by Guy Page
Gov. Phil Scott supports school mask mandates and believes “we need kids to get vaccinated,” he said Tuesday. Parents who disagree still have personal liberty because they “don’t have to send their kids to school” and can home school or “find another school.”
At the weekly press conference, County Courier (Enosburg) editor Greg Lamoureux asked Scott to comment on Franklin County parents “standing up against the school boards who are implementing your request to have masks mandated for the beginning of the school year.”
“I think it’s perfectly appropriate for kids returning to school to to be masked,” Scott answered. “There’s a a huge population within the schools that haven’t had the ability to be vaccinated, so I think in this situation masking is a good idea.”
“As you remember during the pandemic, we imposed a mass policy as well,” Scott continued. “I believe in personal liberty, but that was a good idea then for us to impose it on the broad population. Hopefully there’ll be a time again when we have enough kids vaccinated where they won’t have to wear masks, but we need kids to get vaccinated as well. We need to have the FDA approve the under-under-11 category so that we can get those kids eligible.”
“I think there is personal liberty,” Scott said. “The parents don’t have to send their kids to school. There’s home schooling. They can find another school. In this case I think it’s perfectly legitimate for the school to impose this.”
A Vermont Daily Chronicle survey of private schools in Vermont shows a mixed response to the state Agency of Education’s guidance on wearing masks in school.
“The guidelines do not mandate universal masking, they suggest,” Vicky Fogg, Head of School at Mid-Vermont Christian School in Quechee, said today. “We are not masking. However, anyone who wants to is supported (staff and student).”
Fogg noted that “we have increased our enrollment compared to last year.”
Other evangelical religious schools also are taking a more laissez-faire approach to masking. The non-religious private schools that responded generally are following masking guidelines.
Cover photo Michael Anderson/Unsplash
Categories: Education
What about the new Israeli study that clearly showed that natural immunity developed by being exposed to and infected by Covid is far superior to that provided by the vax? Why on earth would you continue to advocate for kids to get a risky vax with potential adverse effects that won’t even protect them as well as a natural infection would?
Why on earth are you advocating the use of masks that do nothing but cause discomfort, elevated CO2 levels and impaired ability to socialize? Why don’t you start really advocating for our kids and stop the fear?
power and tyranny.
Challenging the narrative of masks being effective is a losing battle. Scientific evidence, studies and actual numbers will never defeat emotion. The fear brought by politicians and bureaucrats about Covid 18 months ago is here to stay. Phil Scott seems particularly fear ridden, judging by his actions. We have allowed fearful people to use their emotions to determine health policy in the US
and that fact is here to stay at least as long as the current batch of politicians continue to weaponize it. When Scott instituted the mask mandate in August 2020, cases actually rose. Coincidence? Maybe. It was explained away as part of the “spike” at that time.
The new calls from liberal House speaker Krowinski is yet another example of the weaponization of the Wuhan Flu for political and personal gain. Ms. Krowinski, show us the evidence you have to validate your claims. I’ll wait…..Maskless.
Yes there is home schooling and we are home schooling our grandsons (as we did with our son) which spares them the entire indoctrination process we are witnessing in the public school system, from masks, to CRT, to sexual identification, and right on down the line. Unfortunately, we still have to support the State of Vermont “educational camps” with our rising tax dollars. Whenever you read or listen to anything Scott says, keep in mind this is a guy that endorsed Joe Biden . . . monkey see, monkey do . . .
Maybe than teachers shouldn’t get paid ,or school taxes
The arrogant reply from gov. Scott exemplifies his disdain for those who do not wish to follow his marching orders!! Private schools are expensive plus paying for all the public schools through our taxes. Most people cannot afford this. I guess he just doesn’t give a damn.
Given the student’s outcomes and (lack of) proficiency in BASIC skills like reading & math maybe it IS time “to find another school” after all. And why is Scott sucking up to the teachers/unions anyways? Didn’t they give him a D Grade last year for his lack of support for their failing to teach our kids to standards while WE pay some of the HIGHEST per-pupil costs in the nation? In ANY other industry/vocation failure equals extinction/closure but ONLY in education does diminishing results mean MORE funding for this same failure? “Find another school” indeed sir!
You are acting cowardice again Phil. Your actions have shown us repeatedly, you don’t believe in personal freedom with one exception, of course, the freedom to murder unborn babies.
So let’s see ….. the taxpaying parents are told if they want freedom to make choices, they should NOT choose the public schools that they pay for through their taxes. That’s real liberty and freedom Phil!! Have you forgotten who pays for your paycheck?
This is so typical for Phil Scott. One more leftist, woke, non-thinking response. How about explaining WHY we should wear masks? If Phil bothered to do some research and think for himself, and FOLLOW THE SCIENCE, he would KNOW masks DO NOTHING, but give the wearers false hope and emotional support. But …… that would be common sense and reason and genuine, authentic, leadership.
Phil is an obvious political robot, so he has to allow himself to be indoctrinated and follow what the “woke elitists” are saying and doing. This is Phil’s “newly defined freedom and liberty.”
Your mandate must include vouchers to pay for alternative schooling. Your choice is disingenuous. Also you say that the vaccine must be available to children under 16 years old. Very interesting that you advocate for that because unless the vaccine gets FDA approval for that age group, the corporations can’t get product liability protection. What a coincidence! These vaccines are extremely dangerous for some people short term and extremely dangerous for everyone in the long term based on peer reviewed medical studies. If you can’t debate these studies on the merits you’re just another misinformed official. Antibody-dependent enhancement will kill thousands in the state this winter but your health commissioner as well as Dr. Fauci will blame the deaths on the unvaccinated which can not be proven. Pitting one citizen against another just like Hitler did, stigmatizing the Jews. DEBATE the science instead of dictating the science. Mr. Scott how about you give up your political immunity from civil prosecution from you pushing forced inoculation if you’re so sure science is on your side. Put your money where your mouth is!
Please listen to Stephanie Seneff for facts on vaccine.
https://www.brighteon.com/904b5564-4a83-485d-a99a-84c4f4092dd6
He wouldn’t have to tell me twice. Such arrogance! But how about just STOP allowing politicians to tell you how to manage your own health care! What has happened to us all???
Such arrogance! Why are we even entertaining the idea of letting politicians manage our health care? Follow the science…which science? Many in the Health and Scientific community strongly disagree with all of these mandates and the so-called vaccine but they have been pretty effectively silenced. Do your homework and stand up for yourself! You have one life and one body! No second chances to make the right decisions so make these your own..not someone else’s!
To say parents are ‘free’ to homeschool or ‘find another school’ is a politically nuanced statement. Unless parents are in districts that provide tuition vouchers, the parents must pay for alternative schooling. And, to the best of my knowledge, Vermont provides no funding to Home Schooled students, unless the home schooling is a part of a tuitioned independent school’s education program.
Scott is a now a full communist, and a stupid one at that. The masks he wants people to wear can only filter particles larger then 3 microns. The C19 particles are smaller then 1 micron.
All I have to say is this. The governor and teacher’s are HIRED HELP. Time to rid ourselves of them.
Clear and simple logic Mitch – those results are on their way as more people rise to take back what has been ours right along – it will be biblical once more wake up – the pot has been stirred!
I pay exorbitant school taxes (About two thirds of my total property tax bill) not to be mandated by illogical and unscientific health mandates, nor to educate our youth in divisive, racial, socialist philosophy period…My area doesn’t have schools to pick and choose from…Many families have both parents working in order to make ends meet in this over-taxed environment as it is…Home schooling isn’t an option…It’s not the taxpayer that should be accommodating the public servant, but rather the other way around…When will Scott and all these career politicians get that in their arrogant heads!
Unfortunately, Ralph, you don’t explain how to get our public servants to accommodate the public. Clearly, we can’t (or haven’t been able to) elect legislators who serve us – because the public servants are the special interest groups that get the legislature elected. Consider this:
Home Schooling would be an option where you live if the State subsidized it as it does School Choice Tuition Vouchers in other districts. And there would be more alternatives, more independent schools from which to choose, if all parents had access to the Tuition Vouchers. It’s a supply-demand thing. By creating an education free market, availability increases, costs decline, and performance improves. And when costs decline, taxes decline too.
Of course, getting these public servants to allow School Choice is the sticky wicket. That tyranny is hard to remedy. But there is current litigation in Vermont’s court system that will force the legislature to accommodate School Choice. Litigation is the key. Already, districts that provide School Choice Tuition Vouchers for parents to choose independent schools must also provide an equivalent voucher when parents choose religious schools. In other words: sue the bast—ds.
So, is anyone going to primary this guy, or are we just going to keep choosing between “Phil Scott” and “Deranged Communist Muppet”?
Children are not a threat to adults, vaccinated or not. Further, the chance of a child getting a deadly case of CoVid is less than .0008 percent. The type and manner of masks worn by children in schools has been proven to be ineffective against aerosols and just provide a very false sense of protection. Where is the common sense? This is insane.
CDC predicts childhood paralysis this winter with them taking the vaccine. I wonder how they know????????????????????????????????????????????????
If parents are free to home school or find other schools then they should be free NOT to pay any school taxes.
Or, in the alternative, parents should be able to use their fair share of those taxes to pay for the homeschool or independent school of their choice. And that so-called ‘fair share’ has already been established, and is available to parents in certain school districts – but not all districts. It’s called the Average Announced Tuition.
The 2020-2021 Average Announced Tuition of Union Elementary Schools is $14,859.00
The 2020-2021 Average Announced Tuition of Union 7th-12th Grade Schools is $16,233.00
https://education.vermont.gov/sites/aoe/files/documents/edu-fy2021-final-announced-tuition-report-print-version.pdf
Additionally, parents in districts that don’t provide the Average Announced Tuition are being sued in Vermont Federal court because limiting the access to that tuition voucher to a select group is unconstitutional. Support the litigation. Consider your own class action suits.
https://ij.org/press-release/vermont-parents-sue-state-over-unconstitutional-school-choice-policy/
Kathleen I so agree with you 100 % !!!!
As many of you know Scott wasn’t voted in by real Vermonters, he was voted in by all the liberal out- of -stater’s who moved here to take over and change Vermont. !! Scott is nothing but a puppet. He doesn’t have the gut’s to stand up for Vermonters. He’s lied from day 1. He is for sure a RINO.
These legislators, governor, senators and etc are our employees WE are the BOSS not them. They are nothing but dictators..
A good share of the teachers in Vermont are not real teachers, they don’t teach the real 3 R’s. This CRT is so stupid. telling kids to turn in their parents, tell the students that Trump was no good to tell your parents to not vote for him, to tell the students that you should be a shame to be white. Give me a break.
School is for all children, we pay taxes so they can go to school and learn, reading, writing, math history social studies all that stuff. not what sex you are, who to vote for or your skin color is better then the other person.
Children are innocent, who don’t see color, they see friends.. when they get older the liberals democrats adults are the one who indoctrinate the children. The left is IMO trying to kill our children, it’s been proven that wearing a mask for 8 hrs or more harms children. People need to wake up and take off the rose colored glasses and see that the left is trying to take away our freedom. Vermont use to be a hard working independent state., we believed in God and Country. We have people from other states come here and tell us we are racist, we need to defund the police and tell 3/4 yrs old that they aren’t girls or boys.. What happened to the State I grew up in that my ancestors grew up in. I’m a 8th generation Vermonter. and miss the state that Vermont once was.
OK I will stop for now..we have to keep fighting.
Maybe it’s time to stop paying school taxes…time to take back the school systems..We The People!
The easiest way to ‘take back’ your schools, in Vermont, at least, is to demand a School Choice Tuition Voucher and choose the school that best meets the needs of your children. The ‘law’ is on your side. And if your school board or the Agency of Education denies your demand for the voucher, you can sue them in court – as several parents have, and are, doing.
The point is, however, you don’t want ‘the school system’ as it’s currently configured. It’s organized chaos that insures dysfunction. All you can, and should do, is take your voucher and choose an education method that suits you.
P.S. You can stop paying taxes if you think that’s best. But if you do, ‘the State’ will take your home to pay the delinquent taxes and sell it to someone else who will pay the taxes.