On 7/29/2021 organizers met to issue a strong statement of rebuke to Governor Kate Brown and her erratic decisions
[Oregon| August 3, 2021] – On 7/29, Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued a statement directing the Oregon Department of Education to create a rule mandating masks K-12 for indoor spaces. This abrupt reversal of returning local control to districts caught Oregon parents, state officials, and district leaders off guard. Over 30 grassroots organizations from across Oregon convened hours later to launch a strong rebuke.
“Governor Kate Brown has a responsibility to lead the state with stability and transparency. The constant moving of the goal posts and whiplash leadership style must stop. Schools are supposed to be a constant fixture in the lives of children, families, and communities, not a source of uncertainty.” said Glenda Scherer, one of the coalition organizers.
We express extreme opposition to Governor Brown’s latest waffling decision. Stripping control from local elected school boards after she had just returned it on June 25, 2021, is poor leadership. We call on Oregon Democrat leaders to issue a common sense statement telling Governor Brown that she must end her emergency rule of one. We seek assistance from school boards, state, county and city officials to denounce her actions which bring chaos, instability, and uncertainty to communities, schools, and families.
We collect taxes, build buildings, hire teachers, and fund programs for the sole purpose of educating students. It is time to put kids first! Volunteer school boards and district leaders have exerted valuable effort planning, only to be ambushed with Governor Brown’s erratic decisions.
We stand with other families across Oregon and will put into motion a Day of Action on August 5, 2021. We remind Governor Brown of her clear directive on June 25, 2021: to leave the decision making to local communities, “when it comes to serving the health and safety needs of students.” If she continues on this contradictory path, it will result in continued chaos, wasted efforts, and division. Schools are supposed to be a constant fixture in the lives of children, families, and communities, not a source of conflict.
One school board member stated, “We’re devastated after all the work we have put in.”
It is critical Governor Brown return local control to local school boards. She has previously admitted that “The social, emotional, mental, and physical health of so many students is tied to their schools and to the personalized support that educators provide,” and added that “in-person education is an equity issue.” We ask Governor Brown to uphold equity and fulfill her promises. Put kids first!
On behalf of the members of Oregonians for Medical Freedom, Executive Director, Nicole De Graff expresses solidarity with the grassroots groups listed below and ask state officials, Superintendents, Teachers, Oregon families and more to help us work to protect the very rights the current mask rules seek to destroy. “Choice is paramount and we will do all we can to preserve the choice to wear a mask or vaccinate,” added De Graff.
Please stand with these groups who are working together for the sake of children, families, and strong communities:
- Breathe Free Lane County
- Build Back Basics In Education
- Blexit Oregon
- Catholic Schools Families Unmasked-OR
- Conservative Parents of Newburg and Dundee School District
- Eastern Oregon Freedom Alliance
- Faith and Freedom
- FreeOregon
- Informed Parents of Bend Redmond
- Informed Parents of Canby
- Informed Parents of Forest Grove
- Informed Parents of West Linn Wilsonville
- Jackson County Families and Districts Aligning for Students
- Kids First Oregon
- La Grande and Union County Parents Against Masking Children
- Let Us Teach
- Marion & Polk County Back to School
- Maskless Women of Southern Oregon
- McMinnville SD Unity for Children
- No Left Turn in Education-Oregon Chapter
- OCAG Oregon Curriculum Advocacy Group
- Open Oregon
- Open Schools USA
- Oregon Department of Education Fight Club
- Oregon Families Strike Back
- Oregon Mom’s Union
- Oregon Unheard Parents
- Oregonians For Medical Freedom
- Fight 4 Five USA
- Parents Taking Over School Boards
- Prineville Parents for Choice
- Raising Wildflowers Oregon
- Safe Haven for Open Schools
- School Choice for Oregonians
- Smiles In Schools Lane County
- Sunny Smiles Oregon
- Southern Oregon First
- Teachers 4 Open School
- Unmask Oregon
- Unmask Our Kids Oregon
- USA Reopen School Unite
- We The People Columbia County
- West Coast Wake Up