With the news that schools in New Jersey will be closed for the rest of the academic year … the focus turns to virtual learning and making sure all students have computers.
Christopher Irving is the superintendent in Teaneck … he says he decided not to start virtual learning till all students had computers … and heard about it from some parents.
"So I got a lot of blowback from some parents in my community in reference to that, I even had a parent at a board meeting, a virtual board meeting, tell me I don’t care about those kids who don’t have, you know, my kids have a laptop and a computer, they deserve to learn."
Irving noted that 40 percent of the students in his district are on free or reduced price lunch programs.
Gerald Fitzhugh is superintendent of schools in Orange … he says everyone there is working overtime to make sure students have what they need.
"There’s no I in team in Orange. From the staff who is coming to Lincoln Avenue every week, I have to praise them because they, again, they’re going out into the trenches to make sure that our students who are in need have their Chromebooks available so they can do their assignments. So it takes a village."
He says putting school board meetings on Facebook Live has helped keep the community together during the pandemic.
We know that schools in New Jersey will be closed for the rest of the academic year … schools that in many cases provided a safe haven for students from troubled homes. Author Baruti Kafele is a retired principal and national educational consultant who recovered from COVID-19. He says students who may be living in abusive homes are now there 24/7.
"During the school day that youngster had an opportunity at say 7-730 to leave that temporarily and be in school until dismissal, and if there’s an afterschool program that he or she is a part of, I can be a part of that, and conceivably be away from that environment for 12 hours."
Kafele dismissed as very unrealistic predictions of school reopening in September.