Parents in Algonquin, IL, a northwest suburb of Chicago, are getting fed up with masking their kids. So earlier this week, many of them took their grievances to the school board, and many of them were quite vocal.

Mask Confusion in Illinois

You’ve probably seen how many blue state governors have recently dropped their mask mandates, no doubt because they know that citizens are getting surly. And November midterms are coming. So suddenly they’re announcing that the “science has changed” and their constituents don’t have to wear masks anymore. You and I know that it’s not the science that has changed, but it’s the politics, right?

In Illinois, however, Gov. J.B. “Toilets” Pritzker (that nickname is itself quite the story) still wants kids in schools to wear masks. Never mind that last week an Illinois judge suspended his mask mandate after a group of parents and school districts filed a lawsuit, claiming Pritzker exceeded his executive authority.

But instead of obeying the judge’s order, Pritzker doubled down. He plans to lift the mandate on February 28, but in the meantime he still wants kids in face masks at school because he believes masks work. Sure, they do.

So you can see why Illinois parents are becoming increasingly angry and frustrated.

School Board President Mocks Mom

Against this backdrop of ceaseless confusion, District 300 in Algonquin held its school board meeting earlier this week. The parents were understandably upset, and many were angry. One of them, Anna Tully, told the board how masks were affecting her children, one of whom is a nine-year-old special needs boy with speech delays.

Chicago writer John Kass wrote about Tully’s appearance before the board:

“She talks painfully of the flimsy masks on her kids, the masks that “science” now tells us don’t stop the spread. She talks of how the masks have hurt her little boy, who needs speech therapy. But for years now he hasn’t seen the faces of his teacher, hasn’t seen how the teacher forms words with her mouth. And a school board president mocks her as someone who just wants to be on TV.”

Did you catch that? The school board president, Dr. David Scarpino, said the quiet part out loud. He thinks the parents were all there because they want to be on TV. Here’s his words:

“I just want to remind folks, I understand you’re performing for TV and everything. I get that.”

In case you don’t believe that any board president would say such a thing to people who elect him to office, here’s the video:

David Scarpino, School Board President and Mocker of Moms

Nice guy that “Dr.” David Scarpino — who, like Jill Biden, is not a medical doctor but holds a doctorate in education — just so no one here is confused as to his credentials. You’d think that someone who’s been a “classroom teacher, assistant principal, principal,” as per his bio, would be a “people person.” Someone who enjoys interacting with others, especially children and parents.

District 300/Board Member Biographies.

And looky here — the bio also says that Scarpino has “extensive experience” with “parent concerns.” That is, of course, if they don’t challenge his authority. Then he will boot them from board meetings, as he did with the father at the end of the video. And mock the mother of a child with special needs.

Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud

The Covid pandemic and its accompanying restrictions have ruined many lives, especially those of children. It’s been hard on kids who’ve been made to stay home for over a year, away from friends and routines. They’ve had to learn their lessons via computer. And then when they returned to school, they had to wear masks, even though we know masks are ineffective.

But one good thing has come from this: public school parents are waking up. Through their kids’ Zoom classes at home, they’ve seen how teachers indoctrinate students. Parents have become angry and confused with masks and “six feet apart” spacing. Often their kids have been made to eat lunch outside in cold weather. And some schools have even locked kids in closets for not masking up.

So moms and dads are now filling school board meetings with questions and complaints. They want the madness to end. And what do they get? Mocked and tossed from meetings. You can imagine what these little school board dictators say amongst themselves when the mics are off.

But thank you, “Dr.” Scarpino. You said the quiet part out loud. Now the parents in your district know what a contemptuous a**hole you are. I’m sure there are many others just like you on school boards across the nation. And you wonder why school choice is becoming a hot issue.

Featured image: Joe Brusky/flickr/cropped/CC BY-NC 2.0.