Student-Led Petition Calls For Virtual Learning In Nutley Schools

NUTLEY, NJ — A student-led petition in Nutley has gathered hundreds of online signatures in support of switching to all-remote learning in the town’s public schools.

The Change.org petition, which can be seen here, reads:

“Students of Nutley Public Schools would like to have at least 2 weeks of virtual learning due to the rise in Covid Cases. Over our holiday break, lots of students and staff have tested positive. Students who are now Quarantine, don't have much access to the learning program due to the lack of communication and circumstance that some are in. It can make it harder for those at home to catch up on their work especially while having the virus. The students of Nutley Schools deserve a chance to catch up after seeing family and visiting others away from home. This problem has an easy solution by going virtual for at most 2 weeks. It benefits lots of students who are in this situation right now. It's very close to the end of the marking period and it's unfair to those who aren't able to catch up. New Jersey is currently at a record high for Covid cases but we are still in school meeting full time. There are fewer students and teachers who have been showing up forcing Nutley High School to have some classes in the Cafeteria. School Districts in New Jersey have already transitioned to remote learning for the safety of students and staff. Why wait to make the switch?”

The Nutley Public School District cautiously returned for in-person classes on Monday.

"Based on Nutley vaccination rates, testing protocols, and actual numbers of confirmed positive cases prior to the school break, we remain committed to continuing full-time in person instruction resuming [on January 3]," Superintendent Julie Glazer wrote in a letter to the community last week.

"New Jersey is reporting record-high COVID-19 cases and test positivity rates, and this is true in our area, as well," Glazer stated. "Please note that the rise in cases is due to overall community spread and not as a result of outbreaks in our schools."

"As always, we will continue to monitor the information daily, stay proactive, and are prepared for contingencies based on our district 2021-2022 Return to School Plan," the superintendent added. "We ask you to be patient while we navigate changing daily scenarios. We are in constant consultation with the local and county health departments in our continued effort to keep all staff and students safe."

As cases of the coronavirus continue to jump in Essex County, some local school districts have opted to switch to all-remote classes after the holiday break, such as Newark. Others have gone with a mix of remote and in-person learning, or will be giving families a virtual option for a limited time.

• See related article: Belleville, Nutley Schools Return In-Person After Holiday Break

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