Yesterday the New Jersey State Board of Education approved new Student Learning Standards, a practice that occurs every five years. As we look to the future and plan for students to return to schools in-person this fall, we must recognize and prepare for the ways the virus and necessary public health response has changed and will change the way students learn. 13, 2020. The first day of school this fall will, in fact, be in school. 8501 0 obj
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The COVID-19 pandemic impacted every aspect of our lives. endstream
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The state’s Office of Career Readiness has establishing “guiding principles” to help administrators of these programs determine how and when these classes can proceed.The state guidance suggests that school districts find ways to cohort small groups of students and staff together, to cut down on general mingling in the school population.School lunch periods should be staggered, the state recommends, to allow for smaller numbers of people in cafeterias at a given time, and to give time for disinfection between groups.Self-serve and buffet style lunch lines should be discontinued, the state also recommends, and students should be allowed to eat outside or in their classrooms.Gym classes and recess will be allowed, but group size will be limited and specific areas must designated to keep groups apart — all in the name of of social distancing. An empty classroom at Bartle School in Highland Park. Students will return to classrooms across New Jersey in the fall, but they should social distance and wear masks in tight spaces, according to reopening guidance released by the state Friday. J[˻�W\u����� >�..�+�uX��8ۙ��.��B�p�����w~���}� �8� @����_�@ \���B� Many thanks go to all those who participated, including other state agencies, advocacy groups, But there is no requirement that all learning happen in person, which leaves open the possibility that some districts may adopt a hybrid system that mixes in-person and distance learning.To that end, the DOE guidance says each district “should strive to ensure that every student has access to a device and internet connectivity” to facilitate remote learning where needed.The extensive social-distancing requirements in the state guidance mean that individual districts will likely have to be creative in shaping the new school day. The New Jersey Department of Education (the Department) is deeply committed to supporting its students, families, and educators as we work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19. State statute (N.J.S.A. Typically these exercises are pro forma: Standards, after all, align with what we used to call Common Core and votes are traditionally unanimous.. Not this time. Many of the requirements in the new state guidance will force districts to spend money at a time when budgets are increasingly strained by a suffering economy.To deal with this, the state is urging districts to collaborate on purchasing supplies and find extra money in existing budgets.Districts have the option of tapping into emergency funds, but such actions have to be approved by the state.According to the plan, the majority of the $310.4 million allocated to New Jersey from the federal CARES Act will be provided to school districts through sub-grants. Each district “should strive” to share its reopening plan at least four weeks before the start of school, according to the state’s guidance.Here’s what you need to know about Garden State schools reopening in the fall.The new guidance requires that each school district have some for of in-person instruction. Phil Murphy released new guidelines for New Jersey’s 577 The rules detail expectations for mask-wearing and social distancing, and give insight into how different the average school day will be as the state tries to balance educational needs with public health amid Those individual plans for each district could take weeks to develop, so students and parents will likely have some unanswered questions about their specific situations until then. The guidance and resources provided below come from national educational leaders, researchers, and teachers with content area expertise. h�bbd```b`����A$K-�d���HvAɦf���v �)D2'��7�H�bɡ &�A�i��� ��G�f���@�Q�.����Ԇ�H��@�9k+�d� ��%��H
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Your meaningful input, purposeful recommendations, and willingness to collaborate demonstrated a unified commitment to supporting all of New Jersey’s school communities It’s possible that some schools will operate on different hours, in attempts to modify their schedules.It is possible that schools will close again if the coronavirus surges back.“Because reopening is dependent upon health data and informed by experts in the health field, districts will need to be prepared to pivot to remote instruction at any time during the 2020-2021 school year,” the state’s announcement said on Friday.Each district must create a plan to screen students and staff for COVID-19 symptoms. Budget Guidelines and Electronic Data Collection Manual 2020-21 (PDF) (revised 2/27/2020) Appendix A - Explanatory Notes Per Pupil Cost Calculations (PDF) Appendix B - 2020-21 Edit Messages (PDF) Appendix C - Minimum Chart of Accounts (PDF) Appendix D – County Review Checklist
Districts must also work with school nurses and local health officials to create contact tracing plans, to keep track of who may have been exposed to positive cases.All teachers, school staff and visitors will be required to wear masks unless they can’t for a health reason. The districts are also asked to take steps to increase student hand washing.Individuals that are at higher risk from COVID-19 — like people over the age of 65, or people with underlying health problems — are expected to be granted “reasonable accommodations” by districts, according to the DOE guidance.The DOE guidance requires that districts continue special education programs and provide services to students with disabilities “to the greatest extent possible.”Career and technical education programs will be offered, as the DOE described the programs as vital to the state.