DES MOINES, IOWA (November 10, 2020) — “At a time when almost 90% of Iowa’s counties have reached a 14-day rolling positivity rate of 15%, the Governor is failing to fight COVID-19 head on.
"Governor [Kim] Reynolds’s new proclamation does nothing to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in Iowa’s schools. The proclamation excludes schools, most of which have more than 25 students in their classrooms.
"ISEA tracks masking in Iowa’s school districts and almost 40% lack a mandate. Clearly, these schools are not “doing their part” to stop the spread of COVID-19.
"Instead of continuing to make it difficult to keep our schools safe, the Governor should mandate masks and lift the waiver requirement through the end of winter break.
"The simple act of wearing a mask can help stop the spread of COVID-19 and save lives. Additionally, allowing our schools to negotiate what is best for when and how students meet will also help save lives. We ask the Governor to recognize her obligation to Iowans and mandate masking in Iowa’s schools and to lift the current school-waiver requirements.”
The ISEA represents preK-12 educators, education-support professionals, community-college faculty, Area Education Agency professionals, retired educators, and aspiring educations with contracts covering more than 50,000 employees. We promote quality public education by placing students at the center of everything we do while advocating for education professionals.
