TODAY. YEAH, I DID GET THE CHANCE TO ASK SOME QUESTIONSF O THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT HOFFMEISTER TODAY. ONE OF THE QSTUEIONS WAS WE’VE SEEN SOOCHL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS AND FLORIDA DEFIES STATE LAWS AND REQUIRE MASKS ON THEIR OWN. I ASKED WHAT WLDOU HAPPEN IF A SCOLHO DISTRICT HERE DID THAT TO HELP MEISTER SAYING SHE HOPES IT DOESN’T GET TO THAT POINT. WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF SOMETHING THAT COULD BE EXTREMELY COSTLY FOR OUR CHILDREN. SUPERINTENDENT JOY HOFFMEISTER. READY TRYGIN TO REQUIRE MASKS IN SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE THE STATE SCHOOL BOARD STHO THAT DOWN LAST YEAR BEYOND THAT. SHE SAYS SHE WISHES I WTAS AT LETAS UP TO LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DECIDE THE ISSUE. I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOUGERA STUDENTS AND STAFF AND SCHLOO PERSONNEL TO CONSIDER MASKING INDOORS TO THINK ABOUT THIS IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE THINK ABOUT SECONDHAND SMOKE. WE KNOW TTHA THIS CAUSES DANGER TO OTHERS AROUND US AS WELL AS THE ONE THAT’S SMOKING. BUT IT HAS LONG BEEN SOMETHING ATTH CULTURALLY WE HAVE UNDERSTOOD IT CAN’T HAPPEN INDOORS. IT CAN’T HAPPEN. ESPECIALLY AROUND CHILDREN. HOFMEISTER SAID SHE HAS A MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR THIS WEEK WHERE SHE’LL TALK. WHETHER HE SHOULD DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY IF HE DOES ATTH WOULD LET SCHOOL DISTRICTS REQUIRE MASKS IF THEY WANT TO THE OTHER WAY TO DOT I WOULD BE FOR LAWMAKERS TO COME BACK TO THE CAPITAL AND REPEAL A BILL THEY PASSED LAST SESSION. SHE SSAY IN THE MEANTIME SCHOOLS AND LAL OF US NEED TO ATTACK THE VIRUS ON MULTIPLE FRONTS INCLUDING MASKS AND VACCINATION IF WE DON’T WE OUR KIDS ARE GONNA PAY THE PRICE NOT JUST WHAT THEIR HEALTH BUT WITH THEIR EDUCATION,
State superintendent wants Oklahoma's ban on mask mandates in schools to go away
State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister says she believes the decision to issue mask mandates should be in the hands of school districts.
Updated: 6:17 PM CDT Aug 10, 2021
Oklahoma's top educator said she wants to see the state's ban on mask mandates in schools go away, saying the decision should be in the hands of school districts."We are on the cusp of something that could be extremely costly for our children," State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said.Hofmeister has already tried to require masks in schools across the state, but the state school board shot that down last year. Beyond that, she said she wishes it was at least up to local school districts to decide."I would strongly encourage students and staff and school personnel to consider masking indoors, to think about this in the same way as we think about secondhand smoke," Hofmeister said. "We know that this causes danger to others around us as well as the one that's smoking. But it has long been something that we have understood can't happen indoors. It can't happen especially around children."The state superintendent said she has a meeting with Gov. Kevin Stitt this week, during which she'll talk about whether he should declare a state of emergency. If he does, Oklahoma schools would be allowed to require masks if they want.The other way to do it would be for lawmakers to come back to the Capitol and repeal a bill they passed last session.Hofmeister said in the meantime, schools and the community need to attack the virus on multiple fronts, including masks and vaccines."If we don't our kids are going to pay the price not just with their health, but with their education," she said.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma's top educator said she wants to see the state's ban on mask mandates in schools go away, saying the decision should be in the hands of school districts.
"We are on the cusp of something that could be extremely costly for our children," State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said.
Hofmeister has already tried to require masks in schools across the state, but the state school board shot that down last year. Beyond that, she said she wishes it was at least up to local school districts to decide.
"I would strongly encourage students and staff and school personnel to consider masking indoors, to think about this in the same way as we think about secondhand smoke," Hofmeister said. "We know that this causes danger to others around us as well as the one that's smoking. But it has long been something that we have understood can't happen indoors. It can't happen especially around children."
The state superintendent said she has a meeting with Gov. Kevin Stitt this week, during which she'll talk about whether he should declare a state of emergency. If he does, Oklahoma schools would be allowed to require masks if they want.
The other way to do it would be for lawmakers to come back to the Capitol and repeal a bill they passed last session.
Hofmeister said in the meantime, schools and the community need to attack the virus on multiple fronts, including masks and vaccines.
"If we don't our kids are going to pay the price not just with their health, but with their education," she said.