Opinion
School & District Management Opinion

What’s a Superintendent to Do When Public Health Guidelines and State Laws Clash?

One Iowa district leader shares his emotional response
By Mark Lane — July 12, 2021 3 min read
A team of hikers climbs a mountain.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

At the beginning of the 2020-21 school year, my school district’s board of directors unanimously approved a reopening plan that communicated a commitment to following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 guidance. The board and I felt a responsibility to do everything in our power to create safe and healthy conditions for students, staff, and families.

However, on May 20, the governor of Iowa signed legislation banning mask mandates by city, county, or school district officials at a time when the CDC continued to clearly recommend individuals wear masks at school. The anxiety, confusion, and anger among staff, students, and parents I observed that morning made me feel powerless in serving and protecting our people. As leaders, we have no greater responsibility than our duty to care for those we lead.

Every year, the school district I lead has three to six teachers who are blessed with being pregnant during the school year. Those individuals continue to serve other children as they prepare to welcome their own into the world. Our mask mandate was in place to give those teachers the peace of mind needed to do their job effectively.

About This Series

Over the coming weeks, we will be rolling out 17 lessons from experienced district leaders who spent the last year leading from home. Learn more and see the full collection of lessons.

We have staff who provide love and care to elderly parents. They work in close quarters with dozens and even hundreds of students and fellow staff members each day and then act with love and care for their dependent family members. Our mask mandate was in place to give those staff members the comfort to serve others while still serving those they love most.

We have students who live with high-risk grandparents, parents, and family members. They spend every day surrounded by their peers on our buses, in our classrooms, and on our playgrounds. Then they go home and give hugs to those they love. They sit on the couch together and watch a movie and at the dinner table, talking and laughing. Our mask mandate was in place to give those students and families the opportunity to feel safe at school and safe at home.

My wife is currently battling cancer and is an employee of the Decorah district. My 11-year-old son is a Type I diabetic and a middle schooler. My 97-year-old grandmother lives in an assisted living facility. Perhaps these personal realities heighten my empathy for those who love people most at risk of serious issues if they become infected with COVID-19.

The Decorah Community school district mask mandate was never a measure intended to force people to protect themselves. It was a measure put in place to ensure that the claim that we are a community of care was more than just words.

In the immediate aftermath of the new law overturning our mask mandate, that pregnant teacher had to struggle to do her job. That associate who cares for an elderly parent was less able to focus on work. That student who lives with a grandparent with a heart condition was less able to learn. And I worried about the choices of those who came into contact with my wife and son as they went to work and school.

When I could not practice social distancing, I continued to wear my mask for our teachers, employees, and students. I encouraged everyone to demonstrate the same care for those around them.

When we return to school for the 2021-22 school year, COVID-19 will continue to shape the world around us. I expect opinions about risks, mitigation strategies, vaccines, and what schools should do will continue to be broad and firmly held. I will continue to root my decisions and recommendations to our board in our duty to care. We will do what we can to create safe, healthy, and engaging environments in which to work and learn.

Complete Collection

Superintendents discuss ideas at a roundtable.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week and Getty Images

Coverage of leadership, summer learning, social and emotional learning, arts learning, and afterschool is supported in part by a grant from The Wallace Foundation, at www.wallacefoundation.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Making Science Stick: The Engaging Power of Hands-On Learning
How can you make science class the highlight of your students’ day while
achieving learning outcomes? Find out in this session.
Content provided by LEGO Education
Teaching Profession Webinar Key Insights to Elevate and Inspire Today’s Teachers
Join this free half day virtual event to energize your teaching and cultivate a positive learning experience for students.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Achievement Webinar
Student Success Strategies: Flexibility, Recovery & More
Join us for Student Success Strategies to explore flexibility, credit recovery & more. Learn how districts keep students on track.
Content provided by Pearson

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Do Students Suffer When a Superintendent Leaves? A New Study Has an Answer
A new study is the first in a while to explore how students fare academically when there's turnover in the district's top office.
5 min read
A man places his hand on top of his head as he looks up at an upwardly pointing arrow turning downward as it turns a corner.
iStock/Getty Images
School & District Management What Latino Superintendents Say It Will Take to Grow Their Ranks
Three Latino superintendents talked about the direct and indirect paths to building a pipeline of future district leaders of color.
4 min read
Vector image of many professionals, diversity, highlighting hispanic.
Liz Yap/Education Week and iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion Your School Needs a Teacher-Mentorship Program
We all know how critical the first few years of teaching are. Here's how to set teachers up for success.
Pamela Slifer
4 min read
Mentorship development of young teachers. School leaders make the teaching profession more sustainable by developing a robust mentoring program in their school.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management School Leaders Rush to Manage Deportation Fears
School and district leaders describe a chaotic time amid changes to federal immigration policies.
9 min read
A line of school children with obscured faces board a school bus on their way to school.
E+/Getty