Task Force Will Help Newark Reopen Its Public Schools

NEWARK, NJ — A newly formed task force will help Newark eventually reopen its public schools, district administrators recently announced.

The Newark Board of Education’s Task Force for the Reopening of Schools was put together in solidarity with the Newark Reopening and Recovery Strikeforce, which Mayor Ras Baraka announced last week.

The task force includes educators, staff, school board members, parents, students and other community members in Newark.

Superintendent Roger León has charged the group with providing recommendations and guidance for consideration regarding the reopening of schools, whether it’s for summer 2020 or next school year.

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The Task Force will take an in-depth look at several areas such as school operations including the distribution of meals, adherence to social distancing guidelines and the implementation of precautionary measures, student and staff support (which includes counseling), training on the use of personal protective equipment and screening for trauma, and instructional considerations such as scheduling and extended learning time.

The group kicked off a series of meetings last week, with Deputy Superintendent Nicole Johnson and School Business Administrator Valerie Wilson serving as co-chairpersons.

“While we know that all decisions will be guided by science and executive orders, we are preparing for the reopening of schools and simultaneously perfecting remote learning,” Superintendent León said. “So, threaded throughout this body of work, is our responsibility to build confidence in students, families, and staff with the idea of returning to school.”

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