The 2021-2022 school year is upon us in Texas, and with it the prospect of sending our children back into schools without the safeguards needed to keep them safe and healthy in the midst of a spike of pediatric hospitalizations due to the COVID-19 Delta variant. 

While Governor Abbott's disastrous executive order banning local governments and schools districts from mandating masks has made it difficult for some leaders to perform their duties to the fullest of their ability, there are some leaders for whom it has provided the cover necessary to shirk responsibility. Dr. Sean Maika, superintendent at NEISD is one of these leaders. 

Dr. Maika's repeated refusal to side with scientific data and its subsequent best practice recommendations is particularly flagrant as he is meant to be not only an educator but a leader of educators. We feel it is antithetical to the education of our children to have in place a superintendent who not only does not believe in science but openly coddles its detractors.  

It is for this reason that we call on Dr. Maika to step down as NEISD superintendent effective immediately.