What just transpired Sunday, June 7, with our state education system is truly reprehensible. I cannot fathom what this governor could have done to create more chaos with less than a month left in the school year than what he just did. The actions taken by the Cuomo administration go far beyond that which could even be considered disgraceful, this is truly unconscionable.
As the parent of a fifth grader and a kindergartener, I sit on the committee for our school district that examines changes to state mandates and helps our administration and school board come to a consensus. When the Cuomo administration released their removal of requirements for masking of students and staff on Friday, June 5, we reviewed the letter during an emergency meeting and the school board held a subsequent emergency meeting to adopt and follow the updated state guidance.
There was no ambiguity in the Friday letter, it spelled out specific procedures and had an effective date. The only caveat was that the Cuomo administration would allow the CDC to review the new guidelines to make recommendations or raise concerns. What it did not say was that they would rescind their plans even if the CDC objected. Many other states have already done so. This had to have been discussed by Mr. Cuomo with other Governors and federal representatives as he is, after all, the Chairman of the National Governors Association (NGA). For our governor to even suggest otherwise would be colossally insulting.
It was strange enough for the initial change in guidance to be issued on a Friday afternoon. But we truly entered into the Twilight Zone when, on a Sunday evening mind you, the Cuomo administration decided to backpedal and say no, we will not be implementing this change on Monday after all.
This left school districts and parents scrambling to deal with this and has left the education system in utter chaos. Some school boards, mine included, were citing many factors including fear of having state aid withheld and are having to undo what they did only 48 hours earlier; others were already openly defying the state and saying they would follow the Friday guidance come Monday.
For School Boards, administrations, students, teachers, and parents to find themselves in open conflict with New York State and each other is the worst possible situation. These conflicting announcements hurt both the mental and physical well-being of our children and those teaching them.
We can no longer tolerate this behavior. I commend the school boards who are engaging in their own form of civil disobedience by refusing to go back on their word to do away with these onerous mandates that have reached the end of their effectiveness. It is long overdue to stand up for our children. Stand up not just for their health but for things I thought we held to be self evident including Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. We must teach our children that government derives their just powers from the consent of the governed. This governor has clearly shown he is unjust and the parents of this state must show we most certainly do not consent.
