By Walter Elliott
NEWARK – Students of New Jersey’s largest public school district here, at some 40,000 children, will start their new school year Sept. 8 from in front of their home computer screens.
Newark Public Schools Superintendent Roger Leon, in an Aug. 17 announcement, said that in-person and hybrid learning are off the table until at least Nov. 17 – the end of the first marking period.
Parents and legal guardians who have preferred hybrid or in-person learning for their children may get that option back after Nov. 17 – pending how the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus’ spread in New Jersey has sufficiently slowed or stopped.
Leon, NPS administrators and Board of Education and their parental and union committees may make that go/no-go decision around or Oct. 8, which is when marking period academic progress reports are sent out.
Leon and company had been working on preparing NPS’ 65 school buildings for social distancing-style learning throughout the summer.
Parents had been asked their choice of the then-three 2020-21 learning modes until the end of business Aug. 14. NPS went as far as holding three “pilot” summer schools.
A chorus of groups calling to “keep them home,” including concerned parents and the Newark Teachers Union grew to crescendo at about the same time. That concern prompted Gov. Phil Murphy, on Aug. 12, to allow the 600 public and charter schools to open as all-remote for 2020-21. (Murphy has had all schools end in-person learning in one of his March executive orders.)
Superintendents of New Jersey’s second, third and fourth public districts – Jersey City, Paterson and Elizabeth – made their all-remote start declarations after Aug. 12. The East Orange School District and Montclair Public Schools also joined the trend.
Leon has not said whether there was one data point that caused him to temporarily withdraw in-person and hybrid choices. Monday. His decision came towards the end of a private BOE School Re-opening Task Force meeting Monday morning.
That session included a mix of those present at NPS’ headquarters at 465 Broad St/Gibson Blvd and those on tele conference. Those live in-person or via Zoom included BOE members, NUT President John Abeigon, Mayor Ras Baraka, State Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz and Newark Secondary Parents Council official Wilhelmina Holder.
“We have to consider the safety of our students and staff above all else,” said Leon. Tuesday. “We’re prepared to continue offering our students with rigor and to do so creatively, so that our students maintain a competitive edge.”
Two areas being worked on as of press time are laptop distribution and finding preschool daycare for working parents.
NPS officials are looking to distribute 10,000 laptops, 6,000 of which are replacements.
Baraka has said that he is willing to provide day car space in city buildings.
“I don’t want you to think that parents overwhelmingly decided that they shouldn’t send their kids to school – because it was not,” said Baraka. “It was almost the opposite: Many, many parents wanted to send their kids to school.”
“We, the NBOE, agree with Superintendent Leon’s decision to continue virtual instruction at all Newark Public Schools,” said Board President Josephine Garcia.” The COVID-19 pandemic is still a public health risk and will be treated as such. The public health of our students and staff continues to be held to the highest standard.”
The South Orange-Maplewood School District and Nutley Public Schools, as of Aug. 18, join NPS in starting their year with all-remote learning through their first marking periods.
East Orange will start with virtual learning through Sept. 30.
Orange Public Schools will start with all-remote learning through Sept. 18. Reopening its classrooms are to start on a staggered schedule Sept. 21.
Irvington Public Schools and the West Orange Board of Education will be all-remote indefinitely.
Glen Ridge and Belleville’s public schools are receiving parental surveys or otherwise have not announced their 2020-21 intentions.
