Citing concerns about the safety of teachers and students, three New Jersey lawmakers said Wednesday that they plan to introduce legislation to require school districts to keep their buildings closed and offer only remote instruction for the new school year.
The bill, sponsored by Assembly Democrats Mila Jasey, Pamela Lampitt and Joann Downey, runs counter to the plan put forward by Governor Phil Murphy and the state Department of Education that requires all public school districts to offer at least some in-person learning for the 2020-2021 school year.
Only special education and related services would be provided in person, according to the proposed bill.
“The reality is that the pandemic is not over. School will begin in a few weeks, and it is not clear that a safe and comfortable environment for students and staff can be maintained, “said Jasey, D-Essex.” As a former Board of Education member and public health nurse I understand that New Jersey has made great progress in fighting COVID-19, but the reopening of schools for in-person instruction would be a setback at this time. “
More than 500 school districts in New Jersey are preparing reopening plans to be submitted to the state department of education and local communities in early August. But some educators, including the Essex and Paterson County teachers’ unions, have called on the state to reverse the plan and keep school buildings closed.
It is unclear how much support the proposed bill will delay in the state Legislature to delay the start of classes in person. It would have to be passed by the full House, and the state Senate would need to pass identical legislation before heading to Murphy for his signature.
Murphy declined to comment on the proposed bill Wednesday, but said he wants all school districts to offer some classes in person this fall. She said that reopening schools is especially important for low-income and minority students with working parents who can’t afford to hire tutors or don’t have room for their children to learn remotely at home.
“In-person education outshines any remote learning in terms of the effectiveness and richness of that experience,” Murphy said at his coronavirus press conference.
Under the proposed bill, public schools would start the year with virtual learning only at home. Beginning Oct. 31, Murphy would assess monthly reopening of schools for face-to-face classes, with the help of state departments of education and health based on COVID-19 infection data and other statistics.
The proposal also requires school districts to have the option of delaying the start of the school year by two weeks so that teachers can receive training on how to teach online. The bill would also allow schools to hold outdoor events so that students can meet their teachers and classmates at the beginning of the school year.
“In-person learning undoubtedly produces the best educational outcome for students and we are all eager to return to the classroom. However, until we can ensure the safety of our students and school staff, we must focus our efforts on how we can improve remote and virtual learning to provide students with the highest quality education possible, “said Lampitt, D-Camden, head of the Assembly Education Committee.
In the past few days, Murphy has rejected calls to cancel the reopening of schools with face-to-face classes, saying it is important that families with working parents have the option to send their children to school for a few days.
“We must also recognize that every education expert we have spoken to in the past few months has confirmed that in-person education is critical and that remote learning is only an acceptable substitute when absolutely necessary,” Murphy said Monday. “If done safely, I think we should try to include at least one aspect of in-person education for our children this fall.”
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