The Des Moines Education Association sent out an email on Thursday morning regarding House File 847, which Gov. Kim Reynolds signed early in the morning to ban schools from requiring masks.
The group represents over 3,500 teachers, educational support professionals, secretaries, nurses and other educators in the Des Moines Public Schools. It is the local affiliate of the Iowa State Education Association and National Education Association.
They were not happy that schools had their power to force little kids to cover their smiles all day, every day.
“While our staff and a few students have had access to vaccination, the removal of the one last tool we had to help keep students safe when there were only days left of the school year is a frustrating reminder of the dangers of electing people who do not prioritize the well being of our students and communities,” the email said. “We encourage our staff to continue to wear masks to be models for students who are struggling with the decision to feel more comfortable wearing theirs to be as safe as possible in our classrooms. We will be working with the district to attempt to come up with a plan after this surprise amendment was added (Wednesday) to make our learning environments as safe as possible for students.”
