Happy Fourth Day of School (E-mail sent August 5th, 2021)

Good morning from East Cobb! I am following up on the emails I sent Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning, to which I have received zero responses. I know y'all aren't dead because you had the time to loosen the COVID guidelines to which all students and employees must adhere to. Now the teachers came come to school, post close contact, with asymptomatic COVID and potentially spread it to all the unvaccinated children. This seems like a solid strategy based on a complete misunderstanding of the incubation period of Covid-19.

As I was saying, as a long time resident, I am writing you this morning to plead with you to reconsider the mask policy for Cobb County schools this year. I’ve been speaking with many parents and we are stressed and saddened by the lack of consideration and communication from the board regarding the recent surge of Covid.

In case you wanted to know, I can also see the future. And in two weeks when we are all at home, virtual again, with sick kids, teachers, bus drivers and others in quarantine, I will be thinking of you and your total disregard for the health of our children and our families.

Look, we all make judgment mistakes. We all have a crazy family member spreading conspiracy theories. But we don’t let these people and/or the internet comments section guide our work decisions. Gosh, I can’t imagine if I let my dad’s view of our income tax system influence how I prepared tax returns in my job as a CPA. I’d get fired. 

Please don’t let your pride interfere with morality. It’s time to do the right thing. Even the Douglas County School Board made the call at the 11th hour to mandate masks for their school children and follow the Cobb and Douglas Public Health Department guidelines. We are officially the LAST metro Atlanta school system standing firm on a decision based on dated information. Let’s not die on this hill, literally. It's not too late. We will applaud you for your common sense and bravery. 

Again, it is with fear and dread, and not an ounce of happiness, that I (for the fourth day) send my sweet and anxious children to Middle School this morning. How can I keep them safe? I have to rely on other parents to do the right thing, and based on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday only about 1/3 of my kids' peers had parents that are concerned with community health and spread. And that is incredibly frightening.

I've taken up knitting while I await your response. I figured I may be here a hot minute. Side note, do you like scarves?

Thank you for reading.

Mrs. Yoy

P.S. “They are more concerned about getting re-elected than they are about the health of me and my friends.” - 12 year-old middle school student, Big E. Even a child can understand what is happening here.