A socially distanced classroom
GLEN RIDGE, NJ — The Glen Ridge Education Association sent a letter to the Glen Ridge Board of Education on Aug. 16 asking that the district not reopen for in-person learning on Sept. 1, the union reasoning that the district is not adequately prepared to ensure that staff and students will be safe returning to the school buildings amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The letter was sent a few days after Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order that says New Jersey school districts can begin the year all online if there are remaining safety concerns.
In the letter, which was signed by GREA President MaryLynn Savio, the union members acknowledged that the school district’s administration was faced with a near-impossible task when planning for the beginning of the school year. Members were participants on the eight different reopening committees.
“At this point, after reviewing the reopening-plan document and attending numerous informational staff sessions geared towards explaining how things will work, it is the position of the Glen Ridge Education Association that the district’s current plans for reopening do not demonstrate an adequate level of preparedness that makes returning safely to in-person instruction yet possible,” the letter read.
Of the 180 staff members in the district who responded to a survey, according to the letter, 72 percent do not feel that it is safe to return to in-person instruction. A list of concerns provided the difficulty of social distancing indoors, compliance with wearing face coverings, and the risk of students and staff becoming infected with the virus as reasons not to open schools.
The union members also presented questions that remain unanswered about the reopening of schools as reasons they should not return in September.
“What will be done to truly encourage staff and students to stay home when they have possible symptoms? How will personal privacy be preserved yet necessary information be communicated? When will a class or an entire building be quarantined?” the letter asks. “What criteria would lead to the entire district shutting down and returning to remote instruction? None of these critical questions are fully addressed in the current version of the district reopening plan.”
The letter, which is six pages long, also outlines staffing issues, HVAC and ventilation necessities that the district requires for proper air circulation, and needed professional development for staff so they are prepared to implement a hybrid model of learning.
“Designing instruction to work in this model is a foreign concept to us all and we simply cannot continue to just figure it out as we go. We appreciate the confidence the administration places in us to find a way to make it work, but we also know the students deserve and parents expect something better,” the GREA said.
The union offered delaying the start of the hybrid model, days of asynchronous learning to allow for deep cleaning and professional development as solutions.
In a phone interview with the Glen Ridge Paper on Aug. 18, BOE President Elisabeth Ginsburg said the district has no firm plan to switch to all-virtual learning to open the school year as of now.
“We certainly have considered their letter,” she said. “We have not made any changes. That doesn’t mean we won’t in the future, because the education landscape changes every day.”
Ginsburg mentioned the HVAC concerns, especially at Glen Ridge High School, which is only partially air conditioned, saying that the district is looking into upgrades. She also described the protocol in place for isolating a student who displays COVID symptoms before they are sent home.
“We are all vitally concerned about the welfare of our students and staff,” Ginsburg said. “No one wants to put them at risk. There is no one who doesn’t care.”
The superintendent stressed partnership as being vital in moving forward.
“The Glen Ridge Educational Association and the Glen Ridge Board of Education maintain a partnership in education, with both groups always wanting the best for the students of Glen Ridge,” Superintendent Dirk Phillips said in an Aug. 18 email. “We will continue to work with the GREA to enhance the learning experiences of our students during a difficult period for all the school districts throughout the state.”
Savio, while recognizing the challenges the district is facing, said the summer could have instead been used to come up with a more robust virtual learning plan rather than planning for hybrid reopening.
“This is new to everyone,” the GRHS teacher said in a phone interview with the Glen Ridge Paper on Aug. 18. “Doing two types of teaching at the same time is a whole new thing. When you have some students sitting in front of you and others at home, how do you manage that?”
She also pointed out that while families in Glen Ridge have the choice of opting out of in-person learning and remaining virtual, staff does not.
“They have the option to be remote, but teachers don’t,” Savio said. “It’s either show up or take an unpaid leave of absence. Not everyone can afford to do that. Everyone wants to return as soon as we can, but being in the buildings seems unsafe, especially when the state still isn’t allowing indoor gatherings.”
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