LETTER TO THE EDITOR; Murphy’s Policies Not Fairer for NJ Children – TAPinto.net

Gov Murphy said in his “State of the State” address that New Jersey is “stronger, fairer, and more resilient” than before. In addition, he said that “It’s a day (post-Covid), we will not enter fearing what’s next but knowing where we’re heading.” My response is simple: Gov Murphy, where have you been? The rest of the world has known “where they’re heading” almost immediately post-Covid because they used the scientific evidence that was readily available worldwide. And nothing about Gov Murphy’s response to Covid-19 has been “fair” to the students and children of New Jersey.

Newark recently announced that it is delaying the reopening of schools until April 2021. This is the third delay from Newark Public Schools and it is causing a great deal of harm to Newark’s students; many of whom are some of the most disenfranchised in the state. Jersey City students will also not return to full-time, in-class instruction until April 2021 and their students are also suffering learning losses that, in many cases, will be irreversible because of a lack of resources for local families. This is a failure of leadership from Gov Murphy and it didn’t have to be this way. Evidence-based practices were being used throughout the world for children/students in other countries which have allowed them to continue their learning in-class where studies show children learn best.

For example, in Denmark they reopened with in-class instruction in May of 2020. The Danes used common sense measures such as keeping children in their own “pods” , who taught by the same teacher throughout the day, and following good hygiene rules. The point is, the Danish government used all of the same evidence-based measures that were readily known worldwide to reopen their schools,  and keep their children healthy and prevent their children from losing a year’s worth of academic instruction.

Another example, is in nearby Holland, they also reopened their schools in June, which was a mere two and half months after closing them for Covid-19. The result has been students learning and staying healthy by simply using all of the evidence-based measures that were readily available to every government worldwide.

 Gov Murphy simply chose to ignore the facts for political reasons. He wanted to appease the NJEA’s political leadership and the cost of that decision will be paid by the children of New Jersey, especially children in minority communities throughout the state. Mayor Gusciora of Trenton was explicit when he said “the stumbling block seems to be the teacher’s union who don’t want to return to classrooms until they believe their safety will be optimized.” My response would be for every teacher to get in the classroom because we have evidence-based best-practices from around the globe showing that schools can reopen safely. The children of New Jersey are having their academic lives stunted, some permanently, because Gov Murphy has chosen to appease the teacher’s union for political reasons; and for that the lives of New Jersey’s children, especially the most socially and economically disadvantaged, will not be “stronger, fairer, or more resilient.”