NJ teachers finding it challenging to deal with mask mandate (Opinion)

We've heard from several teachers that the mask mandate is becoming a daily battle in schools every day. It's especially challenging in our high schools.

Many of our schools have an app where the teacher can just message the principal or other administration officials about the offense being committed.

With all of the COVID rules and regulations in school added to the usual conduct guidelines, it's a constant battle that takes time away from teaching. The kids, especially high schoolers, are becoming increasingly frustrated with the masks.

As one teacher told me, "They're over it."

Not to worry, relief may be on the way.

It's part of the governor's plan to get more kids vaccinated. Gov. Murphy said on Monday that the more kids we get vaccinated that are in classrooms with vaccinated teachers, the closer we are to dropping the mask mandate.

Maybe this kind of coercion and pressure will work.

Fear and coercion have worked on millions of Americans already, who threw their hands up and got the jab, even if they weren't really in favor of taking it. They just wanted their lives to go back to normal.

Parents and kids want school to go back to normal too. The dilemma many parents face is: Do they give their kid a shot and maybe multiple, continuous shots with something that still doesn't stop the transmission or infection? Or do they take the chance of their kids getting something they feel isn't much of a deadly threat?

The mask and vaccine mandates have put many people in the horrible position of violating their beliefs and their bodily autonomy or be denied an education or the opportunity to make a living. Why more people are not speaking out after the fear has subsided and the magic vaccine's performance being less than expected is astonishing. It's almost like people, especially in this state, are under some sort of COVID spell from the government and media's spin machine.

It's time to wake up out of whatever trance we've been in and stop the nonsense.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis Malloy's own.