OPINION: SAISD Rescind ALL COVID-Related Policies Immediately

Dear San Angelo ISD:
My name is Caleb Wallace. I write to you today regarding the school's decision to keep in place masks, and restrictions. The job you currently have I'm sure you chose it because you care about the kid's future. And you must have the understanding that when parents send their kids to school, they are placing a lot of trust in the drivers all the way up to you, to deliver the best quality of life and a place for them to grow. With your choice to take that on I commend you and the staff. Not a lot of folks have that courage.

But unfortunately, San Angelo ISD has defaulted on their end of the bargain. We are over a year when we were told "15 days to slow the spread". Now every child is subject to your administration's lack of understanding when it comes to the efficacy and morality of lockdowns and masking. In fact, Sweden just published a letter in the New England Journal of Medicine examined ~2 million school-age children (ages 1 to 16) from March through June 2020, where there was no masking or other mitigation efforts, and found just 15 children (0.00075%) required hospitalization from COVID-19, and there was not a single reported death. They also found no greater risk of serious infection among teacher than the general population, adjusting for other variables. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2026670. 

 A similar study in Norway found remarkably low transmission in schools, even though there is no recommendation to wear mask. About 81% of the COVID-related deaths in the U.S. are senior 65 and older. 96% are 50 and older. CDC now says 78% of hospitalizations are overweight obese people. It's been a year now and the very low risk for most still hasn't sunk in. COVID accounts for 208 death ages 0-17 of 36,203 since January 2020. Just Confirmed cases alone, CDC has over 2.5 million cases for 0-17. That lags behind and doesn't include the millions of asymptomatic infections that were likely never tested. Survival rate of 0-17 confirmed cases: 99.992%!!! 

 With so few kids getting sick from this virus, and so little evidence that masks worked for anyone, why isn't your administration taking in the account the harmful effects of masking on children? Some of the side effects have been irritability, headaches, difficulty concentrating, decreased happiness, malaise, impaired learning, and fatigue.  What have been the benefits of lockdowns and masking? I say to you that there is ZERO benefit to this continued practice. 

 Harvard University study observed the damage that can be caused by exposing them to endless fear and anxiety, "ensuring that young children have and, secure environments in which to grow, learn and develop healthy brains and bodies is not only good for the children themselves but also builds a strong foundation for thriving, prosperous society." Science shows that early exposure to circumstances that produce persistent fear and chronic anxiety can have lifelong consequences by disrupting the developing architecture of the brain." https://developingchild.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Persistent-Fear-and-Anxiety-Can-Affect-Young-Childrens-Learning-and-Development.pdf

 What you and your administration is doing would have been considered criminal 19 months ago. The Parker ISD TX, never issued any guidance or requirements on children, and yet they are reporting that their kids are thriving, and most kids are on track academically! No one was placed in mandatory quarantine. Homecoming still happened. Sports, concerts, and festivals still went on as usual. The superintendent Lance Johnson said " it's real simple. We've just done it. It's not that difficult if you really put the needs of your kids first." 

 We are demanding that San Angelo ISD rescind ALL COVID-related policies immediately! Nothing less would be acceptable.  

Caleb Wallace 

West Texas Minutemen State Coordinator