As someone who works in a public school system in Maine, I support the Augusta Board of Education’s vote last week to require mask wearing for students and staff. However, I disagree with the argument of the one dissenting board member, in which she equates the decision with going into someone’s home to tell them what’s best for their child.

A public school building is not a home, nor is mask wearing just about the individual wearing the mask. We wear masks for the safety of all those around us, in addition to protecting ourselves, just as schools are about the collective, not solely the individual.

Having spent the last year in a school building, masked and with children ages 4-11 in masks, I can proudly say that all of our students who could wear a mask wore a mask, without objection and with great resiliency and responsibility. Our students were happy and learning with masks on. We could see the smiles on their faces and the range of emotions in their eyes. They played and built friendships and engaged in academic learning. And, most importantly, we stayed safe.

I can imagine no greater goal in the public school system than for children to grow up knowing they are responsible for themselves and also responsible to those around them. Each home and each child is not a silo in the world; school is the place where we learn how to be a community of citizens taking care of one another.

Joanna Frankel
Portland

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