As the co-admin of a group that worked tirelessly to get rid of mask mandates for our children, we have been contacted by so many teachers asking for our help so that they can have a choice too. The main job of an educator is to convey  information to a student in a format they can understand. How can we possibly think that masking teachers was ever a good idea? Our smallest students need to see the way words are formed. They need to know where to place their tongue and how to purse their lips to pronounce certain letters, words and sounds correctly. Our older students continue to navigate a confusing world where much of their lives, at least for the last two years, have been online. Our adolescents need to see facial expressions and feel meaningful connections with their peers, and their teachers. Masking is serving no public health purpose anymore. It has been a hinderance to learning and has put up additional barriers to understanding for students who need less barriers more than ever. As a former public school teacher, I can't imagine having to teach from behind a mask all day long. Please give Virginians choice in the workplace, the same way parents and their children now have choices.