Mercer Superintendents Urge Murphy To Vaccinate Teachers Quickly

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — The Mercer County Association of School Administrators have written to Gov. Phil Murphy urging him to place educators in the "highest priority” to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Comprised of school superintendents across all school districts in Mercer County, the association told Murphy that unless teachers are vaccinated “New Jersey will feel the negative consequences of the pandemic both educationally and economically.”

“Our ability to maintain classroom learning is directly affected by having healthy teachers and staff, whose safety and confidence hinges on access to the vaccines,” the letter said.

“As the spring term progresses, we must provide a consistent environment for student success, one as free as possible from the disruptions of sudden quarantines and reversions to remote instruction.”

The letter was signed by Barry Galasso of Princeton Public Schools; Ross Kasun, Lawrence Township Public Schools; Thomas Smith, Hopewell Valley Regional School District; David Aderhold of the West Windsor-Plainsboro school district; Michael Nitti, Ewing Township Schools; Scott Rocco, Hamilton Township Schools; Brian Betze, Robbinsville Public Schools; Alfonso Llano Jr. Trenton Schools; Mark Daniels, East Windsor Regional School District and Kimberly Schneider of Mercer County Special Services School District and Mercer County Technical Schools.

In their letter, the association said the state government should “vaccinate educators quickly and stabilize the classroom environment.”

“Our teachers and staff are frontline workers and their efforts contribute not only to the health of New Jersey's economy but to the future of every child in this state.”

They acknowledged that frontline workers, hospital staff, vulnerable and senior citizens need to be vaccinated first, but inoculating teachers “as soon as possible” could increasing the possibility of in-person education.

The association said they were willing to offer facilities, skilled staff and operational planning teams to the vaccination effort.

“From a logistical point of view, New Jersey’s schools are ideal vaccination locations. Many districts have adequate parking, large indoor spaces, and staffing and communications capabilities that make them conducive for designated vaccination sites.”

New Jersey is currently vaccinating those in Phase 1A and high-risk individuals in 1B.

Murphy had earlier suggested that teachers were likely to be next on the list, as long as the state got more federal funds to distribute the vaccine.

No specific date has been announced for when teachers would receive the vaccine.

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