{"id":33529,"date":"2020-11-19T06:00:39","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T12:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=33529"},"modified":"2021-06-11T14:30:01","modified_gmt":"2021-06-11T19:30:01","slug":"masking-rules-a-patchwork-in-oklahoma-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2020\/11\/19\/masking-rules-a-patchwork-in-oklahoma-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"Masking rules a patchwork in Oklahoma schools"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_33531\"  class=\"wp-caption module image aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 672px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-33531\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/11\/IMG_5735-672x448.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"672\" height=\"448\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/11\/IMG_5735-672x448.jpeg 672w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/11\/IMG_5735-1920x1280.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/11\/IMG_5735-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/11\/IMG_5735-150x100.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/11\/IMG_5735-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/11\/IMG_5735-620x413.jpeg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/11\/IMG_5735-1620x1080.jpeg 1620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Courtesy Elizabeth Bass<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Bass family of Norman. Elizabeth Bass says mandatory masking policies make her feel better about her kids being in school during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 100%; height: 170px; margin-bottom: 20px; border-radius: 10px; overflow:hidden;\"><iframe style=\"width: 100%; height: 170px;\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https:\/\/player.captivate.fm\/episode\/32f12801-433f-4607-a104-7bcb32fb7666\"><\/iframe><\/div><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Norman Public Schools\u2019 strict masking rule is the main reason Elizabeth Bass sent her child to school.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The masks &#8211; not just on her child but on all of her teachers and classmates too &#8211; are a layer of security that makes her family feel safe.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI&#8217;m still not completely comfortable, but we&#8217;re not necessarily in a position where we could do virtual learning all the time,\u201d Bass said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having her daughter Penny in school and her younger son Robby at daycare &#8211; where masks are also required for teachers &#8211; has allowed Bass and her husband to work. It&#8217;s still scary, she said. Her father and brother both caught COVID-19 earlier this year and she wouldn\u2019t wish it on anyone. But taking basic precautions is key and it\u2019s easy for Bass\u2019s kids.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt doesn&#8217;t bother them,\u201d she said. They just see it as something that they&#8217;re doing to help protect other people and to keep themselves safe. It has never been a big deal to them.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Important is the perfect word doctors and state education leaders say. For weeks, they\u2019ve touted the importance of wearing masks. But, Oklahoma\u2019s State Board of Education <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2020\/11\/12\/oklahomas-state-board-of-education-begs-local-school-leaders-to-mandate-masks\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has declined to mandate them<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> just like Gov. Kevin Stitt.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe do need everyone in this state to take this incredibly seriously,\u201d board member Jennifer Monies said. \u201cAnd we trust that local communities know to do what\u2019s best for their kids and their districts so I appreciate what we\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite that trust, masking rules are applied unevenly statewide. A survey conducted by the State Department of Education last month found about 80 percent have some rules requiring masks in place. However, those rules are applied unevenly and only about half of the state\u2019s schools require masks in the classroom. Many policies simply apply to buses or hallways during passing periods.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2020\/11\/19\/state-superintendent-says-she-would-have-implemented-oklahoma-schools-masking-mandate-a-long-time-ago\/\">And that\u2019s not good enough,<\/a> State schools superintendent Joy Hofmeister said.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe cannot accept that this is going to simply go away without extra vigilance and we are imploring our local school districts, of course, and superintendents to have a mask requirement of all staff and students on campus,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_32823\"  class=\"wp-caption module image aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 672px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-32823\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/05\/IMG_5100-672x425.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"672\" height=\"425\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/05\/IMG_5100-672x425.jpg 672w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/05\/IMG_5100-1920x1213.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/05\/IMG_5100-768x485.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/05\/IMG_5100-150x95.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/05\/IMG_5100-300x190.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/05\/IMG_5100-620x392.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/05\/IMG_5100-1709x1080.jpg 1709w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Courtesy Abby Pike<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Masks like these sewed by Edmond eighth grader Abby Pike are not always required in the state&#8217;s schools after a motion to do so failed at a summer Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3><b>Effectiveness of masks<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dwight Sublett doesn\u2019t mince words.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt is imperative in my mind that we have a mandatory mask policy for the schools,\u201d Sublett said earlier this month in a press event put on by the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy calling for a statewide mask mandate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sublett, President of the Oklahoma chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics, said masks work. They effectively slow the spread of COVID-19, a disease that\u2019s rapidly getting more out of control in Oklahoma.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He\u2019s backed up by the child advocacy group, who recently purchased <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/oklahoman.com\/article\/5675152\/billboards-call-for-oklahoma-school-mask-mandate\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">digital billboard space<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> near the Capitol and in Tulsa, asking for a statewide mandate.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hofmeister said a statewide mandate would be ideal.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf there was a way to direct that as state superintendent, I would have done that a long time ago,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But because of the politics around it, a statewide mandate is unlikely to become a reality, so she and others are advocating for individual districts to put them in place.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doctors like Sublett are asking them to ignore the politics of masking.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis is not in any way a political statement, it\u2019s not a philosophical thing,\u201d Sublett said. \u201cPut that aside. It is purely and simply a matter of public health.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_32507\"  class=\"wp-caption module image aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 672px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-32507\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/03\/Hoffmeister-and-Stitt-672x433.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"672\" height=\"433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/03\/Hoffmeister-and-Stitt-672x433.jpeg 672w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/03\/Hoffmeister-and-Stitt-1920x1238.jpeg 1920w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/03\/Hoffmeister-and-Stitt-768x495.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/03\/Hoffmeister-and-Stitt-150x97.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/03\/Hoffmeister-and-Stitt-300x193.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/03\/Hoffmeister-and-Stitt-620x400.jpeg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2020\/03\/Hoffmeister-and-Stitt-1675x1080.jpeg 1675w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Robby Korth \/ StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister address the media during a press conference March 12 about COVID-19 and the potential for school closures. Since then, the two have had different messages about mask mandates in Oklahoma schools.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3><b>Pushback against masking<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gov. Stitt has said a mask mandate isn\u2019t going to happen in Oklahoma.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And it\u2019s purely a philosophical thing.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a press conference last week, Stitt continued to say personal responsibility was the only way to beat the virus as it surges.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSo we\u2019ve said 100 times up here, wear a mask, keep your distance,\u201d Stitt said then. \u201cBut as far as a mandate, I\u2019ve been very clear that I don\u2019t think that\u2019s the right thing to do. This is about pleading with people to do the right thing.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The state\u2019s top health officials have backed him up, saying that they believe masking rules should be <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2020\/11\/09\/oklahoma-public-health-officials-continue-opposition-to-statewide-mask-mandates\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">left up to elected leaders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">State Epidemiologist Jared Taylor said he wouldn\u2019t publicly endorse something like a mask mandate because it isn\u2019t his job.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019m here to provide data,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2026 Opening schools or doing distance education, whether that\u2019s talking about closing down bars or disrupting houses of worship \u2014 that\u2019s not science. That\u2019s not a science question. That\u2019s a political question. And if I ever run for office, then I\u2019ll need to answer that.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reality is, state leaders have thrust the responsibility of masking rules in schools at least onto local districts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But that\u2019s what some want: local control.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coyle Public Schools superintendent Terry Zink said local control is important in his district. He wouldn\u2019t want state leaders to tell him what to do.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAt some point we really have to look to something other than the state mandating this,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He said he has a better understanding of what\u2019s going on in Coyle and its home Logan County than state leaders.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coyle has a three phased approach to masking and distance learning. In the lowest risk phase &#8211; where the school is currently operating &#8211; masks are optional. Zink said he personally looks at statewide data and makes a decision weekly for the district. And he doesn\u2019t take it likely. He had COVID-19 in August.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt was bad,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At that time, he pivoted the entire district to distance learning after he tested positive because he\u2019d recently visited every single classroom in the district. And mask mandates are probably important in bigger school districts, he said.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But Zink still doesn\u2019t think a mask mandate is necessary statewide.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf you feel you need to wear masks, then wear it, don&#8217;t let the state tell you, hey, you have to do it,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you don&#8217;t feel that way and you get it, then it&#8217;s on you.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><iframe id=\"datawrapper-chart-pSqY2\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" title=\"Oklahoma school districts where the coronavirus has been reported\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/pSqY2\/130\/\" height=\"599\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" aria-label=\"map\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var e in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var t=document.getElementById(\"datawrapper-chart-\"+e)||document.querySelector(\"iframe[src*='\"+e+\"']\");t&&(t.style.height=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][e]+\"px\")}}))}();\n<\/script><\/p>\n<h3><b>How will masking look moving forward<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The patchwork is likely to continue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">School districts like ones in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cherokeephoenix.org\/Article\/index\/185548\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stilwell<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicradiotulsa.org\/post\/broken-arrow-mayor-says-no-mask-mandate-works#stream\/0\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Broken Arrow<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have mask mandates in their school hallways despite local governments declining to implement one. Districts like Coyle are unlikely to want one.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And masking rules might not matter that much as the pandemic rages out of control and continues to force schools to pivot to distance learning to reduce the risk of outbreaks.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hofmeister said though it\u2019ll be difficult to pull off, she\u2019ll continue to advocate for a state-level response that includes masking in all schools.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSchool superintendents are educators, they are not public health experts,\u201d Hofmeister said. \u201cI do believe they want the best for their community and those who serve in schools and their students. But a public health crisis, like the one we are in&#8230; calls for a state level response and I don&#8217;t believe that it can look different school, by school.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf we continue down that path, this virus will continue to rage out of control.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All of this, though matters little to the folks living in places with mask mandates in their schools like Bass of Norman. She\u2019s just grateful Norman Public Schools is taking some preventative measures.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFor our kids, it&#8217;s not really made any difference,\u201d she said. \u201cThey just put their mask on and go to school and it&#8217;s, it&#8217;s been fine.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><i>This COVID-19\/education reporting is made possible through a grant from the Walton Family Foundation.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Norman Public Schools\u2019 strict masking rule is the main reason Elizabeth Bass sent her child to school.The masks &#8211; not just on her child but on all of her teachers and classmates too &#8211; are a layer of security that makes her family feel safe.\u201cI&#8217;m still not completely comfortable, but we&#8217;re not necessarily in a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":209,"featured_media":33530,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17,23,16],"tags":[1223,1231,1238,1321,1320],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33529"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/209"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33529"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33529\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34099,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33529\/revisions\/34099"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}