Print Continue to article content Republicans seized this week on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s requirement that all schoolchildren wear masks. | Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo Newsom faces backlash over masks in California schools Students will return to classrooms just as recall ballots land in mailboxes across the state, and Newsom has to strike the right tone with parents and voters after a tumultuous stretch marked by some of the nation's longest school closures. The governor has built momentum this summer, making his ouster a long shot, but schools remain a sensitive political topic in California. Republicans seized this week on Newsom’s requirement that all schoolchildren wear masks, alleging that he was ignoring science by requiring