ->   https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/uploads/discussion_action_b_-_mask_proposal.pdf

Mask Waiver for Franklin High School - Implementation process, timeline, and details proposed

Boston Globe: "When can the COVID-19 masks finally come off?"

"Amid the turmoil of the past two years — a period that included a deadly pandemic, mass layoffs, an ugly presidential election and an attack on the U.S. Capitol — some of the fiercest political debates in America have been waged over a nearly weightless piece of fabric: the face mask.

U.S. officials were slow to embrace face masks as a strategy for slowing the spread of the coronavirus. When they finally did, masks became a potent symbol of the pandemic — a common-sense public health measure turned political flashpoint and a visible reminder that life was anything but normal.

Now, with the summer’s delta surge in the rearview mirror and the vaccination of school-age children underway, many Americans are wondering when the masks might finally come off."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/11/20/nation/when-can-covid-19-masks-finally-come-off/

Boston Globe: "When can the COVID-19 masks finally come off?"

Pantherbook: Articles worth reading - Downtown Franklin, mask mandate, climate change

"History of Franklin: Downtown Franklin"

Nihara Lijan, Writer

"Many of us have either been to or driven through downtown Franklin, but do we really know the significance or history behind each building located there? There are seven main sections of downtown Franklin that are important to the history of how Franklin developed. Let’s look at each one of them in depth!"

Continue reading -> https://franklinpanthers.us/top-stories/2021/11/12/history-of-franklin-downtown-franklin/ 

 

"Mask Mandate at Franklin High School"
Anna Hoffmann, Writer

"The 2021 to 2022 school year is well underway. Public schools in the United States are chock-full of students, bustling hallways, and swarming cafeterias. Students and staff alike are no longer separated by six feet. However, unfortunately, the Covid-19 virus is as well underway as the current school year is. Of course, vaccinations have become readily available, treatment for Covid-19 has improved, and cases are falling. Google Meets have become a practically nonexistent area of academic lives. Progress has been made. Still, the virus remains a threat. There is no cure, it can still spread, and we need to be cautious of the new strains and variants. This means mask mandates have become typical for most public schools. Franklin High School students, and public school students in general, have become somewhat fed up with required mask-wearing. As a result, it has become a political, contentious issue in the United States. Overall, the Franklin High School community, school communities in general, have been left to wonder: when will it end? "

Continue reading -> https://franklinpanthers.us/school-news/2021/11/15/mask-mandate-at-franklin-high-school/ 

"Climate Change: How it is Misunderstood"
Lucia Perkins, Writer

"We have all heard of climate change, but we as world citizens have not heard enough of it. Climate change is happening everywhere. Fluctuations of temperatures in the environment have been and continue to be a worldwide issue. Global issues come with misunderstandings and climate change is no exception. It is never too late to learn them because the more we educate ourselves and the FHS community, the more we can help the world in small, but powerful ways."

Continue reading -> https://franklinpanthers.us/news/2021/11/16/climate-change-how-it-is-misunderstood/

Pantherbook: Articles worth reading

Recap: School Committee meeting interrupted by audience; MASC resolutions discussed, mask policy approved, Executive Session closed meeting

Quick Recap:

• The FHS student updates were interrupted by some members of the audience, a shouting match ensued, and a break in the meeting was gaveled by the Chair
• As the meeting back to business, they heard a presentation from the Science National Honor Society, status update on re-opening, and the Oct 1 enrollment report (with lots of details) 
• The MASC resolutions were discussed, and while most passed, the exact vote outcome was not clear (all seven members were in the Chambers and roll call was not required)
• Given the DESE decision to extend the mask policy was announced Tuesday afternoon, the policy proposal had been reworded to provide room for implementation of future changes. The decision to apply for the waiver (as FHS has reached 82% vaccination rate) was approved. The masks don't go away immediately. The next school committee will hear of the proposed implementation plan before it is set in motion. Given what has been happening around with other districts, a cautious approach is quite likely with more of a relaxed implementation after the holidays (assuming the number of COVID cases remains low)
• Recognition of the three members not returning (they are not running for re-election) was moved from meeting opening to just before the Executive Session. They received a plaque and a token of appreciation
• The Committee entered executive session not to return to public meeting and the broadcast/live stream ended

 

----

 

As with most meetings in this pandemic period, I took my notes via Twitter during the meeting reporting in real time via the Zoom/live stream 

 

The Twitter hashtag can be found online  #schcom1026

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23schcom1026&src=typed_query 

 

Agenda doc -> https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/agendas/scagenda_10-26-21_0.pdf

 

Meeting packet folder - >  https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/pages/october-22-2021-school-committee-meeting-packet

 

Photos captured during the meeting and shared via Twitter can be found in one folder  https://photos.app.goo.gl/8pD4yEPwTQjcSLhh7

 

• Getting ready for live tweeting/ reporting on the Franklin  #schcom1026 meeting
• Meeting packet folder contains agenda doc, connection info, and anything else released 4 this meeting. Superintendent's report gets added on Weds https://franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/pages/october-22-2021-school-committee-meeting-packet… #schcom1026
• In a time warp? #schcom10126 we'll find out soon…
• Something of a time warp in that the live stream started before some folks were allowed into the Zoom session (at least me) #schcom1026
• Motion to move the recognition of departing members to end of meeting, moved, seconded, (to conclude all business) before executive session #schcom1026 passes (likely 7-0; to be confirmed as members are viewed)

Citizen Comments

• Citizen comment on 'protected students' who is  who determines? Shouldn't be a division looking for definition. #schcom1026 
• Husband of candidate Videra reads the section left out of the statement from the candidate forum quote from The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
• Parent with comment on student lunch time and recess time, Franklin has done nothing in the 8 years she has been complaining about, then shifts to sex talk for 9 year olds, "the hate you give" being read earlier than recommended #schcom1026
• Parent speaking on the DESE extension and lack of initiative for FPS to go on their own, #schcom1026 no survey done of parents to see where they fall on this 
• Parent talking about possible coercion for vaccine to kids as discussed by SchCom at prior meeting
• Resident complains about the lack of Franklin TV for making the #SchCom1026 videos available.
• FHS students plugging production of "Mamma Mia" Nov 12-13; trunk or treat this weekend in FHS parking lot; National Honor society project to run theater clinic for elementary students; #schcom1026 Medway doing regular testing in lieu of masks
• FHS seniors coming back and now starting to feel stress as college apps are being done, hard transition; enforcing masks, students not following be considerate of those around and their well-being #schcom1026
• Spirit week, include photos to add soul to the school, gym decorated, corner colors by class, cabaret last week, Dalton award from Globe for sports, #schcom1026 student responds to protected student question, everyone is protected
• Meeting takes a break as parent objects to FHS student comment on harassment and voices are raised #schcom1026
• Chair gaveled for break after request for silence was not adhered to, zoom muted, live stream audio switch to radio. Assume it will come back some time #schcom1026

Break/Return

• Someone on Zoom complaining about violating open meeting, actually no. Once gaveled for a break, they are not in an official meeting, when they gavel back the meeting will resume. #schcom1026
• Gaveling back to order. #schcom1026
• Everyone was respectful in their comments, that same respect should be accorded the FHS students. #schcom1026

Superintendent Report

• Next up Superintendent Report, Professional development schedule for Nov 2; congrats to FHS for Dalton award, leaving room for parking at the gym for election #schcom1026 FDA working towards making vaccine available when approved in a local clinic
• With round of committee option to comment or question the report, confirms that all seven are indeed in the Chambers this evening #schcom1026

FHS Science National Honor Society

• FHS students presenting on national honor society for science #schcom1026  https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/sci-nhs
• Screen grabs on science nights conducted by group pre-COVID #schcom1026
• YouTube channel created during COVID to share the experiments #schcom1026
• Working with elementary school to develop a science project for their curriculum #schcom1026 ad-hoc comments on promotion of DEI setting a good role model for younger students given tonight's events

MASC resolutions

• Next up discussion action item; MASC resolutions for delegate representation at conf next week, motion on resolution 1  https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/d-res  #schcom1026 vote not clear but would pass (Pfeffer no, someone else no, possible abstain also)
• MASC resolution 2 Pfeffer also speaks to no on this, (the resolution would enable MASC to lobby on our behalf for these) #schcom1026 vote likely 6-1 
• Resolution 3 - Pfeffer also speaks to no, Keenan where is the prioritization on these? How does that come to play? Superintendent adds some clarification around funding and priorities and funding sources, res 4 would require time on learning change for recess #schcom1026  Vote on res 3, likely 6-1 
• #schcom1026 resolution 4 Pfeffer also speaks to no due to her lack of understanding of the wording; vote likely 6-1 
• Resolution 5 - Pfeffer likes this one! Zero tolerance policy should be avoided whenever possible, use restorative practice, vote 7-0
• Resolution 6 an alternative to MCAS, vote 7-0
• Resolution 7 SchComm and receivership; Pfeffer speaks to no on this (?) Discussion on this as intending to restoration of local control - vote 6-1 likely #schcom1026
• Resolution 8 - Pfeffer too altruistic statement, chances of getting in her opinion slim to none, voting no; vote hard to say but likely not passed
• Resolution 9 - voting 6-1 #schcom1026

Policy discussion/approvals

• Policy for approval  https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/d-b-pol-2ndrd #schcom1026 vote 7-0
• Policy for approval  https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/d-c-pol-1strd move to second reading vote 7-0
• Policy on face coverings   https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/d-e-pol-adoption #schcom1026 FHS at 82% would allow for approval of waiver to DESE motion to waive 1st reading, assume waiver approved would come back with implementation plan vote 7-0
• Motion on policy to approve, passes 7-0 #schcom1026, implementation plan would still come back to Committee for approval (likely post election)
• Reopening report/ Oct 1 enrollment report
• Reopening report; smaller increase in vaccination rates, info is accurate, DESE has time delay in reporting, ours is direct access; #schcom1026   https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/10-22-status-update
• Oct 1 enrollment update   https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/uploads/october_1_enrollment_report_2021.pdf
• Update on McKibben study and look back, lunch is free, may have deterred folks from applying previously, free lunch #s, more English learners in district this year; increase in diversity among student population #schcom1026 page 5 indicates resident students going elsewhere
• Page 6 will be updated after another report is filed, timeline on charter expansion includes in recap, 33 students from FHS last year did attend an online school in MA #schcom1026
• Policy subcom has been busy, joint PCC last meeting today attended by Pfeffer, good work being done by group, equitable spending across the elementary schools being looked at #schcom1026 adventure continues; SWAC touts upcoming forum on Nov 16 for community, flyer coming, hybrid

New business / recognition

• New business; Nov 9, organization meeting, vote on leadership and subcommittees; MCAS update later in Nov, update on waiver and next steps for facial covering implementation (assuming waiver accepted) #schcom1026 consent agenda approved, passes 7-0
• Recognition of departing #schcom1026 members, last two years were most challenging, pandemic, budget, facility analysis; Keenan first, Pfeffer next, Bergen next
• Photos to be added, plaque, token of appreciation given to the three members in recognition #schcom1026
• Keenan: Appreciate the patience, we haven't always agreed but is has been an honor and a privilege, it takes a lot to whomever is elected, keep it civil and kind, #schcom1026 "it is easier to listen the more civil and kind it is"
• Pfeffer: to do this properly we need to ask questions, examine the costs and manpower, how does the school get money? how does the town get money? New members should be given a copy of Roberts Rules of Order #schcom1026
• Bergen: thanks to the community for the honor of serving, thanks for your patience in the world of Zoom, tech is not one of my strengths; showed concern for staff as well as the students; wrote a few closing remarks - the Portrait of a Graduate is an impressive accomplishment
• Schools and town services are affected by the budget shortfall it is up to the residents to decide, we provide an objective transparent view of the budget and issues, legislative forums among others outreach efforts #schcom1026
• Rigorous academic education as well as physical emotional well-being, what Horace Mann knew, opioid problem hasn't gone away, emotional health issues are growing around us, a community issue, #schcom1026 we need to understand the toll it takes on us and the children
• In my time, 9 superintendents, never had one dealt with the challenges that Dr Ahern has in her term, it has not been done by her alone, along with her central office staff and the principals across the district, the whole staff bus drivers, custodians, etc. #schcom1026
• Thanks to Chris Sterns and Franklin TV for making the meetings happen, thanks, Horace Mann would be proud of us today. #schcom1026 
• MJ interjects to give thanks, Judy jokes that she'll go to the Planning Board next. MJ acknowledges knowing Dr Bergen and working with her

Executive session / not to return to open meeting

• Motion to enter executive session, not to return to open meeting, to discuss negotiation and legal issues Via roll call passes 7-0
• That's all for tonight (yup, late to this, what a night!) #schcom1026
• Audio recording of meeting to be available in couple of days

 

The YouTube version of the meeting can be found https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/10/what-happened-at-franklin-school.html

FHS Science National Honor Society provides update

school mask mandate is extended through "at least January 15, 2022"

MASC-SchoolCommittee (@MASCSchoolComm) tweeted Tue, Oct 26, 2021:

Commissioner Riley has announced that the state #MAEdu school mask mandate is extended through "at least January 15, 2022." 

Please see attached documents for more information. https://t.co/2TC9w7Mp93

Today, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) announced that after consulting with medical experts and state health officials, Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley notified school districts in the Commonwealth that he will extend the mask requirement in all K-12 public schools through at least January 15, 2022.

 

The Department, in collaboration with medical experts and state health officials, will continue to evaluate and consider other criteria that could be used in the future to lift the mask requirement based on public health data.

 

“Massachusetts is a national leader in vaccination rates for adults and eligible children, and in anticipation of the vaccine becoming available in the coming weeks for children ages 5 to 11 years old, this extension of the mask requirement will allow time for the elementary school population to receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Education Secretary James Peyser. “This will be another big step forward in our efforts to keep school safe for our kids.”

 

“Masks remain a simple and effective measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep students in school safely,” said Commissioner Riley. “Together with the Test and Stay program, high vaccination rates, low transmission rates in schools and all the hard work in keeping our students safe, our kids are able to stay in school where they belong and can flourish.”

 

School officials will continue to be able to lift the mask requirement if they can demonstrate that at least 80 percent of all students and staff in a school building are vaccinated after submitting documentation to DESE. Lifting the mask mandate through the vaccination threshold is a local decision made by school and district leaders if they choose to take advantage it.

 

The following mask requirements will remain in effect:

• Public school students ages 5 and older in all grades and staff are required to wear masks indoors in schools, except when eating, drinking or during mask breaks
• All visitors are also expected to wear a mask in school buildings, regardless of vaccination status
• Masks are not required outdoors
• It is strongly recommended that students younger than 5 also wear a mask in school
• Students and staff who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons, and students who cannot wear a mask for behavioral reasons are exempted from this requirement

All districts are required this school year to provide in-person learning to all students. Since the start of the year, approximately 920,000 public school students have been learning in schools with minimal disruptions. In addition to masking, this progress has been possible thanks to school communities working together to participate in the state’s COVID-19 testing program, combined with high vaccination rates among eligible populations.

 

Massachusetts has become a national model for surveillance and rapid testing in schools. More than 2,200 public and private schools have opted into either one or multiple forms of testing that the state is providing free to all schools. DESE and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services launched a groundbreaking Test and Stay program for students identified as close contacts in school, allowing students to be tested daily and remain in class if they test negative. This innovative approach has saved students across the Commonwealth more than 48,000 days of in-person learning this school year.

 

In August, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education gave the commissioner the authority to require masks for public school staff and students (ages 5 and above) in all grades through at least October 1, 2021. The commissioner said he would revise the requirement as warranted by public health data.

Press Release link ->  https://mailchi.mp/doe.mass.edu/press-release-i6d5p52m94

Shared from Twitter:  https://twitter.com/MASCSchoolComm/status/1453047563679113221?t=M3ibA_AbhgZE472tEIjmDw&s=03

school mask mandate is extended through "at least January 15, 2022" 

Boston Globe: mask and schools; inappropriate behavior changes rule for KP football games

"Mass. communities are reluctant to let students remove masks in school — even when they can"

"Scores of Massachusetts communities have been so effective at getting students and school staff vaccinated that they may no longer have to abide by the state’s mask mandates for their middle and high schools right now — if they chose to.

But while more than 60 communities have met the Baker administration’s threshold of 80 percent or higher vaccination rates among teens, only two — Hopkinton and Ashland — have sought and received permission to stop requiring inoculated students and staff to wear masks in their high school.

And Hopkinton officials are having second thoughts.

The Hopkinton School Committee opted to delay any action to lift the state mask mandate in its high school even though the state gave the town permission on Oct. 7."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/10/15/nation/mass-communities-reluctant-let-students-remove-masks-school-even-when-they-can/

"‘Inappropriate’ behavior prompts new rule for some students at King Philip Regional High football games"

"Middle and elementary school students will now have to bring a parent or guardian with them to attend varsity football games in Wrentham following unruly behavior at home matchups this season, according to a letter sent to King Philip Regional School District families last week.

The new requirement was put in place after young students were caught “exhibiting unruly, inappropriate, disrespectful, and unsportsmanlike behavior during games” at King Philip Regional High School several times over the last few weeks, Superintendent Paul Zinni said in the Tuesday letter.

Zinni said the incidents are “unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

“At King Philip, we pride ourselves on our sportsmanship and integrity for all student-athletes and the student body,” Zinni wrote. “We have all been enjoying cheering on our team this season and wish for their continued success.”

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/10/16/metro/inappropriate-behavior-prompts-new-rule-some-students-king-philip-regional-high-football-games/

Boston Globe: "Behind the state’s school masking policy: a collision of science and politics"

"Opponents of school mask mandates have often been louder and more insistent than supporters — even though polls suggest they’re in the minority. Parent groups opposed to making students wear masks in school have filed at least six lawsuits across Massachusetts to stop the policy.

Now, internal state e-mails suggest that anti-masking activists are having a significant impact on the Baker administration, which has resisted full compliance with federal guidance that students should wear masks at school even if they’ve been vaccinated. Current policy will soon allow schools with high vaccination rates to drop mask requirements for vaccinated students and staff.

The determination to follow this middle path may be in part political. When a Massachusetts General Hospital doctor asked in an e-mail why the state was not following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, a top state health official was blunt: pressure."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/10/02/metro/behind-states-school-masking-policy-collision-science-politics/

Boston Globe: "Behind the state’s school masking policy: a collision of science and politics"

"a mask reduces the potential exposure of the person wearing it"

"If I’m the only person wearing a mask in a store or other indoor location, am I really protected from infection?

It’s true that masks work best when everyone in the room is wearing one. That’s because when an infected person wears a mask, a large percentage of their exhaled infectious particles are trapped, stopping viral spread at the source. And when fewer viral particles are floating around the room, the masks others are wearing would likely block those that have escaped.

But there is also plenty of evidence showing that masks protect the wearer even when others around them are mask-free. The amount of protection depends on the quality of the mask and how well it fits. During a hotel outbreak in Switzerland, for instance, several employees and a guest who tested positive for the coronavirus were wearing only face shields (with no masks); those who wore masks were not infected. And a Tennessee study found that communities with mask mandates had lower hospitalization rates than areas where masks weren’t required."

Continue reading the article online. (Subscription maybe required)

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/well/live/covid-masks-protect.html

Ben's guide to mask wearing - #DoYourPartFranklin

MindShift: "How to Choose the Best Face Mask for Your Kids"

MindShift (@MindShiftKQED) tweeted on Mon, Aug 30, 2021:

Experts agree that the most important thing in selecting masks is to choose one that a child will actually wear properly all day long. https://t.co/aY4VKYP5Wn

"Which masks are best to keep kids safe? It's a question on many parents' minds as students return to in-person school amid a huge wave of coronavirus infections. Masking is a key safety measure in schools for all kids, especially for children too young to be eligible for any COVID-19 vaccine.

A recent study involving 100 school districts and 14 charter schools in North Carolina found that masks were effective at preventing in-school transmission of COVID-19 — even with physical distancing of less than 3 feet.

We asked several experts what parents should consider when it comes to masks for their kids. They all agreed that the most important thing is to choose one that a child will actually wear properly all day long."

Continue reading the article online ->   https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/58388/how-to-choose-the-best-face-mask-for-your-kids

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED/status/1432544925153853440?s=03

MindShift:  "How to Choose the Best Face Mask for Your Kids"

FM #591 & 592 - School Committee Meeting - 08/24/21 - audio recording in 2 parts

FM #591 & 592 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, numbers 591 & 592 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares the Franklin, MA School Committee meeting held on Tuesday, August 24, 2021.

The meeting was conducted in a hybrid format: the School Committee members were in the Municipal Bldg along with some of the public, other members of the public joined via conference bridge, all to adhere to the ‘social distancing’ requirements of this pandemic period.

The recording runs about an hour and forty eight minutes (1 hour 48 minutes), so I split the meeting into two segments:

• First - covers the opening, the handbook updates, and re-opening status (~56 mins)

• Second - covers the citizens comments on the masking policy from DESE, the consent agenda, through to the closing of the meeting (~53 mins)

Links to the meeting agenda and associated documents released for this meeting are included in the show notes. The link to my notes taken during the meeting is also provided.

Let’s listen to this segment of the School Committee meeting Aug 24, 2021

 

Part 1 -> https://player.captivate.fm/episode/5f222fa5-c28e-4fea-990e-c82a38fadb91

Part 2 -> https://player.captivate.fm/episode/78bb69ef-d83c-49e9-9562-dd85585b60af

--------------

School Committee Agenda doc (including connection info) ->  https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/files/sc-agenda-8-24-21

 

Agenda folder -> https://www.franklinps.net/district/meeting-packets/pages/august-24-2021-school-committee-meeting-packet

My notes captured during the meeting

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2021/08/recap-school-committee-meeting-82421.html 

--------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

 

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

 

FM #591 & 592 - School Committee Meeting - 08/24/21 - audio recording in 2 parts

The Hill: "At least 90,000 students have had to quarantine because of COVID-19 so far this school year"

"Just weeks into the new school year, at least 90,000 children in 19 states have had to or are currently quarantining or isolating after contracting COVID-19 or coming into contact with someone who tested positive for the disease.

The disruptions have caused uncertainty for parents, students and school districts that had hoped to resume in-person instruction after a year marked by lockdowns and virtual learning.

The staggering number of K-12 students under quarantine is largely driven by the highly infectious delta variant that has taken hold as the dominant strain in the U.S.

....

Bans on school mask mandates and the fact that no vaccines have been approved for children under 12 are helping to drive cases."

Continue reading the article online

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/569565-at-least-90-thousand-students-have-had-to-quarantine-because-of-covid-19-so

Andy Slavitt's Twitter thread - 08/25/21

Via Andy Slavitt, a worthy Twitter thread to share:

• COVID Update: There are few more important or sensitive topics than kids & their health. They are being made pawns in a dangerous game. We need to be put a stop to it. 1/
• There is a fairly loud camp that believes the focus on kids is overblown & mask mandates are harmful. Much of their logic if there is any has to turn on the fact that very very few kids have died from COVID. Thankfully most indeed recover. That argument misses a lot. 2/
• Let’s start with data. There were over 130,000 reported cases of COVID-19 in kids this week. Up 4x from a month ago. But we’re just getting started & before school is back in much of the country. 3/
• A number of these cases turn serious. Between 1/2%-2% of kids end up hospitalized & they are out of room for kids in much of the Southeast. And some kids get MIS-C or any of a number of other ailments that hit adults— from kidney disease to brain issues to cardiac issues. 4/
• So there are say 1-2 thousand kids being hospitalized every week. And frankly we’re just getting started. About 1% of those stricken with the polio virus got paralysis. We used to think that was important. 5/
• What’s that look like? I called a pediatrician virologist in Alabama Children’s today. He walked me through it. Many of us have been to an ER with our kids & when they can’t be seen for hours & it’s chaos. This feels worse. 6/
• Pediatricians describe kids with SARS-CoV-2 who can’t get their breath & are scared. Doug Ducey is bribing schools now not to require masks. He should step foot for a hot second inside a Children’s Hospital & face the families there & listen for an hour. 7/ 
• If you’ve taken your child into the hospital with swine flu or RSV, you know it’s no picnic. (Our sons have had both) If they have to stay the night, it’s generally because of their labored breathing & high fever. Being sent home because there’s no room is terrifying. 8/
• Unlike earlier respiratory viruses, pediatricians tell me that with SARS-CoV-2 & you add an array of potential mysteries, an immune system that is confused and a limited array of medicines. Generally no monoclonals. Steroids & some traditional drugs. 9/
• Parents ask questions that don’t have answers. We count on the child’s immune system to be in working order. No pediatrician I’ve talked to has seen a vaccinated kid in the hospital. Many of course are under 12 & have no choice. 10/
• Yet, to Ducey-DeSantis-Abbott, hospitalized kids are like school shootings— the price of freedom. And the numbers suggest most schools that don’t take precautions will have families in this situation 11/
• Because the costs are so patently low & the solutions so patently clear, its even harder to squint your eyes & imagine someone arguing a child sick enough to be hospitalized doesn’t require action. But here we are. 12/
• The basics of protecting kids @school are known to everyone. 1- vaccinate adults. Lower prevalence will keep kids the safest 2- vaccinate kids 12 & up. Very very few vaccinated kids are hospitalized. 3- require kids & teachers to wear masks. 4- Mitigate schools w 8+ measures 13/
• For schools who have adopted those measures (ventilation, eating, masks, etc), studies show there is almost no spread in schools. (Delta might challenge that near zero result— we don’t know). 14/
• Arguments that kids shouldn’t miss in person learning are right on. But when they’re made by an adult who hasn’t been vaccinated & doesn’t support these measures, be clear they think it’s important enough to say but just not important enough to do something about. 15/
• The idea that masks are harmful to kids (usually according to some obscure study of 14 kids in a journal no one has heard of or peer reviewed) doesn’t stand up to the science of respiratory viruses. It’s an argument made by people who feel they shouldn’t have to bother. 16/
• We are constantly reminded of the non-illness scars on kids from the pandemic. Missing school, mental health, missing friends, losing parents. This is sadly all true but it doesn’t make the argument anti-mask/vax people think it does. 17/
• Getting kids back to school safely would be maybe the one thing we might imagine everyone agrees on. But the fact that we have the tools & don’t use them says it all. 18/
• Adults should add to the list that kids can see their considerations are the bottom of anyone’s concerns— if they appear at all. When adults won’t get themselves vaccinated even to keep kids safe, it sends a clear message to kids how little they matter. 19/
• And they will have many years to remember & thank us as we age. /end

https://twitter.com/ASlavitt/status/1430598141888237569

"Are masks effective for kids? Here’s what to know before school starts" & DESE mask order detailed

"What do we know about masks and their effectiveness in schools?

The American Academy of Pediatrics — as well as many doctors and scientists — support universal masking policies as the best chance to keep schools safely open. A properly fitted mask that covers the nose and mouth reduces the amount of viral droplets in the air exchanged by people breathing or talking near each other, said Dr. Ibukun Kalu, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at Duke University Medical Center.

Several studies have shown the effectiveness of masks. One of the largest, conducted by the ABC Collaborative with Duke University, analyzed data from North Carolina public schools where masks were required. Researchers found that from March to June, 7,000 children and adults attended school while infectious with COVID, leading to 40,000 “close contacts” being quarantined. Of those, only 363 contracted the virus.

That low rate of in-school transmission was due in large part to masks, Kalu said, as most schools didn’t upgrade ventilation or socially distance students."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/08/25/metro/are-masks-effective-kids-heres-what-know-before-school-starts/

Arianna Licona, 6, led a class of first graders into the Hill School for Revere's first day of classes on Wednesday. For the first time since early March 2020, all 11 Revere Public Schools opened at full capacity for the 2021 school year.CRAIG F. WALKER/GLOBE STAFF/THE BOSTON GLOBE

"The new guidance from @MASchoolsK12 in line with the Commissioner's conferred authority is now online: https://t.co/C84yY6vSMF "  #MAEdu

Shared from Twitter:   https://twitter.com/MASCSchoolComm/status/1430668117538222080?s=03

DESE link ->  https://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/on-desktop/2021-0825mask-requirement.pdf

Senator Becca Rausch: Our Public Health Victory

View this email in your browser  https://mailchi.mp/562f0db507e7/reopeningupdate-14805612?e=0c2c9810fe Dear friends,    Greetings from Beacon Hill! I hope all of you are enjoying the final days of summer and gearing up for heading back to school in just a couple of weeks.    Throughout this pandemic, I have been leading the fight to protect our communities' health and well-being. Most recently, I've been laser focused on ensuring our children and teachers can return to classrooms safely this year. Time and again, Governor Baker and his administration rejected the scientific evidence and data-driven recommendations to mask up everyone age 2+ in schools. Thousands of you engaged by sending me emails, posting to social media, signing an open letter petition to the Governor, and contacting your friends, family, and neighbors to join us.    And it worked.    Earlier today, thanks to your advocacy, the Board of Education authorized universal indoor masking in K-12 schools all across the Commonwealth until at least October 1. Whether you are a student, parent, teacher, school committee member, public health expert, or advocate -- this victory belongs to you.     Our fight for science and safety is not over, of course. This mask mandate is the floor, not the ceiling. It does not apply to childcare, nor does it does not set up middle and high schools for success after October 1, according to some experts. I am grateful to know that we are in this together.    My goal throughout this fight has always been to give our children the safe, supportive, and successful school year they deserve. We can only achieve that through statewide data-driven public health measures, such as the one approved today.  Let's celebrate, and let's keep going.     Yours in service,  Senator Becca Rausch  Our mailing address is: The Office of Senator Becca Rausch Massachusetts State House, Room 218 24 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02133