Mask?

The big question … do masks really protect us? It seems to be debatable!

If you’re a sports fan and watch baseball, football, soccer – that is any sport being played in a stadium indoor or out – and if you attend the event, you most likely will be sitting next to someone who doesn’t have a mask on.  

During the 2022 Rose Parade most participants and viewers were not wearing one. When entering a restaurant, one must wear a mask to enter and then you may remove it when you sit down. There is a lack of consistency when it comes to the pros and cons about masks. It seems mayors, governors and the White House all have different rules! Some representatives require their constituents to wear a mask in public; yet, when they attend an event, they often don’t wear one themselves.

Now we are told that cloth masks won’t protect us. Yet the manufacturers still produce them? Guess they don’t want to put a lid on a multi-million-dollar industry.

Other disadvantages of [wearing] a mask are people who have difficulty with breathing. Those with a hearing deficiency may lose all means of communicating [if] they rely on lip reading. Actually, all vocal communications are negatively affected because a mask does modify voice frequencies, which affects voice clarity.

However, it does make sense to wear a mask when you have a respiratory infection. When you are sick your immune system is impaired and the chance of becoming infected from airborne bacterial or viral spores are much greater. Under these conditions staying away from people makes good sense.

If you have a temperature or flu-like symptoms stay home and away from everyone. You’re sick! Keep to yourself and take whatever medications your doctor prescribes! Rest and drinking lots of water goes a long way!

Andy Gero
La Crescenta

School Choice Options are Changing in La Crescenta and Across the Country

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re a parent. Baby Boomer, Gen X or Millennial – the K-12 school scene has changed so much since we were kids.

Here are the three biggest changes affecting education in La Crescenta and across the U.S. today, and what these changes mean for your family.

First, school choice opportunities have broadened over the last generation. That means parents have more options for where to send their children to school. For example: traditional public schools have adopted more flexible enrollment policies. Charter school laws have passed in 45 states, including California. More families are aware they can choose public magnet programs, where kids receive education with a special focus, like STEM or the arts. Today, many California families receive scholarships to help fund their tuition at private schools, or choose homeschooling.

Another game-changer is that there’s now more community support for making school choices. I’ve worked in K-12 education for more than 15 years and I’ve seen dozens of parent-focused organizations spring up to shine a spotlight on learning options in local communities. From helping parents find scholarships to private schools to offering bilingual application assistance, grassroots organizations are cutting the stress out of school searching.

Third, a plethora of online learning environments have developed since our school days. These online options are more comprehensive and focused than the emergency remote learning that many families experienced during the pandemic. For example, California offers several free, full-time online learning options for students, like California Connections Academy and California Virtual Academies. Besides official online schooling, resources like schoolhouse.world offer free support.

All these changes to K-12 education are reasons for hope. With more options, La Crescenta parents have more opportunities to find a free or inexpensive education personalized to their unique children. Begin the school search process during School Choice Week (Jan. 23-29) when 2,193 schools and homeschool groups in California will be working together to raise awareness of opportunity in education.

Andrew Campanella

Andrew Campanella is president of National School Choice Week and the author of “The School Choice Roadmap: 7 Steps to Finding the Right School for Your Child.”