DC Officials - Email and Phone Outreach

Students in Washington, DC are on schedule to be the last children able to unmask in America. As of 2/20, school mask mandates exist in fewer than 6 states. Furthermore, on March 1, mask mandates in places like bars, strip clubs, sports venues, and theaters will be lifted in DC. And yet our students remain masked for 7 hours a day as they attempt to develop and learn.


To advocate for our children in DC schools, please write one set of emails to the following DC government officials every day until the mask mandate is lifted in schools.

Suggested subject line:

Urgent: Mask choice for DC Students

Email Template:


Dear All,


I am a parent of [a student(s) at Name of School] and I am writing to you to request that the DC adopt a mask optional policy for our DC school students immediately. As a parent I have seen first hand the adverse effects of masking on my children,

such as [add personal anecdotes or details].


Masking our children causes more harm than good. Recent studies found evidence that masking is a barrier to speech recognition, hearing, and communication, and that masks impede children’s ability to understand facial expressions. Research has also suggested that hearing-impaired children have difficulty discerning individual sounds; opaque masks, of course, prevent lip-reading. Masks can make learning difficult for some of America’s most vulnerable children, including those with cognitive delays, speech and hearing issues, and autism. Masks hinder language and speech development—especially important for students who do not speak English at home. Masks may also impede emotion recognition.


Yet, DC schools continue to require masking policies. And, individual schools have taken draconian approaches to their masking rules. Some require masking of pre-school children, masking outside, and masking during physical activity.


Two years into this pandemic, keeping unproven measures in place is unjustifiable. Learning losses are astronomical. Social and emotional damage is staggering. Children are desperate for normalcy. They must start recovery now. Our DC children have suffered enough. The DC government must end its school mask mandate immediately.


Thank you.


Sincerely,

[Your Name(s)]

Points of Contact:


Copy & Paste the following bolded email addresses for:


muriel.bowser@dc.gov, eom@dc.gov, john.falcicchio@dc.gov

dme@dc.gov, laquandra.nesbitt@dc.gov, jacqueline.watson@dc.gov

christina.grant@dc.gov, Eugene.adams@dc.gov, press@dc.gov

osse@dc.gov, doh@dc.gov, oag@dc.gov, pmendelson@dccouncil.us

bnadeau@dccouncil.us, bpinto@dccouncil.us

mcheh@dccouncil.us, jlewisgeorge@dccouncil.us

kmcduffie@dccouncil.us, callen@dccouncil.us, vgray@dccouncil.us

twhite@dccouncil.us



The above email addresses cover and correlate to the following points of contact:


DC Mayors Office and DC Government Points of Contact:


  • muriel.bowser@dc.gov (DC Mayor Muriel Bowser)

  • eom@dc.gov (Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser)

  • john.falcicchio@dc.gov (Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development)

  • dme@dc.gov (Paul Kihn, Deputy Mayor for Education)

  • laquandra.nesbitt@dc.gov (Director, DC Department of Health)

  • jacqueline.watson@dc.gov (Chief of Staff, DC Department of Health)

  • christina.grant@dc.gov (DC OSSE, State Superintendent of Education)

  • Eugene.adams@dc.gov (Director, Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel)

  • oag@dc.gov, (Attorney General Office, DC)

  • press@dc.gov (DC Press Office)

  • osse@dc.gov (DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education)

  • doh@dc.gov (DC Department of Health)



DC City Council Points of Contact:

  • pmendelson@dccouncil.us (Chairman)

  • bnadeau@dccouncil.us (Ward 1)

  • bpinto@dccouncil.us (Ward 2)

  • mcheh@dccouncil.us (Ward 3)

  • jlewisgeorge@dccouncil.us (Ward 4)

  • kmcduffie@dccouncil.us (Ward 5)

  • callen@dccouncil.us (Ward 6)

  • vgray@dccouncil.us (Ward 7)

  • twhite@dccouncil.us (Ward 8)