I'm hearing many reports of parents terrified of sending their under-12 children back to school in places where mask mandates are forbidden by new states laws.
Wondering if this is yet another way to destroy trust in public schools? Force people into homeschooling & privates?
Not only do anti-masking laws undermine the public schools (long-standing priority of religious conservatives), but they get bonus points (in their worldview) for incentivizing women to leave the workforce in order to stay home with children.
This is a huge two-fer in the most radical of Christian circles - exploiting a crisis to manipulate public policy to create fear and limit women and children to smaller and smaller domestic spheres where husbands are in control of economics and education.
It doesn't matter that mostly liberal women would take their kids out of public schools re: anti-masking laws. Getting liberals to doubt, withdraw, and break trust with public schools and getting women to leave their jobs is a big win on its own.
Also, forcing long-term teachers and administrators to quit is another benefit.
Refill the ranks with people more in line with political and theological priorities. Anti-masking is an easy way of identifying potential hires as being in "their" camp.
Don't miss this response to the thread by @MollieKatzen - she's absolutely right:
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