Oregon leaders have put schools in difficult positions at the expense of our children. As an educator in Northeast Oregon I have watched my students and own children suffer as a result of mask mandates and social distancing rules for two years. Students are demonstrating deficits in social/emotional skills, speech and language, and in academics. There are increased mental health concerns among both students and school staff. School boards are tasked with enforcing the mandates or risk losing funding. Administrators “threaten” students with the loss of extracurricular activities and more online school due to school closures if they don’t comply. The teacher’s union continues to conspire with Oregon leaders as they control public schools. All while masked students and staff continue to fall ill with COVID, the flu, and other normal illnesses that circulate through schools. Mask mandates and social distancing rules are costing us our future. It’s time schools, staff, parents and students demand local control and that mask wearing becomes an individual choice.

Allie Scott

Union