A family’s frustration with a Mingus Union High School Governing Board member’s response to their daughter’s email asking for live instruction while in quarantine has sparked multiple questions about the district’s competence in providing adequate instruction to students it quarantines.
The conflict began when 11th-grader Eden Stokes emailed her teachers, several Governing Board members, Superintendent Mike Westcott and Principal Genie Gee requesting live instruction while being quarantined for the second time.
The email alleges that MUHS teachers are not being informed when students are being sent home to quarantine and that they are not prepared to offer live instruction.
Stokes said her friends have had to Facetime her during class on their phones because no other live instruction methods were offered or made available to her upon her request.
“I have missed HOURS of live instruction and multiple volleyball games because I was ‘EXPOSED.’ Sending hundreds of my friends home for days at a time is hurting us, mentally and emotionally.”
Eden Stokes, Mingus Union High School Junior
from her email the principal and Governing Board“Were you aware that these quarantines would not have had to happen if you had been vaccinated, or if both you and the positive student had been wearing masks? It’s amazing to me how many students and families are unaware of this policy.”
Mingus Union High School Governing Board President Carol Anne Teague’s
in an email to 16-year-old Eden Stokes“I know bullying exists at school but I never knew it started at the top. When did my vaccination status become more important than my education and well being or the main issue for a public school and those representing us? … Mrs. Teague, to educate you, I am not able to make the choice to be vaccinated. I am a minor, my parents will make that decision for me until I am 18 years of age.”
Eden Stokes, Mingus Union High School Junior
from her op-ed“I have no need to defend myself, thank you for your offer. I received an email from a student and I replied kindly.”
Mingus Union High School Governing Board President Carol Anne Teague
in an email to Larson Newspapers
She wrote that her grades had suffered during her last quarantine and asked that her teachers provide live instruction for her now that she’s been sent home a second time.
“I had a 3.7 GPA when I was sent home to quarantine three weeks ago,” she wrote. “I dropped to a 3.0 and had to work very hard to catch up as only ONE of my teachers was prepared for quarantined kids, with live instruction and school work on Google classrooms. Only ONE more made live instruction available after being asked to do so.”
“Please let me know what I need to do and where I need to look to STAY UP TO DATE with my work so I do not have to spend every AOT [academic overtime] in your classrooms and hours at night to keep my GPA where it’s acceptable to myself and my parents,” the email later reads.
Yavapai County Community Health Services Director Leslie Horton was also included in the email. Stokes addressed her directly saying she’d missed in-person class and volleyball games and said the current quarantine policies are “hurting us [students], mentally and emotionally.”
“Mrs. Horton, please reevaluate the mandates/recommendations you are giving. It’s been months since you’ve updated your information. I have missed HOURS of live instruction and multiple volleyball games because I was ‘EXPOSED.’ Sending hundreds of my friends home for days at a time is hurting us, mentally and emotionally. Mingus has had less than 10 kids test positive with HUNDREDS quarantined. Mrs. Horton please help our schools keep us in class,” she wrote.
COVID Exposure
As of Sept. 23, a total of 410 Mingus students had been quarantined due to exposure to COVID, Westcott said. Because of certain exemptions recommended by the CDC, some students have been able to avoid a quarantine after exposure. A total of 56 students did not have to quarantine because they were fully vaccinated and eight students were exempt because they had a prior COVID infection.
“Students are also exempt from quarantine if both the exposed student and the infected students were wearing masks at the time of the interaction and remained 3 feet apart, which Westcott says is “not very realistic.”
“We would estimate no more than about 5% of students are wearing a face mask, and we have been advised by our attorneys to avoid a mask mandate due to concerns with legislative and gubernatorial restrictions on face covering mandates,” he said. “We know that many of our quarantined students could have been allowed to stay in school if we had been able to institute this requirement.”
Board President Teague’s Response
In response to Eden Stokes’ email, MUHS Governing Board President Carol Anne Teague wrote that she has “no doubt” that her teachers had done everything they could to help her during her quarantine and went on to say that she would not have had to be quarantined had she been vaccinated or wearing a mask.
“I’m sorry that this has been hard on you and your family and your grades. Good for you for catching up after the last quarantine.
“There is no doubt in my mind that your teachers are doing everything in their power to keep students who have been quarantined up to speed.
“Were you aware that these quarantines would not have had to happen if you had been vaccinated, or if both you and the positive student had been wearing masks? It’s amazing to me how many students and families are unaware of this policy.”
Mother’s Reaction
Brandee Stokes, Eden Stokes’ mother, wrote the Cottonwood Journal Extra to express her frustration with the way Teague responded to her daughter.
“This is harassing language and discrimination against children who do not vaccinate. My child does not have a choice here, she is a minor. We choose not to vaccinate and should not be talked down to or ridiculed for our choice,” Brandee Stokes said.
Teague declined to comment on her response to Eden Stokes’ email.
“I have no need to defend myself, thank you for your offer. I received an email from a student and I replied kindly,” she said.
Arizona State Law
The controversy takes place just a week before Gov. Doug Ducey’s order that says Arizona schools cannot require students to wear a mask nor be vaccinated to attend school in person becomes enforceable by a new state law on Sept. 29.
Ducey has said the new state law means schools cannot have a policy that says unvaccinated students who are exposed to COVID must quarantine.
Westcott said Mingus officials currently intend to maintain their quarantine policy so long as they are still in compliance with the county’s recommendation to follow CDC and ADHS guidelines, which is also a requirement of their COVID-19 liability insurance.
As far as teachers being prepared to educate quarantined students, Westcott said all certified teachers are required to manage a Google site with a calendar that contains due dates, a teacher bio, contact information and a specific page for each course.
“Teachers have been asked to maintain their Google Classroom so students and families can access assignments and learning resources, which may include instructional videos, worksheets and tutorials,” he said.
Westcott said the district is auditing the Google Classrooms and reminding teachers to update content to help ensure they are offering adequate instruction to quarantined students.
“If we receive information that a teacher does not have content posted or if there is a tech issue, we work to get the issue resolved as quickly as possible,” he said. “Teachers want their students to continue learning and to remain engaged. We continue to fine-tune our Google Classroom practices to best serve our students.”
The district has also provided a dedicated admin/teacher, Shannon Anderson, who is available to help both teachers and students with any Google Classroom issues, whether technical or content-related. She’s also helping some teachers create video lessons to post.
Counselors are also available to support students who need support and help catching up on classes after returning from quarantine.
For more information about MUHS’ COVID-19 mitigation plan, visit mingusunion.com.
‘Carol Anne Teague bullies quarantined students’
By Eden Stokes
Guest Perspective
My name is Eden Stokes. I am 16 years old and currently a junior at Mingus Union High School. I am a volleyball player for Mingus as well. I am on my second round of quarantine and have yet to test positive [for COVID-19].
Quarantine has affected my life in so many negative ways: Physically, emotionally, mentally. These quarantines have made my life harder. I have to constantly make sure my grades are not dropping and I have to do my best to keep A’s and B’s.
In my family anything below a B is not acceptable, as well as the standards my volleyball coach keeps. The answer to quarantine school work at MUHS is “do your best” and spend all your lunch hour in class to make up your work once you are allowed back on campus. I have spent hours with my teachers trying to keep up my grades and doing assignments that weren’t able to be completed at home. I am missing out on my volleyball season as well. I have missed over eight games and double the practices with both of my quarantines combined.
I hear from the Mingus administration, Mingus principal and Mingus school board members that they want to do the best for their students. I have voiced my concerns for myself as well as my classmates multiple times. This is not helping us as students become better in any aspect of our lives.
I recently received an email from Carol Anne Teague, Mingus Union High School Governing Board president, who wrote, “Were you aware that these quarantines would not have had to happen if you had been vaccinated, or if both you and the positive student had been wearing masks? It’s amazing to me how many students and families are unaware of this policy.”
This was her response to an email I sent expressing my concerns with the quarantine policy and how hard it has been to keep up with school work that has not always been made available in a timely manner. Mrs. Teague made this a political issue and instead of being an advocate for me as a student, she instead attacked my personal convictions and beliefs.
I know bullying exists at school but I never knew it started at the top. When did my vaccination status become more important than my education and well being or the main issue for a public school and those representing us?
Her condescending tone was a blow as well. I may be 16 and she may have thought I wouldn’t pick up on it, she was wrong. To manipulate facts about masks is a disgrace, too. Mrs. Teague failed to include the 3- foot distance required to avoid quarantine. She has misled many with her half-truths. I hope when election time rolls around our community opts to elect individuals who care about children and our well being, not politics. Someone with good character and integrity. Someone that will speak the truth, not half truths. And most important, someone who will choose to not bully teenagers.
Mrs. Teague, to educate you, I am not able to make the choice to be vaccinated. I am a minor, my parents will make that decision for me until I am 18 years of age.
Back to what really matters and should have been the focus and concern of Mrs. Teague: I had a 3.7 GPA before I was quarantined the first time. I worked very, very hard to get my GPA back up from the 3.0 it fell to in the one week I was quarantined.
Before I was quarantined my life was great: I understood school completely, I was playing sports, my mental state was happy and not tired and depressed because I was forced to stay home all day, everyday. Life was very difficult during the first and second quarantine because I am used to always going and doing things with school, friends and volleyball. I am always active. With quarantine my learning looks like a computer screen for six hours, five days a week. I’ve been doing that two of the past four weeks. I am over being on Zoom calls and being in front of the computer all day. Yes, COVID-19 is still a thing and it affects people in everyday life, I am not down-playing the virus. But, I have tested negative both times. I have been quarantined and I was still unable to come back to school.
The policy to test on day five but still remain at home for another two days makes no sense. I hope the effects quarantine is having on students will be brought to light at MUHS. I am only one of over 200 students and counting that are continuing to miss out on the education we deserve when we are sent home to “learn” on our own.
My concern is, are we keeping healthy kids in school? Are you, Mrs. Teague, doing your part to keep healthy kids in school or are you pushing to keep us away from the place that has been provided for learning and growth. Is this what we elected our governing board to do? Keep us out of school?
Eden Stokes is a 16-year-old junior at Mingus Union High School.
