That didn't last long - SOMSD teachers not returning for in-person instruction

Interesting --- we all agreed that health care workers are essential. So health care workers were placed at the front of the vac. line. No complaint from me about that. 

Now it is argued that schools are essential. If that is so, put teachers ahead of others, including smokers. And fix the goddam buildings to make them safe. 

Then, you can sue the union.

As for where the B.o.E. lawsuit against the union will go, there is a principle of law that you can't force an employee to perform an unsafe activity or task. I figure that the only argument the Board will have will be to argue that the teaching conditions are safe. Good luck with that one. Meanwhile, we pay the Board's attorney to litigate this.


I want to address the "most vulnerable" students, who may be able to return in some fashion. God bless them. There are many "most vulnerable" students however, who are not in self contained classes and shouldn't be, but have IEPs and 504s. They are vulnerable too and their IEPs cannot be made whole, as they are not in self contained programs, nor should they be. The District needs to stop saying "most vulnerable," unless it's determined by a psychiatrist. It's kids who are in self contained classes who are going back into school.


Formerlyjerseyjack said:

Interesting --- we all agreed that health care workers are essential. So health care workers were placed at the front of the vac. line. No complaint from me about that. 

Now it is argued that schools are essential. If that is so, put teachers ahead of others, including smokers. And fix the goddam buildings to make them safe. 

Then, you can sue the union.

As for where the B.o.E. lawsuit against the union will go, there is a principle of law that you can't force an employee to perform an unsafe activity or task. I figure that the only argument the Board will have will be to argue that the teaching conditions are safe. Good luck with that one. Meanwhile, we pay the Board's attorney to litigate this.

Can't blame the teachers. SOMEA should have never gone back into unfit buildings, if safety was genuinely in jeopardy. If SOMEA knew things were unsafe for our kids and went back in with our kids, I hope they can sleep at night. This, in and of itself, lawsuit aside, is reprehensible. Having kids go back, shut down, go back and shut down is unconscionable. So now, what is it truly? Is is politics or COVID? Our tax dollars are being paid for litigation: union, class action and multiple private family lawsuits. This is money that should go to the kids and the hardworking middle class families supporting this feeble District. Shame, shame, shame. 


tuxedo said:

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

Interesting --- we all agreed that health care workers are essential. So health care workers were placed at the front of the vac. line. No complaint from me about that. 

Now it is argued that schools are essential. If that is so, put teachers ahead of others, including smokers. And fix the goddam buildings to make them safe. 

Then, you can sue the union.

As for where the B.o.E. lawsuit against the union will go, there is a principle of law that you can't force an employee to perform an unsafe activity or task. I figure that the only argument the Board will have will be to argue that the teaching conditions are safe. Good luck with that one. Meanwhile, we pay the Board's attorney to litigate this.

Can't blame the teachers. SOMEA should have never gone back into unfit buildings, if safety was genuinely in jeopardy. If SOMEA knew things were unsafe for our kids and went back in with our kids, I hope they can sleep at night. This, in and of itself, lawsuit aside, is reprehensible. Having kids go back, shut down, go back and shut down is unconscionable. So now, what is it truly? Is is politics or COVID? Our tax dollars are being paid for litigation: union, class action and multiple private family lawsuits. This is money that should go to the kids and the hardworking middle class families supporting this feeble District. Shame, shame, shame. 

 Every one of us knew this was going to happen.  Every one of us thought that going back before vaccines would lead to a repeated stop and start effort.  Many of us even discussed it here.  But there was and is a great deal of pressure from families who can't see waiting a little longer, so the district and the union tried to accommodate b everyone.  It was clearly a no win scenario from the start, and marching with signs fixed nothing.  Much of the shame falls on us as citizens.


FilmCarp said:

 Every one of us knew this was going to happen.  Every one of us thought that going back before vaccines would lead to a repeated stop and start effort.  Many of us even discussed it here.  But there was and is a great deal of pressure from families who can't see waiting a little longer, so the district and the union tried to accommodate b everyone.  It was clearly a no win scenario from the start, and marching with signs fixed nothing.  Much of the shame falls on us as citizens.

 A good leader makes decisions for the betterment of the community, even if they are unpopular, even if the leader may lose his job, because a leader above all cares about the literal lives of teachers and students


The board, the superintendent, they are our employees.  They are trying to do what we claim to want done.  And we wash our hands of it and blame them.  This, after decades of refusing to pay to maintain the buildings that earlier generations built.


In theory, they work for us. In practice, this is not true. I don't think any parent in these 2 towns would have sent their kids in, knowing just how much behind the scenes cajoling was taking place, just to have our kids come home again. The teachers deserve to be protected. However, they probably knew that their demands would not be met. I mean, look at the District track record?! And yet, teachers went in for a sprinkle and then home again. This only proved a point to the admin, but at much cost for kids. At this rate, if the District ever opens back up again, I'm not even sure, more than 365 days later, that they have the skill set, organization or legal dollars to handle the multitude of problems. 


If any parent sent their kids back in at the height of the pandemic without vaccines available and thought that it was not going to be a stop and start situation they had their heads buried in the sand.  We have known since last fall what the problems were with ventilation.  We knew they were not fixed.  We knew we were asking teachers to put themselves at risk.


Puplic HS teacher here, not in MASO district.   My district just restarted 3/1  in-person, hybrid model.  Majority of the HS students had elected to be virtual only.  During my 4, 1-hour length classes on I had 2, 2, 1 and 2 students in front of me, the rest virtual.  I was informed (via room's PA as there is no phone in the room) half-way through my last class today to end my Meet session and head down to the office, when was given the news: I had enough exposure yesterday to a student who tested postive (today) in school yesterday.  Almost 20% of the teaching staff are now under quarantine.  School is now remote only until the 16th.  

So that was pretty quick.


Thank you for the first-hand account, phyz. Here's hoping that despite the exposure you weren't infected.


It seems time to give up on this year. But now I'm hearing that next year will most likely be hybrid (SOMA). All teachers should be fully vaccinated by then. Is there an expectation that the "six foot" spacing will still be in effect and the buildings can't accommodate this? 


I'm firmly in the camp, as anyone can see, of not going back until vaccinated.  That said, I see nothing at all that leads me to think next year will be virtual.  The vaccine rollout is accelerating, and we don't live in Texas.



berkeley said:

It seems time to give up on this year. But now I'm hearing that next year will most likely be hybrid (SOMA). All teachers should be fully vaccinated by then. Is there an expectation that the "six foot" spacing will still be in effect and the buildings can't accommodate this? 

If all teachers and administrators are vaccinated, why is a hybrid model necessary in the fall?


That’s what I’m asking. Several of my neighbors have heard this and are looking to transfer kids to private/parochial.


I think there is a tremendous amount of misinformation spread on facebook.  Of course the bond renovations are going to be delayed by all of this, but I think people are equating the renovations with habitability.


FilmCarp said:

I think there is a tremendous amount of misinformation spread on facebook.  Of course the bond renovations are going to be delayed by all of this, but I think people are equating the renovations with habitability.

I have seen this on FB.  People are starting to conflate the two issues.


Some good news...

N.J. teachers, day care workers can get COVID vaccine immediately, not on date previously announced



Teachers should have NOT gone back in to SOMA. Of course we knew that there would be some shut downs, but this is BEYOND quarantine shutdowns. This is administrative fumbling and politics. Now, our tax dollars are going to be paying for District legal representation for the legal parade. 


tuxedo said:

Teachers should have NOT gone back in to SOMA. Of course we knew that there would be some shut downs, but this is BEYOND quarantine shutdowns. This is administrative fumbling and politics. Now, our tax dollars are going to be paying for District legal representation for the legal parade. 

So what is the point where teachers should go back? When instruction can take place without using the rooms deemed unsafe by SOMEA? When alternatives exist for teachers with health risks? When all of the teachers are vaccinated? When all of the students are vaccinated? When SOMEA decides unilaterally that they want to return?

Along with the administrative fumbling and politics that you mentioned, the fact that the buildings are old and in poor shape gets brought up frequently. But if SOMEA's position is that nearly everyone stays home until we have new buildings and well-run administration, we're all in trouble.




Mila Jasey's stance on re-opening:

Assemblywoman Mila Jasey (D-Essex Morris) released the following statement regarding the
SOMSD Schools reopening impasse:

This morning, the South Orange-Maplewood community awoke to the distressing news that
mediation between the District and SOMEA had broken down and that the determination of
when our schools will reopen will travel a litigation pathway. This development means that we
are now the only suburban Essex County school district with no in-person learning.

My office has received hundreds of emails and telephone calls requesting that this situation be
addressed. Several weeks ago, I published a statement indicating my belief that school
reopening was contingent upon the ability of teachers to be vaccinated and assurance that
ventilation issues were being adequately addressed to insure that our classrooms are safe for
educators and students alike.

It is not lost on me that our local YMCA is providing child care in our elementary schools.
I took measures to ensure that the construction project approvals that the residents of our
communities overwhelmingly voted to bond were completed by the NJDOE. That has been
accomplished. Vaccine availability has been expanded to include educators and ventilation
should not be a problem with the onset of spring.

While academics are extremely important, the mental health and well-being of our students is
even more critical. A return to in-person learning is essential to restoring some level of
normalcy.

I strongly advocated for local control because the determination to move forward toward a safe
and reasoned return to some in-person classroom time should be made by those who drive policy
and administer day-to-day operations – the Superintendent and the Board of Education. We now,
however, find the District at an impasse.

Education policy is my passion, and it frustrates me that the critical role played by educators and
support staff in the lives of our children and adolescents is not given the respect that they
deserve. That said, they must come to the table committed to an outcome that is in the best
interest of the students they so ably serve.

There is nothing we do as a society that is more important than ensuring our children receive a
great education. We have the resources and the ability to provide this. Seemingly, all that is
missing is the will.

For all of these reasons, I call upon the Superintendent, the South Orange-Maplewood Board of
Education and the South Orange-Maplewood Education Association to immediately find a
mutually acceptable path to a return to learning that includes in-person instruction.

Assemblywoman Mila Jasey is Deputy Speaker of the NJ General Assembly, Chair of the
Assembly Higher Education Committee, Vice-Chair of the Assembly Education Committee and a
former Member of the South Orange Maplewood Board of Education


yahooyahoo said:

berkeley said:

It seems time to give up on this year. But now I'm hearing that next year will most likely be hybrid (SOMA). All teachers should be fully vaccinated by then. Is there an expectation that the "six foot" spacing will still be in effect and the buildings can't accommodate this? 

If all teachers and administrators are vaccinated, why is a hybrid model necessary in the fall?

Has the governor said whether the guarantee that parents could opt to keep their children remote would be cancelled before school starts in the fall?  That and the timing of vaccines for children could play into a requirement for hybrid learning.  (I don't know this for a fact, but it seems quite plausible.)


jamie said:

Mila Jasey's stance on re-opening:

Assemblywoman Mila Jasey (D-Essex Morris) released the following statement regarding the
SOMSD Schools reopening impasse:

This morning, the South Orange-Maplewood community awoke to the distressing news that
mediation between the District and SOMEA had broken down and that the determination of
when our schools will reopen will travel a litigation pathway. This development means that we
are now the only suburban Essex County school district with no in-person learning.

My office has received hundreds of emails and telephone calls requesting that this situation be
addressed. Several weeks ago, I published a statement indicating my belief that school
reopening was contingent upon the ability of teachers to be vaccinated and assurance that
ventilation issues were being adequately addressed to insure that our classrooms are safe for
educators and students alike.

It is not lost on me that our local YMCA is providing child care in our elementary schools.
I took measures to ensure that the construction project approvals that the residents of our
communities overwhelmingly voted to bond were completed by the NJDOE. That has been
accomplished. Vaccine availability has been expanded to include educators and ventilation
should not be a problem with the onset of spring.

While academics are extremely important, the mental health and well-being of our students is
even more critical. A return to in-person learning is essential to restoring some level of
normalcy.

I strongly advocated for local control because the determination to move forward toward a safe
and reasoned return to some in-person classroom time should be made by those who drive policy
and administer day-to-day operations – the Superintendent and the Board of Education. We now,
however, find the District at an impasse.

Education policy is my passion, and it frustrates me that the critical role played by educators and
support staff in the lives of our children and adolescents is not given the respect that they
deserve. That said, they must come to the table committed to an outcome that is in the best
interest of the students they so ably serve.

There is nothing we do as a society that is more important than ensuring our children receive a
great education. We have the resources and the ability to provide this. Seemingly, all that is
missing is the will.

For all of these reasons, I call upon the Superintendent, the South Orange-Maplewood Board of
Education and the South Orange-Maplewood Education Association to immediately find a
mutually acceptable path to a return to learning that includes in-person instruction.

Assemblywoman Mila Jasey is Deputy Speaker of the NJ General Assembly, Chair of the
Assembly Higher Education Committee, Vice-Chair of the Assembly Education Committee and a
former Member of the South Orange Maplewood Board of Education

A lot of words to say that SOMEA and the District need to work it out.


*sigh* 

Our district's dysfunction runs deep and wide.


For the record, health care workers remained on duty long before vaccinations were available.

Secondly, can we all agree that special ed and, in general, minority students tended to suffer from remote learning more than other students and that the longer they are out of the classroom the greater the setback?

Third, can we agree that the district administration and the teachers' union have wielded more power than parents throughout this time of pandemic and that students and parents have acted more as bystanders as the legal fiasco plays out, even though the duty of educating a child falls most directly on the parent? 

Can we agree that other nonpublic schools, including colleges, have adapted and worked to introduce hybrid learning, including classroom instruction, without severe repercussions?


higgins said:

Can we agree that other nonpublic schools, including colleges, have adapted and worked to introduce hybrid learning, including classroom instruction, without severe repercussions? 

If this was agreed upon, then the path would be clear. But death and long-haul Covid symptoms have occurred in educational settings. I would consider that 'severe'.


The Times has shared some interesting COVID statistics, exploring why countries like ours has had more deaths than, for example, Africa, the Mideast and Southeast Asia. Turns out that, in general, major factors were the level of obesity in the population, the percent of elderly, and the number of aged living institutionally, rather than at home. There were other factors cited as well, but these stood out, at least to me. 

The idea being that if you are not elderly or obese (we also know that other preconditions come into play) the risk decreases substantially. 

Wonder if this could not have been taken into account in districts responding to the pandemic and deciding who would teach in person and who would teach remotely, given that we all recognize a sizeable portion of the student population would suffer from the schools being closed.








higgins said:

For the record, health care workers remained on duty long before vaccinations were available.

Secondly, can we all agree that special ed and, in general, minority students tended to suffer from remote learning more than other students and that the longer they are out of the classroom the greater the setback?

Third, can we agree that the district administration and the teachers' union have wielded more power than parents throughout this time of pandemic and that students and parents have acted more as bystanders as the legal fiasco plays out, even though the duty of educating a child falls most directly on the parent? 

Can we agree that other nonpublic schools, including colleges, have adapted and worked to introduce hybrid learning, including classroom instruction, without severe repercussions?

I agree with everything except colleges adapting and introducing hybrid learning.  My child's college is 100% online learning.  They have done $%#@ to adapt, except to increase the tuition bill.


higgins said:

For the record, health care workers remained on duty long before vaccinations were available.

Secondly, can we all agree that special ed and, in general, minority students tended to suffer from remote learning more than other students and that the longer they are out of the classroom the greater the setback?

Third, can we agree that the district administration and the teachers' union have wielded more power than parents throughout this time of pandemic and that students and parents have acted more as bystanders as the legal fiasco plays out, even though the duty of educating a child falls most directly on the parent? 

Can we agree that other nonpublic schools, including colleges, have adapted and worked to introduce hybrid learning, including classroom instruction, without severe repercussions?

 --- everything except the last three words of your post. 

I refer, for example, to the post about the private school in Sussex County that had to close because of a Rona infection.

See my March 6th post. 


In order to add a comment – you must Join this community – Click here to do so.