LATEST UPDATE: Vote for Masks Thursday - We Won a Virtual Option!

Previous updates 8/23 - 8/19 - 8/17 - 8/15 - 8/14 - 8/11 - 8/10 - 8/9 - 8/6

We, the undersigned, demand that the FWISD Board of Trustees:

1. Mandate that ALL students, employees, contractors, and visitors wear masks (correctly) at all FWISD schools and buildings at all times except meals--and enforce this mandate
2. Offer a virtual learning at-home option for as many students as possible, giving first priority to unvaccinated children with underlying health conditions and second priority to children under 12. This should be a dedicated academy with full-time virtual teachers, and students should retain their pre-pandemic school assignments (including schools and programs of choice) when it is safe to return
3. Communicate these new policies to families aggressively, using every available means

Explanation and Rationale

For students to be successful, we first need to keep them safe.  As we gear up for the first day of school, a sharp uptick in COVID transmission rates is making the return to campuses much more dangerous.  The Delta variant is spreading, and it is as contagious as the Chicken Pox.  And it is not just transmissible amongst the unvaccinated.  When breakthrough cases occur, vaccinated adults are as contagious as unvaccinated individuals.  And, of course, students under 12 are still not eligible to receive the vaccine.  

As a result of these developments, the CDC recently issued guidance that even vaccinated adults should “wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.” The CDC also recommended that all staff and students, regardless of vaccination status, should wear masks in K12 schools.  In spite of this, in a recent executive order Governor Greg Abbott doubled down on his prohibition of “governmental entities and officials from mandating face coverings or restricting activities in response to the COVID-19 disaster.”  Tarrant County is currently experiencing a "high" (red) rate of community transmission, with increases that are only likely to continue between now and the start of school.  

Our students are in danger, and we must do more to protect them.  Fort Worth ISD has communicated to families through an aggressive campaign of repeated emails, phone calls, and texts that all students will return to in-person learning. The district has also made it clear that it will not offer virtual instruction, not even for vulnerable students with underlying health conditions.  

In contrast, it is very difficult to find the updated safety plan on the district website.  In the plan, FWISD claims they will continue the measures taken last year, with the critical exception of not requiring masks per Abbot’s executive order.  FWISD claims that masks will be encouraged, but in a telling Facebook photo of a huge conference room full of new teachers eagerly preparing for the first day of school, only two can be seen wearing masks.  FWISD claims that social distancing will be observed “whenever possible,” a thin promise at best, but that will be that much more difficult with 100% of students on campus.  Finally, FWISD claims that daily wellness checks will inform the same COVID reporting that was used last year, but the checks will now take place at home instead of on campus, so the information collected will be less consistent and reliable.  These measures are nowhere near as robust as those taken last year, and completely inadequate to keep our children and staff safe as the conditions worsen.

During the 2020-2021 school year, campus leaders and classroom teachers went to enormous lengths to make our schools as safe as possible for students who returned for in-person learning.  Additionally, nearly half of FWISD families, representing all races and backgrounds (and overwhelmingly Black and Brown), made a huge sacrifice and kept their children at home, not only providing for their own family’s safety but also allowing for greater social distancing of in-person learners.  At this dangerous turning point in the pandemic, we must honor those previous sacrifices by continuing to prioritize student and staff safety.

Fort Worth ISD leaders need to do the right thing for our children and staff and fight back against the governor’s unethical and possibly unconstitutional order.  As advised by the CDC, we need ALL students and teachers to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status.  Social distancing and contact tracing need to remain priorities.  We need to offer a virtual option for safe and effective learning from home, using local or federal funding if state monies are unavailable (other districts have proven that this can be done).  We must protect all students and staff, but particularly students under age 12 who are too young to receive a vaccine and those who are most vulnerable due to underlying medical conditions.  We have made it this far, let’s not give up on protecting our kids and educators at this crucial moment. 

Additional Information

Star-Telegram​

Texas Tribune​

New York Times