Two elementary schools in Newark are not waiting until the start of the fall term to determine whether in-person learning will be feasible during the coronavirus pandemic.
Teachers and students involved in the summer sessions at the First Avenue and Thirteenth Avenue schools are testing various safety measures, a pilot program that Newark Teachers Union President John M. Abeigon describes as “a perfect example of management and labor working together for the health and safety benefits of their employees and members.”
“Rather than have politicians or noneducators in suits sitting in a statehouse making decisions for us,” Abeigon adds, “we chose to work together in a very small piloted test to work out protocols, steps and procedures for reopening schools in the fall, should it be safe to do so. It appears highly unlikely that schools will be returning in September under optimal pre-COVID-19 conditions. But even if they open up 10-20% real-time instruction, we want to know how to do this.”
Chalkbeat Newark’s Patrick Wall has more on the schools’ in-person summer program.
Photo courtesy of Newark Board of Education
