To the editor:
At the recent Alexandria School Board meeting the phrase, “stripped of freedoms” was often used. But are we being stripped of freedoms?
In America we have the freedom to worship, shop, and travel where we choose, get medical care where we choose, freedom of speech and yes, the freedom to attend the school of choice.
Alexandria students have the freedom to be a part of an exemplary school district offering many different classes and different methods and levels of learning. The administration, staff and board members are doing their best with situations that are not easy to manage; all done with the best interests of our students.
There is concern for the mandate of students in K-6 to “mask up.” We are fighting a world-wide virus we don’t have controlled. District 206 is guided by a Code of Conduct that includes the following: Responsibility, Respect, Kindness, Honesty and Fairness. What if we as parents and community members help our children with this code when it comes to masking? What if we all helped school personnel stay well by showing respect, responsibility and kindness to our staff and support masking up?
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Freedoms come with a responsibility to our friends and neighbors and that includes our staff and students. Maybe by wearing a simple mask we might just keep one more person from this virus and keep our school doors open. What if we as parents and community members help with this by being good leaders?
What if instead of looking at masking as being stripped of a freedom, we look at it as gaining the freedom to keep our students and staff well and our schools open? This will allow staff to teach and students to learn together in person!
Joyce and Jerry Hansen
Kathy and Ron Reiber
Alexandria, MN
