Sharon Stakeholder PR
Overview
Request for communication with state level educational advocacy groups (stakeholders) and Sharon superintendent, principals, and nurses during summer 2021. Emails reveal how seemingly many local school policies are drafted by state level organizations.
Stakeholders were identified using email domains: masc.org and/or massupt.org and/or mahb.org and/or mhalink.org and/or msno.org and/or mcaap.org and/or aap.org and/or maphn.org and/or mhoa.com and/or maeha.org and/or massnurses.org
Response
Google Drive with raw emails. Email attachments placed in folder marked attachments.
2021-2022 Mask MOU. References SC policy EBCFA approved 9/01/2021.
Request
Original 9/21/21 Sharon Public Schools PR Request:
Request for Public Records Responsive To Multiple External Email Addresses, MOU's for General Education, Special Education, Paraprofessionals, Administrative (Principals and Vice Principals) and their Support Staff, and Electronic Policy Documents Responsive to Mask Exemptions and/or Accommodation as well as all Discipline Policies Regarding Masks
From: [REDACTED]
To: pbotelho@sharonschools.net; XXXXX
Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2021
September 21, 2021
Superintendent [SUPERINTENDENT]
Sharon Public Schools
Email: [REDACTED]
RE: Request for Public Records Responsive To Multiple External Email Addresses, MOU's for General Education, Special Education, Paraprofessionals, Administrative (Principals and Vice Principals) and their Support Staff, and Electronic Policy Documents Responsive to Mask Exemptions and/or Accommodation as well as all Discipline Policies Regarding Masks
Good Evening Superintendent [SUPERINTENDENT]
At the start of the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school year, parents were promised that schools would grant exemptions to the mask wearing rules to all children who have a medical condition. Many parents feel that their children were improperly denied medical accommodations, often in violation of their IEP and 504 plans they believe. Every parent has a legitimate right to know what guidelines were used to determine who qualifies for a mask exemption, how these guidelines were developed, and the influence of external stakeholders.
Therefore, I request that the Sharon Public Schools allow access and produce the following in FULL:
Part A.
All emails exchanged between Superintendent [SUPERINTENDENT] and email addresses ending in: masc.org and/or massupt.org and/or mahb.org and/or mhalink.org and/or msno.org and/or mcaap.org and/or aap.org and/or maphn.org and/or mhoa.com and/or maeha.org and/or massnurses.org including if [SUPERINTENDENT] was cc'd from one of them or forwarded a message from one of them.
All emails exchanged between Superintendent [PRIOR SUPERINTENDENT] and email addresses ending in: masc.org and/or massupt.org and/or mahb.org and/or mhalink.org and/or msno.org and/or mcaap.org and/or maphn.org and/or mhoa.com and/or maeha.org and/or massnurses.org including if [PRIOR SUPERINTENDENT] was cc'd from one of them or forwarded a message from one of them.
All emails exchanged between high school Principal [PRINCIPAL] and email addresses ending in: masc.org and/or massupt.org and/or mahb.org and/or mhalink.org and/or msno.org and/or mcaap.org and/or aap.org and/or maphn.org and/or mhoa.com and/or maeha.org and/or massnurses.org including if [PRINCIPAL] was cc'd from one of them or forwarded a message from one of them.
All emails exchanged between middle school Principal [PRINCIPAL] and email addresses ending in: masc.org and/or massupt.org and/or mahb.org and/or mhalink.org and/or msno.org and/or mcaap.org and/or aap.org and/or maphn.org and/or mhoa.com and/or maeha.org and/or massnurses.org including if [PRINCIPAL] was cc'd from one of them or forwarded a message from one of them.
All emails exchanged between elementary school Principal [PRINCIPAL] and email addresses ending in: masc.org and/or massupt.org and/or mahb.org and/or mhalink.org and/or msno.org and/or mcaap.org and/or aap.org and/or maphn.org and/or mhoa.com and/or maeha.org and/or massnurses.org including if [PRINCIPAL] was cc'd from one of them or forwarded a message from one of them.
All emails exchanged between School Nurse [HEAD NURSE] and email addresses ending in: masc.org and/or massupt.org and/or mahb.org and/or mhalink.org and/or msno.org and/or mcaap.org and/or aap.org and/or maphn.org and/or mhoa.com and/or maeha.org and/or massnurses.org and/or mssaa.org including if [HEAD NURSE] was cc'd from one of them or forwarded a message from one of them.
All emails exchanged between elementary School Nurse [NURSE] and email addresses ending in: masc.org and/or massupt.org and/or mahb.org and/or mhalink.org and/or msno.org and/or mcaap.org and/or aap.org and/or maphn.org and/or mhoa.com and/or maeha.org and/or massnurses.org and/or mssaa.org including if [NURSE] was cc'd from one of them or forwarded a message from one of them.
All emails exchanged between elementary School Nurse [NURSE] and email addresses ending in: masc.org and/or massupt.org and/or mahb.org and/or mhalink.org and/or msno.org and/or mcaap.org and/or aap.org and/or maphn.org and/or mhoa.com and/or maeha.org and/or massnurses.org and/or mssaa.org including if [NURSE] was cc'd from one of them or forwarded a message from one of them.
For all the above Part A 1-8 date ranges 5/27/2021 - 9/21/2021 and regardless the format, regardless the location, and we would like to receive these records electronically.
Part B.
In addition, we would like to receive also these public records electronically:
All Memorandums of Understanding with the Sharon Teachers Association/other for the 2021-2022 school years that are public records. We would like them for General Education as well as Special Education, Paraprofessionals as well as Administrative (Principals and Vice Principals) and their Support Staff in Sharon Public Schools. If they are not yet available yet, then consider this a future request for when they are ready to be viewed publicly, and please let us know when you anticipate them to be approved by the Sharon School Committee and Sharon Public School District, thank you.
All electronic policy documents held by the people listed in above (Part A 1-8) which describe who should or should not receive a mask exemption and/or accommodation as well as all discipline policies in relation to same and also any/all mask exemption policies as well as discipline policies (in regards to mask wearing) for the 2021-2022 school year, thank you. Search terms where applicable: mask exemption, mask guidance, and mask wearing exemption, and discipline regarding masks; and date range: 5/27/21-9/21/21
I also request for all of these public records (Part A and , a fee waiver given the great public interest and to promote transparency, accountability and integrity in our beloved school while we the people request to gain access reasonably to public records that Sharon Public School District custodians for us, thank you.
Thank you for your time and anticipated cooperation for all responsive records to be sent to us within 10 business days, so we can fully understand the Sharon Public School Districts decisions that greatly impacted the Sharon Public School District Families. #BlackLivesMatter #StudentLivesMatter #Constitution
Thank you.
[REDACTED]
Notable documents
Memo on differential masking policy
August 6, 2021 memo from MASS attorney Mike Long and Lesley Carey.
…..Best practice in districts choosing to implement differentiated mask requirements based on voluntary vaccination status would be to implement a policy under which a staff member must produce a vaccination card if requesting an exemption. This practice would not likely be deemed to violate employees’ privacy or stigmatize employees with “unvaccinated” status, as it would be unknown to others whether a particular employee is masking due to being unvaccinated, or out of a desire to mask in addition to vaccinated status. Under a differentiated policy, it would be apparent to others that unmasked employees had provided evidence of “vaccinated” status, however. While vaccinated status may be stigmatizing in certain communities and parts of the country, it is unlikely to be stigmatizing in the vast majority of communities in Massachusetts, given the state’s high vaccination rates. Further, employees could elect to mask despite not being required to do so to avoid being transparent about their vaccinated status.
At this writing, we are not aware of any law or requirement applicable in Massachusetts suggesting that a differentiated mask policy may not be applied to students as well as staff. We are currently of the opinion that, if handled correctly, with vaccination status and related documentation being safeguarded and narrowly produced, school committees choosing to do so can implement and carry out a differentiated mask policy without disclosing confidential medical information or otherwise infringing upon staff or student privacy. That being said, opting for either a universal masking policy or an entirely optional masking policy will be logistically easier to implement and enforce in comparison to a differentiated policy based on vaccination status. Also, new public health information documenting vaccinated individuals’ transmission of the Delta variant has raised concerns about differentiated mask policies. It should be considered, however, that the imposition of a universal mask mandate could potentially disincentivize vaccination, which public health authorities unanimously agree is the most effective line of defense against severe illness or death from COVID-19.
Memo on mask discipline
August 24, 2021 memo from MASS attorney Mike Long describing the discipline options available to superintendents for mask violations. This one is worth reading in full.
Superintendent can claim that an unmasked student is not “in a condition to attend” school. In this case, the student can be forbidden to enter encouraged to either homeschool, or be given a “blizzard bag.”
Section 37H 1/2 violation…unmasked students would have a substantial deterimental effect on the general welfare of the school.
Section 37 H 3/4 violation….unmasked student is in violation of the handbook.
Mass DPH form letter for close contacts
Mass DPH form letter it suggests school nurses send to students who are close contacts. Active Monitoring simply means the student checks his temperature daily (DPH does not require 3rd party verification).
https://www.mass.gov/guidance/information-and-guidance-for-persons-in-quarantine-due-to-covid-19
Southeast Regional Gathering School Nurses August 26, 2021
The difficulty of obtaining school mask exemptions appears to be organized by school nurses. See page 2:
Discussion regarding making a form for mask medical exemption - the consensus of the nurses were to not have a form to handle it as medical exemptions for other immunizations (letter from PCP)
On page 2, the letter states that this decision was made at the Southeast Gathering on August 26th. Furthermore, the tone of the letter on page 5 makes it clear that the nurses were skeptical of the validity of these exemptions.
Can everyone confirm that test and stay is only open to students who will be masked and cannot be applied to those with "medical exemptions"
A strange discussion item on page 3 about the SHAH Family Foundation
Discussion regarding SHAH Family Foundation providing algorithms to DESE protocols. Volunteer group includes DESE