New Jersey Releases Plan To Reopen Schools In The Fall

TOPLINE

The New Jersey Department of Education released a 104-page guidance plan on Friday laying out the framework of how it plans to have the state’s 2,500 public schools safely open their doors for the start of the 2020-21 school year in the fall.

KEY FACTS

Key Background:

The debate over when, and how, to reopen schools in the U.S. has been a hot-button topic since the coronavirus pandemic brought the country to a screeching halt back in March. Some public-health experts argue that that returning to in-person classes this fall is still too risky, citing countries like Israel and China that have had to quickly shut down schools after opening them back up. Other experts maintain that the unquestioned dangers of sending kids back to classrooms should be weighed against the damage to children from isolating them at home and disrupting their education. Earlier this week, Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, one of the country’s largest districts, announced it is asking families to choose between 100% virtual learning or part-time in-person schooling next year. All families will be able to choose between these two enrollment options. In the first, according to the Washington Post, “students will receive ‘virtual, interactive instruction’ four days each week, and they will never set foot on campus. In the second, students will attend school for at least two “full days” of instruction inside school buildings a week and have independent study on the remaining days. On Thursday, Connecticut officials said K-12 public schools would reopen for full-time, in-person instruction this fall. Earlier today, the Alabama State Department of Education announced all schools were scheduled to reopen this fall under a set of “guiding principles.” 

Big Number:

28: Although more than 120,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus to date, only 28 of those deaths have been children under the age of 15, according to the latest CDC data. (Yet, as reported by The Atlantic, approximately 1,700 children die in the United States each year from child abuse and neglect—two issues that have been harder for children to report while they haven’t been seeing teachers regularly.)

Critical Quote:

“The return to school will pose challenges, but we are confident that New Jersey’s school districts can move forward in a way that best serves the needs of their district while also achieving a safe environment for students and staff,” Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday. 

Tangent:

Each New Jersey school district has been asked to release its own, district-specific reopening plan. Thus, it could be several more weeks before students and their families have concrete details as to exactly how their individual schools will proceed. 

Further Reading:

N.J. schools will reopen with masks, social distancing and sweeping new rules under just-released plan (NJ.com)

The School Reopeners Think America Is Forgetting About Kids (The Atlantic) 

“The Road Back: Restart and Recovery Plan for Education” report (NJ.gov)