By B. Hamilton |
Parents of Arizona’s K-12 students are praising and Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman is slamming Governor Doug Ducey for rescinding orders that direct K-12 schools to require masks.
The Governor’s Office noted that with teachers having been vaccinated early on, the decision to require students to wear masks at schools are up to school leaders.
The governor’s action masking edict continues to provide K-12 school districts and charter schools the right to institute and enforce policies to mitigate against COVID-19 spread, including the use of masks.
The governor’s action aligns with CDC guidance and rescinds a section of Executive Order 2020-51, issued by the Governor in July directing schools to require face masks and Emergency Measure 2020-04, issued by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) outlining requirements for mask usage in schools.
Superintendent Hoffman, in her statement, released Monday, that the governor’s decision was “abrupt” and “destabilizes school
communities.”
Hoffman “encouraged school leaders and board members to work with their communities to make transparent evidence-based decisions to
build trust and the safety of our schools.”
Parents say they are doing just that and are now organizing to change policies on the school level. They say they will begin contacting school officials requesting the end-of-mask mandates on school sites as soon as possible.
