ARLINGTON, Va.—August 20, 2021—The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), issued the following statement supporting mask mandates in K-12 schools. The following statement can be attributed to Dr. Erika Shugart, NSTA Executive Director.

“With the spread of the more contagious Delta variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated their guidelines for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools, now recommending universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, and students, regardless of vaccination status.

It is unconscionable that leaders in some states are not permitting school district administrators to act in the interest of public health and mandate masking in schools in accordance with federal guidelines. The science is clear: widespread wearing of masks, along with physical distancing and frequent hand-washing, substantially reduces the spread of COVID-19.

Despite a poll released this week that found that 69 percent of Americans supported mask mandates in schools, these state leaders are ignoring science and putting politics before the health and safety of students and classroom teachers, including thousands of NSTA science educators.

According to the CDC, vaccination is the leading public health strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Mask wearing does make a difference. Asking school districts to compromise on this issue and penalizing schools or teachers for wearing masks is wrong and is not based in science. State leaders cannot pick and choose which guideline to follow, they must do all they can to ensure that every school has effective measures in place to keep students and teachers safe and healthy.”

About NSTA
The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) is a vibrant community of 40,000 science educators and professionals committed to best practices in teaching science and its impact on student learning. NSTA offers high quality science resources and continuous learning so that science educators grow professionally and excel in their career. For new and experienced teachers alike, the NSTA community offers the opportunity to network with like-minded peers at the national level, connect with mentors and leading researchers, and learn from the best in the field.

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Contact:
Kate Falk, NSTA
(703) 312-9211
kfalk@nsta.org