Staffing Challenges Continue At Middletown's Schools

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Middletown public schools were able to go back to their regular hybrid schedule on Monday, Dec. 7 — but the district had to hustle over the weekend to get enough substitute teachers in place.

Teacher absences continue to be an issue, and the problem is not going away, said superintendent Mary Ellen Walker.

There are several reasons for this: 1. The surge in cases, and many teachers either have COVID or were exposed to someone who does. 2. Many other school districts in New Jersey have gone all virtual, and teachers with children need to stay home. 3. And finally, the Department of Health made the quarantine rules even tighter, and is now requiring teachers to stay home if they think they've been exposed — even if they were around someone who did not officially test positive.

These extra-tight rules for teachers apply as long as the state Dept. of Health designates Monmouth County as "high risk." It's a move that's already infuriated parents in Aberdeen, and led to a 25 percent teacher shortage there.

"The district continues to face staffing challenges," Walker told Patch on Monday. "We anticipate that these constraints will not change while our region's designation by the New Jersey Dept. of Health remains High Risk on the NJ COVID Activity Level Report, and therefore there will be an ongoing impact on staffing."

As of Monday, there were 234 new COVID positives, 446 hospitalized, 73 in intensive care, 49 on ventilators and one new COVID death in Monmouth County.

In this letter sent home to Middletown parents on Friday, Walker said the number of requested leaves by staff escalated late in the day on Friday afternoon. There are several reasons for this, she said:

1. "There has been an overall large increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases in our state, region, town and schools. Our staff experiences mirror those in the larger community. There has been a significant increase in the number of staff who are in isolation/quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 test or COVID-19 compatible symptoms."

2. The New Jersey Health Dept. designated Monmouth County as "High Risk” recently. That means the state now requires teachers to quarantine if they were around someone with COVID symptoms — i.e., a cough, a sneeze, a sore throat. That person does not need to actually test positive for COVID. These strict new rules caused a 25 percent teacher shortage in Matawan-Aberdeen schools last week, and many parents there are upset about it.

"It's cold and flu season; everyone is sneezing," Sheetal Werneke, a mother of two students at Matawan-Aberdeen Regional High School told Patch last week. "So even if they have just one symptom, they have to stay home. They don't even have to test positive. This is too much."

3. "Many local school districts recently pivoted to full remote instruction for various reasons. Our staff who live in these districts are now faced with emergency childcare needs," said Walker. "In addition, staff are also faced with in-home childcare workers becoming ill or under quarantine. Some staff members are finding it necessary to take off to care for their own children."

Middletown schools are also contending with a smaller substitute pool than in prior years. Many teachers throughout the state have taken long-term leaves of absence due to medical concerns or childcare issues.

"We want you to be aware of the current challenges the district is facing," said Walker. "We will be working throughout the weekend to fill our substitute staffing needs."

As of now, Middletown schools are still on track for a full return to classes, all students together, on the target date of January 19.

"We were able to open (Monday). We will take it day by day and hope for the best," said outgoing Board of Education president Pam Rogers. "We will get through this."

Related: Middletown Schools Delay Full-Time Return To January 19

Aberdeen Parents Dismayed As District Suddenly Goes All Virtual: The quarantine rules for Matawan-Aberdeen Regional are too strict, said one parent, and caused a 25 percent teacher shortage (Dec. 2)