While the debate continues to rage over whether schools should re-open this fall despite the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Phil Murphy later announced Wednesday that New Jersey public schools will have the option to begin the school year with no person classes, NJ Advance Media has confirmed.
Murphy’s office told CBS News that he “will announce today a plan to facilitate distance learning as an option,” according to a report early Wednesday on “CBS This Morning.” A source with knowledge of the problem confirmed the report to NJ Advance Media.
The nearly 600 school districts of New Jersey will not simply be able to choose to go only remotely, the source said. Instead, the districts will have to show the State Department of Education the reasons why they cannot offer classes and what they are doing to solve these problems.
“Districts are expected to continue working with the DOE to reach the point where they can deliver a personalized experience. Districts are expected to tell the department what obstacles to providing personal training where they have to go and a date on which they are working to resolve these barriers, “the sources said.” The goal is still to get as many as possible to learn personally in the state. “
The CBS report included schools in Elizabeth, one of the districts that rejected state guidelines and submitted a reopening of schools with no classes in person, because local officials say they do not have enough teachers willing to going back to classes.
Murphy is expected to make the formal announcement at his latest COVID-19 briefing in Trenton at 1 a.m. Kevin Dehmer, the state interim commissioner for interim, is due to appear.
The move is a major change in the guidelines originally proposed by the Murphy administration in June. After ending the final school year with three months of virtual learning, the state required all 2,500 New Jersey public schools to offer at least some classes in person as the new academic year begins in the coming weeks – albeit with restrictions such as masking and social distance.
The state also required districts to offer parents the option of tutoring for their children.
But there has been increasing pressure from some local officials, educators and union leaders for schools to stay close, as COVID-19 continues to influence New Jersey – or at least to give districts the option to open everything remotely.
Leaders of the state’s largest teachers’ union and groups representing school administrators issued a joint statement Wednesday night urging Murphy and the state Department of Education to keep all New Jersey schools at a distance. the fall on health care because of the virus.
“Educators and administrators in New Jersey have been working insecurely for months to find a way to safely bring students back to school buildings in September. Now, with less than a month left before schools are scheduled to reopen, it’s time to reluctantly acknowledge that goal is simply unattainable, “said Richard Bozza, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators; Patricia Wright, executive director of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association; and Marie Blistan, president of the New Jersey Education Association.
“Renovation of schools opens up for personal instruction under the current circumstances an excessive risk to the health of students and school staff,” she continued.
“We fully support and share the governor’s goal of moving to instruction in person as soon as science and data say we can do so responsibly and when the resources are available in our school buildings to make it safe. to do, “the union members added.
Some educators and officials have warned that there may not be enough teachers to teach personal classes because teachers will not teach personally out of fear of contracting the virus.
The school board in Elizabeth – New Jersey’s fourth largest municipality – voted Monday to begin the school year with distance classes, despite state guidelines, as 375 of its teachers have said they will not physically return to school . The plan would have to be approved by the state.
On the other hand, many parents, officials, and President Donald Trump have called for schools to reopen across the country. Many claim that students do not receive the same education from online classes and many parents are unable to stay home because of work.
Murphy was asked Monday if parents and educators should expect school plans to change in New Jersey.
“No news to report on schools today … We take all the input from all stakeholders very seriously, and there is, as I said, enormous passion on all sides of this,” the mayor replied.
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COVID-19 has so far not had as great an impact on children compared to people who are older and have pre-existing conditions.
Opponents of returning to school say children can pass the virus on to teachers and administrators. They also state that it is not yet clear how the virus affects children.
A Fairleigh Dickinson University interview released last month found that New Jerseyans are divided over the issue. The survey found 46% of Garden State adults say schools should reopen with protective measures, while 42% say students should continue distance education until there is a COVID-19 treatment as a vaccine.
The uncertainty comes as New Jersey, once a coronavirus hotspot, sees its numbers trending in the right direction. On Tuesday, the state reported 14 deaths related to COVID-19 and 498 new cases, while the rate of transmission remained below the key benchmark of 1 for the second straight day. Those numbers are significantly down from the peak of the state in mid-April.
But Murphy on Monday said it was still too risky to reopen restaurants for indoor dining, saying the idea of people sitting inside without masks without strong ventilation is still a problem.
He also continued to urge residents to keep social distance and wear masks to ensure the figures do not spike again and help prevent more deaths.
“Please do not rest,” said the mayor. “The virus is there.”
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