Returning To School In Montclair: What Will It Look Like?

MONTCLAIR, NJ — NOTE: This article has been updated with a statement from Superintendent Jonathan Ponds made on Friday.

What will the Montclair Public School District look like when students return this fall? That's still up in the air, administrators say – but they’re working on it.

Recently, Gov. Phil Murphy laid out a plan to reopen schools across New Jersey after the state's coronavirus shutdown. Murphy said New Jersey schools can resume in-person instruction in September, provided their district creates a safety plan approved by their school board. But he also said he'll pull the plug on reopening if cases go up again.

Many teachers have since issued a cry for better job protections, worrying that a return to the classroom could endanger educators and children alike. READ MORE: Should New Jersey Schools Reopen This Fall? Take Our Survey

In Montclair, students return for their first day of class on Tuesday, Sept. 8. See the Montclair Public School District’s COVID-19 resource page here.

Before turning over the reins to incoming superintendent Jonathan Ponds, former interim superintendent Nathan Parker said the district set up five design teams in June. Each was tasked with brainstorming on a different aspect of the return to class in September.

“Three design teams focused on needs identified during the spring: K-2 instruction, mental health, and students who disconnected from the learning process,” Parker stated. “Two of the design teams focused on likely fall scenarios: the continuation of remote instruction, and a hybrid model of in-school and remote learning.”

Last week, Superintendent Ponds offered an update on the district’s progress. He wrote:

“As your new superintendent, this is my first update about the planning in progress by the district to address multiple issues for returning students to schools in the fall. Our five design teams are hard at work exploring different scenarios during these changing times. They are assessing various learning environments including the social emotional and technological components of what school will look like.”

Ponds continued:

“Our utmost priority is ensuring the safety of our students and faculty and we will follow the CDC and New Jersey Department of Education guidelines as well as following the advice of our local health department and school physician. I will be providing you a more detailed update in the next two weeks to assure you that plans are moving forward and allowing you time to make adjustments as a family. Please know that all our plans include enhancing the educational experience for all of our learners.”

Ponds said that district administrators are using a recent parent survey to help guide the process. More than 3,300 people responded to the survey.

More than half said they're sending their kids back to school if buildings open in the fall. About 39 percent said they were "undecided," and 7 percent said "no."

• See related article: Most Montclair Parents Will Send Kids Back To School, Poll Says

SUPERINTENDENT: 'ANALYZING THE CHALLENGES'

Ponds issued another update on the situation on July 17. He wrote:

"Please allow this Update No. 2 to serve as a more detailed communication for our plans for reopening in September. Our focus is to accommodate the needs of families both remotely and in-person. From our first survey we learned that we have a percentage of families who will elect not to send their children to school (about 7%) and others who are looking forward to the return to the classroom. Therefore, our plan will include an all remote option as well as an in-person option.

"Our design teams are analyzing the challenges of remote instruction and have learned from stakeholder feedback that we need to improve our virtual learning experience with more face-to-face lessons and consistency among teachers for all grade levels. We are also exploring the use of one software platform for delivery of instruction and will be providing training for teachers and parents alike. Incorporating feedback from our families has been instrumental in developing enhanced remote learning processes. Planning for in-person instruction will include adhering to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), the Montclair Health Department, and school physician guidelines inclusive of masks, shields, and social distancing in classrooms. Additionally, we are prioritizing considerations for our students with special needs.

"Along with an enhanced teaching and learning environment, we will offer health and wellness supports for the social emotional benefits of students, staff and families, regardless of which option one chooses. We value the whole child and understand that providing avenues for children to feel safe, secure, and emotionally connected will improve their experiences.

"This is a very fluid situation with data changing daily. We will adjust as necessary and survey you again in August to assure that we are accommodating all of our diverse needs."

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