Many of the state’s largest school districts -- and the unions that represent their thousands of teachers -- say they are fully on board with Gov. Phil Murphy’s announcement last week that New Jersey schools would be returning to full in-person classes next school year, without an option for virtual learning.
At the Wednesday coronavirus press briefing in Trenton, Murphy made it clear that Garden State schools will return to full in-person classes for the next school year and districts will not be allowed to offer virtual learning, even for parents who want that option due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns.
“I want to be unequivocal about this,” Murphy said. “We are expecting Monday through Friday, in-person, every school, every district. Obviously, if the world goes sideways, we have to revisit that. But as of this sitting, the answer is no.”
The statewide teacher’s union, the New Jersey Education Association, agreed with Murphy’s directive and said it was hopeful that COVID-19 statistics would continue to trend positively enough for the Garden State’s educators to go back to the classroom.
“We share Gov. Murphy’s hope that New Jersey’s public schools will be able to safely and responsibly open for in-person instruction in the fall,” said union spokesman Steve Baker. “No one can say with certainly what the pandemic will look like in September, but with competent national leadership at last, a broader, faster vaccine rollout and continued vigilance in our communities, there is good reason to be hopeful that conditions by that time will allow schools to safely and responsibly open for in-person instruction.”
Many school districts, including those in the state’s largest cities, are weeks away from returning to in-person classes, and say they plan to abide by Murphy’s directive come September.
Newark, the state’s largest school district, is ready to bring teachers and staff back to classrooms, while monitoring the situation, ready to change back if necessary, said Superintendent Roger León.
“The governor’s announcement...was clear, and we anticipate that NJDOE will provide even further guidance to school districts across New Jersey, as we navigate the ever-changing COVID-19 protocols,” León said in a statement. “I have repeatedly shared that the one constant experience during this global pandemic has been repeated change, and this is no exception. We will continue to assess and adjust accordingly.”
For the 4,000 members of the Newark Teachers Union, who are preparing for their return to in-person classes in April, the return to classrooms is long overdue and a “great scenario,” as more teachers and students are vaccinated, said John Abeigon, the union’s president.
“We’d love nothing better than to be teaching from classrooms come September,” Abeigon told NJ Advance Media.
In Newark, about 2,000 school employees put in requests to be vaccinated ahead of plans to reopen next month for in-person classes. The school district and the city contacted the state health department to secure doses for in-school vaccinations for employees. That started with a March 16 event in the gym at Barringer High School where the first 400 teachers and staff from around Newark got their first shots.
The vaccination numbers have been a key factor in ensuring educators feel safe enough to return to classrooms, said Abeigon.
Nurse Unique Tucker injects Jennifer Severini, a teacher aide at the Gerard J. Dynes Regional Day School in Jersey City, with the COVID-19 vaccine at Ferris High School on Wednesday, March 17, 2021. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal)
In Jersey City, the state’s second largest city, the school district also plans to comply with Murphy’s directive, said Deputy Superintendent Norma Fernandez.
“Absolutely,” said Fernandez. “I think it’s very doable to do in-person learning in September, without any remote learning. We need to try it. If data changes, health data changes, we know how that goes already. I think we need to try it and we need to focus on bringing students back.”
In Paterson, the city’s public school district had developed a plan to reopen its 51 schools under a hybrid model, with a district spokesperson stopping short of committing to a full in-person model come September. The hybrid model plan is scheduled to be presented to the Paterson Board of Education on March 31.
“The district has had the benefit of resources from the state and federal governments to mitigate the spread of infection in school buildings,” said Paul Brubaker, the district spokesman. “Those measures include requiring everyone to wear masks in school, maintaining social distancing, issuing partitions to all students, installing ionizing air purifiers in every room, and upgrading air filters to a higher quality.”
Murphy’s directive comes as 28 school districts changed learning formats just last week, with 15 switching from remote to hybrid learning models.
As some question whether Murphy can order students back to classrooms in the fall, schools now are only able to operate remotely because of a public health emergency declared by the governor. Once that is rescinded, all districts will again be subject to the 180-day rule: If a school district wants state funding, it must be open at least 180 days during a school year, without exception, according to the state’s Department of Education.
While what ultimately happens in the fall depends almost entirely on key COVID-19 statistics, many New Jersey educators say they are ready and willing to go back to classrooms and teach their students in person.
“We’ve wanted to return since day one,” said Abeigon. “We know there’s diminished value, in terms of social, emotional wellness for students and family. It took a great toll on our teaching staff, as well.”
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Rodrigo Torrejon may be reached at rtorrejon@njadvancemedia.com.
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