COVID-19 Case Totals in New Jersey
New Jersey TikTok Star Kate Goes Viral For Hilarious Holiday Food Reaction Videos
Remote Learning After the Holidays?
New Jersey's largest school system is bracing for the potential of returning to remote learning after the holiday break as the coronavirus spreads.
Superintendent of Schools Roger León sent a letter to staff and parents of Newark Public Schools' 38,000 pupils on Monday informing them of the potential.
According to León,“COVID-19 continues to be a brutal, relentless, and ruthless virus that rears its ugly head at inopportune times. We are redoubling our efforts to be prepared for any necessary changes and a potential pivot to remote instruction. Some may move to that point sooner than others, but we all will be prepared if and when necessary.”
Newark schools' prospective return to remote learning comes on the heels of other districts' virus-related decisions to go remote for the final week of autumn classes before the holiday break, which will begin with students off on Friday and end on Monday, Jan. 3.
In fact, León's letter stated that classes in Newark were canceled on Thursday, and that instructors would use the day to prepare.
Separately, teachers were instructed by their principal to spend part of Thursday making sure they completed items on a remote instruction checklist, which included reminders to distribute Chromebooks and chargers, update Bitmoji and Google Classroom online learning platforms, and ensure they had current phone numbers and email addresses for parents.
Nancy Deering, a district spokesman, stated on Tuesday that the district's decision to transition to remote learning was far from guaranteed.
"While we are calling this week preparation for remote instruction," the statement added, "we are closely monitoring various factors and will notify students, their families, and the staff of any changes."
León's letter was sent on the same day that state officials disclosed that New Jersey had had more than 6,000 new cases of the virus for the sixth day in a row, with 11 more deaths.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka also declared on Monday that masks will be mandatory in all public areas in the city, going above and beyond the state's strong recommendation.
