Education

Up-to-date Instructional plans approved by the state Department of Education

At its annual reorganization meeting held Jan. 5, Mussab Ali edged out incumbent Lorenzo Richardson by a 5-4 vote to gain the presidency of the school board.

There was no discussion during Thursday’s Jersey City Board of Education meeting about when public schools might reopen for in-person learning. Superintendent Franklin Walker has previously said that schools won’t reopen for live classes before February 2nd.

But like with many other topics and issues these days, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought a new twist to that conversation, as the prospect of an effective vaccine against the coronavirus in the coming weeks and months has raised questions over whether it, too, will be required in schools — and if that vaccine mandate would include students, teachers and all school staff.

At this past Thursday’s meeting, Superintendent Franklin Walker announced minor changes to class schedules that will go into effect district wide beginning December 2. These changes are based on observations during the first marking period, he said, when it became apparent that more time is required for student support. The amount of time devoted to instruction will remain the same.

Searchable graphic allows you to check whether your school district has the necessary computer devices and connectivity for remote learning

But in New Jersey, where nearly 10,500 new cases have been diagnosed this week, state leaders said Thursday that they will stick to the current plan that allows district and local health officials to decide what is best for the community’s schools. Currently, roughly one in five districts is providing remote lessons only, they said, and relatively few outbreaks have been tied directly to schools.