FACING THE SAME CHOICES AS
LAKELAND UNION AND WE'RE JOINED
NOW BY STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF
SCHOOLS JILL UNDERLY.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
NICE TO BE HERE.
THANK YOU.
>> SO WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO
SCHOOLS WHEN IT COMES TO
MANDATING MASKS IN THE
CLASSROOM?
>> WELL, I MEAN, I GUESS AS WELL
AS ANY OTHER KIND OF MITIGATION
STRATEGY, YOU KNOW, MASKING IS
IMPORTANT FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
IT KEEPS THE PUBLIC SAFE, KEEPS
OUR KIDS SAFE, KEEPS OUR SCHOOLS
OPEN.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY ADVICE.
IF IT'S MITIGATION STRATEGY THAT
KEEPS YOUR SCHOOLS OPEN, THEN IT
NEEDS TO BE TAKEN UNDER
CONSIDERATION.
>> WE'VE SEEN QUITE A FEW
SCHOOLS DOING A MASK OPTIONAL
APPROACH.
WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT EACH
SCHOOL IS DOING, CAN WE JUST
LOOK AT THE POLITICS IN THAT
AREA TO SEE IF THEY'RE MANDATING
MASKS OR IS IT NOT QUITE THAT
SIMPLE?
>> I THINK A LOT OF IT IS
POLITICS, TO BE HONEST, AND OUR
SCHOOLS ARE CAUGHT IN THE
MIDDLE.
WHEN YOU HAVE THE CDC AND
SCIENTISTS AND MEDICAL EXPERTS
RECOMMENDING MITIGATION
STRATEGIES THAT INCLUDE MASKS, I
BELIEVE WE SHOULD BE LISTENING
TO THAT.
>> IN THE LAST YEAR THE
WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT HAS
OVERTURNED A FEW SECTIONS OF
STATE LAW REGARDING WHAT
AUTHORITY STATE AGENCIES HAVE
WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH
THE PANDEMIC.
IN YOUR CAPACITY AS
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, DO
YOU HAVE AUTHORITY TO MANDATE
MASKS IN CLASSROOMS?
>> NO.
AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, WHETHER
IT'S MASKS OR OTHER MITIGATION
STRATEGIES, I MEAN, THOSE ARE
CRITICAL TO FIGHTING THE
PANDEMIC AND WE NEED TO KEEP OUR
SCHOOLS OPEN AND SAFE AND THAT'S
REALLY WHAT WE NEED TO BE
LOOKING AT.
>> SO THIS IS SIMPLY A LOCAL
ISSUE?
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THE STATE
SHOULD ADDRESS?
>> WELL, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT
FOR ME TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION
OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT IF WE
KNOW IT WORKS AND THE DEAL IS
THAT WE WANT TO KEEP OUR SCHOOLS
OPEN AND SAFE, THAT'S SOMETHING
THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS SHOULD
BE LOOKING AT AS A GOOD
MITIGATION STRATEGY.
AND IF ITE WITH, IT WORKS, THAT
THEY SHOULD BE DOING TO KEEP OUR
SCHOOLS OPEN.
IF THAT'S WHAT THE SCIENCE
INDICATES, THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD
BE DOING.
>> IF THE DPI WAS TO ISSUE AN
ORDER OR RULE, COULD THAT BE
OVERTURNED BY REPUBLICANS ON THE
COMMITTEE OF RULES, THE ONE
THAT'S OVERTURNED OTHER PROPOSED
RULES REGARDING MASKS AND OTHER
MANDATES?
>> I DON'T LIKE TO SPECULATE ON
THINGS LIKE THAT, BECAUSE I
DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN
WITH THAT.
I WOULDN'T WANT TO MAKE A CALL
LIKE THAT ON A PUBLIC TELEVISION
SHOW EITHER WAY.
I CAN'T SPECULATE.
>> IF THERE ARE POLITICS, LOCAL
POLITICS THAT ARE IMPACTING THE
ABILITY OF DISTRICT
ADMINISTRATORS TO MAKE CHOICES
ABOUT KEEPING KIDS SAFE, AT WHAT
POINT IS IT INCUMBENT UPON
EITHER YOU OR THE GOVERNOR,
SOMEONE ELSE TO TAKE THE HEAT
POLITICALLY AND MAKING THAT
MANDATE BROADER INSTEAD OF
LEAVING THEM TO THE WHIMS OF
POLITICS AT THEIR LOCAL SCHOOL
BOARD LEVEL?
>> I UNDERSTAND.
ADMINISTRATORS ARE CAUGHT IN THE
MIDDLE.
TEACHERS AND KIDS ARE CAUGHT IN
THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING THAT
SHOULD NOT BE POLITICAL.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT ON THE
SURFACE, LOOK AT VACCINES AND
PUBLIC HEALTH THROUGHOUT THE
CENTURIES, WE'VE HAD VACCINES
FOR 200 YEARS AND WE KNOW THINGS
WORK.
THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY SAD TO ME
ABOUT THE WHOLE SITUATION, IS
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT KIDS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LIVES.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SCHOOLS.
AND FOR SOMETHING TO BECOME
POLITICAL, IT'S JUST REALLY
UNFORTUNATE THAT NONEDUCATOR
ADULTS ARE INSERTING THEMSELVES
INTO A CONVERSATION AND MAKING
SOMETHING CONTROVERSIAL WHEN IT
SHOULDN'T BE.
IT SHOULD BE WHAT DO WE NEED TO
DO TO KEEP OUR KIDS SAFE AND OUR
SCHOOLS OPEN?
AND WHEN 500,000 KIDS ARE
INELIGIBLE FOR A VACCINE AT THIS
TIME, WE NEED TO DO WHAT IT
TAKES AND THAT IS TO FOLLOW THE
SCIENCE AND THE MEDICAL ADVICE.
AND WE PUSH OUT THE INFORMATION
TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO GIVE
THEM THAT BACKSTOP SO THEY CAN
SAY, LOOK, THIS IS WHAT THE CDC
RECOMMENDS, THIS IS WHAT THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS
RECOMMENDING, YOU KNOW, THROUGH
THE SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW AND
THIS IS WHAT THE DPI ALSO
RECOMMENDS, TOO.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WE
COULD DO BECAUSE WE ARE A
LOCAL-CONTROLLED STATE OTHER
THAN GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION
AND HOPE THEY MAKE THE BEST
DECISIONS.
>> SPEAKING OF LOCAL CONTROL,
LAST NIGHT THE MILWAUKEE SCHOOL
BOARD VOTED TO MANDATE VACCINES
FOR ALL EMPLOYEES.
SHOULD THIS BE THE POLICY
EVERYWHERE?
>> WELL, I THINK, AGAIN, IF IT'S
A STRONG MITIGATION STRATEGY, WE
KNOW VACCINES ARE A STRONG
MITIGATION STRATEGY, AND IF
THAT'S WHAT THE SCHOOL BOARD
DECIDES TO DO TO MITIGATE COVID
IN THEIR COMMUNITY, THEN THAT'S,
YOU KNOW, GOOD FOR THAT SCHOOL
BOARD TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
>> NOW, CURRENT LAW REQUIRES
STUDENTS TO BE IMMUNIZED FOR
POLIO, MMR, HEPATITIS B.
DO YOU THINK EVENTUALLY COVID
WILL MAKE THAT LIST FOR STUDENTS
ENTERING PUBLIC SCHOOL?
>> IF THEY CAN GET A STUDENT
VACCINE, YES, I DO.
OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW IT'S HIGHLY
COMMUNICABLE.
WE KNOW THAT THE OLDER YOU ARE,
IF YOU'VE GOT UNDERLYING HEALTH
CONDITIONS, THAT YOU WILL -- YOU
HAVE A MORE LIKELIHOOD TO BE
HOSPITALIZED.
AND PUBLIC SAFETY IS ONE OF
THOSE THINGS WITH PUBLIC HEALTH
WE HAVE TO PAY STRICT ATTENTION
TO, ESPECIALLY IN SETTINGS LIKE
SCHOOL WHERE COMMUNICABLE
DISEASES CAN SPREAD EASILY.
>> THERE'S AN OLD ADAGE ABOUT
LEARNING FROM OTHER PEOPLE'S
MISTAKES.
WHY ARE SO MANY SCHOOLS WAITING
FOR AN OU OUTBREAK BEFORE CHANGG
MANDATES AND VACCINE
REQUIREMENTS?
WHY AREN'T WE SEEING AHEAD TO
WHAT'S HAPPENING UNTIL WAITING
IT HAPPENS IN A LOT OF THESE
DISTRICTS?
>> IT'S REALLY TOUGH RIGHT NOW
TO BE AN EDUCATOR.
AND IT'S REALLY TOUGH TO BE A
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER.
I THINK OUR POLITICAL
ENVIRONMENT HAS SOMETHING TO DO
WITH THAT.
I THINK THERE'S CERTAINLY A LOT
OF PRESSURE, A LOT OF PEER
PRESSURE.
AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN'T BE
POLITICAL.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC
HEALTH.
IF WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LEAD IN
OUR WATER, FOR EXAMPLE, OR IF WE
WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
MEASLES, I THINK PEOPLE --
AGAIN, WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO BE
POLITICAL?
WHY DO OUR SCHOOLS HAVE TO BE IN
THE MIDDLE OF THIS WHEN ALL WE
WANT TO DO IS MAKE SURE WE CAN
KEEP OUR SCHOOLS OPEN AND KEEP
OUR KIDS AND KEEP OUR STAFF
SAFE.
>> NOW, COVID CASELOADS ARE
RISING AROUND THE STATE.
IS THERE ANY POINT AT WHICH YOU
WOULD CONSIDER RECOMMENDING
CLOSING DOWN SCHOOLS STATEWIDE
AGAIN OR WILL IT ALWAYS BE A
CASE-BY-CASE DECISION AT THIS
POINT?
>> WELL, CURRENTLY I KNOW THAT
PUBLIC HEALTH COUNTIES CAN CLOSE
DOWN SCHOOLS WHEN THERE'S A FLU
OUTBREAK.
AS AN ADMINISTRATOR THE PAST
SEVEN YEARS, WE CAME CLOSE ONE
OR TWO SEMESTERS WHERE IN ONE OF
MY BUILDINGS WE HAD TO
COMMUNICATE REGULARLY WITH OUR
COMMUNITY HEALTH.
I DON'T SEE COVID BEING ANY
DIFFERENT.
I MEAN, CERTAINLY THERE'S SOME
DIFFERENCES IN HOW FAST IT CAN
SPREAD.
CERTAINLY THERE ARE SOME
DIFFERENCES, YOU KNOW.
FLU IS A LOT MORE OBVIOUS
BECAUSE COVID WE KNOW PEOPLE CAN
BE ASYMPTOMATIC.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE VERY
IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE GET THE
VACCINE, THAT THEY GET THE FLU
VACCINE AS WELL AS THE COVID
VACCINE IF THEY'RE ELIGIBLE.
BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN KEEP
TABS ON THESE CASES, MAKING SURE
THAT WE HAVE A REGULAR TESTING
IS GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
DR. UNDERLY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME TODAY.
>> YOU BET.