The AFT #OpenSchools Panel

That time we had an actual dialogue by guest contributor Erich Hartmann

Most people don’t realize that a big part of Randi Weingarten’s job is talking to parents. At least, that was news to me when Michelle Walker, founder of #OpenSchools USA, invited me to join a parent Q&A Zoom with Randi in early August 2021.

I said “yes,” of course. Duh.

It was a long and lively discussion, and the more we talked, the more obvious it became that Randi was only getting her information from CNN, MSNBC and the CDC. She literally hadn’t heard any other opinions, POVs, studies or RCTs aside from the official COVID Narrative… and she was the person driving much of the policy in our schools. The Team Reality parents on the call took great issue with that, and for good reason.

Then she asked me, point blank “Well…what do you parents want?”

Without skipping a beat, I said “Randi, we want you to hear a second opinion”.

She paused, and said “Alright, let’s do it.”

And we did it.

 On September 30, 2021 we hosted the “AFT  & OpenSchools USA Second Opinion Panel: Masks in Schools” with Drs. Jay Bhattacharya, Tracy Høeg, Irwin Redlener and Patrice Harris.

It was a pretty amazing journey how we got from “alright, let’s do it” to actually doing it in less than a month. The discussion went well, and was well received.

Here are some of the highlights:

Erich Hartmann @erichhartmann

One of the main reasons we held this important #MaskPanel discussion on Masks, COVID, Kids & Schools is because many experts have not been allowed to share their opinions and POV, w basic science and immunology being censored as "disinformation". @TracyBethHoeg address this here:

Erich Hartmann @erichhartmann

Here’s an interesting exchange: @TracyBethHoeg @PatriceHarrisMD @DrJBhattacharya and even @IrwinRedlenerMD point out that kids don’t wear masks well. @PatriceHarrisMD implies that we need better enforcement in schools: #MaskPanel

Erich Hartmann @erichhartmann

Folks, when even @IrwinRedlenerMD thinks the @cdc guidance has been “horrendous”, we got problems. And, by his own admission, he talks to the leadership frequently… #MaskPanel

Erich Hartmann @erichhartmann

One of the hidden highlights of this important #MaskPanel discussion was the fact that neither @PatriceHarrisMD @IrwinRedlenerMD or @rweingarten seemed to know that many public schools are still forcing kids to wear masks OUTSIDE. This should be an easy win for us all *ASAP:

Erich Hartmann @erichhartmann

This 👇 exchange may sum up the entire national #UnMaskOurKids debate: @TracyBethHoeg points out that the ‘burden of proof’ has been turned 180º, @IrwinRedlenerMD claims that’s necessary in a crisis, and @DrJBhattacharya points out that’s not how science works: #MaskPanel

Watching these clips now is infuriating. Because it reminds us not only that we were right, but how important it is to talk out our differences, no matter how political, no matter how painful. From the very beginning of the botched COVID response parents were denied the opportunity to have these discussions; we were silenced, and even kicked off our local Facebook boards for merely asking questions. Prominent experts like Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and Dr. Tracy Høeg were attacked, impugned, and in some cases fired and destroyed.

I’m not sure if our “AFT  & OpenSchools USA Second Opinion Panel: Masks in Schools” changed any hearts and minds overnight, but it definitely moved the needle. The fact that we even had a discussion about this topic felt revolutionary at the time, and still does.

Erich Hartmann co-founded #OpenSchoolsWestchester in the Summer of 2020, and #UnMaskWestchester in Fall of 2020. When he’s not fighting for his kids against groupthink, hypochondria and TheScience™ he runs a small un-woke ad agency. You can follow him on Twitter @erichhartmann.

Our goals as an organization are simple- to restore and protect childhood, to require, encourage and support rigorous scientific inquiry with respect to policies that impact children, and to re-center children as a priority of our society.

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