Princeton Parents Petition To Reopen Schools Full-time

PRINCETON, NJ — A group of six Princeton families, which include doctors, have launched a petition urging the school district to return to full-time, in person learning.

As of Friday the petition has garnered more than 500 signatures.

According to the petition, the current hybrid model of learning is affecting the quality of education, impacting children and falls short of the “standards expected from Princeton schools.”

Anna Chalker, Princeton resident, said the group came together after attending many Board of Education meetings and receiving no “correspondence” on when they plan on bringing back all students.

“This is a much bigger issue. We needed to do something a little wider. So, we worked on putting together a petition,” said Chalker. Her three children attend Princeton Public Schools.

Dr. Helen Rose, a local pediatrician who is part of the group, said it was time to take focus away from the "obstacles" and look at having “a real concrete plan” for reopening.

Rose cited data that showed increase in depression and anxiety among children due to the isolation.

“My patients who were already anxious are getting hospitalized. Children who didn't have any problems before, are needing medicines,” she said.

“A lot of kids who maybe don't need medicines are just sad and bored and aren't looking forward to anything. So that's really concerning.”

With children being away from school, social isolation follows which gives rise to mental illness, said Rose.

“In our community, thank goodness, we're not seeing an increase in suicide. But among physicians we all have concerns about it,” the pediatrician and mother of four said.

Increased screen time, said Rose, could lead to obesity and cardiovascular disease among children, especially since sports were suspended for a period of time during the pandemic.

Read More Here: Increase in COVID-19 cases among those associated with club sports: Chair of the Princeton Board of Health.

“The amount of screen time the kids are getting is concerning. We know that myopia is increasing. And learning is more difficult for kids with ADHD,” said Rose.

The group wants the Board of Education to come up with a concrete plan for what schools would look like in September.

“We want to get everybody back into school, in the spring would be optimal goal. But we know it takes a while for these things to get into a plan and be executed,” said Chalker.

Rose said face coverings have proven to be extremely effective and having children mask up in classrooms would decrease the risk of the virus spreading.

“We could have them six feet apart, we could have plexiglass,” said Rose.

Chalker said going back to school would also help teachers who she feels are “burnt out” with all the “screen time and online lesson plans.”

“We just want everybody to have a better environment, and we feel that is through in-person and being in school,” Chalker said.

When contacted, Princeton Public Schools Superintendent Barry Galasso said the district was working to bring all students back in a safe environment.

"The school district, faculty, and staff share a common goal of returning as many students to in-person learning as possible,” Galasso said.

“We will be announcing plans in the coming days to achieve a return to daily in-person instruction, as well as in-person clubs, arts, music and sports."

On Tuesday Gov. Phil Murphy said he expected schools in New Jersey to reopen full-time in the fall, as COVID-19 vaccine availability continues to expand, with teachers and school staff getting the opportunity to be immunized.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration is intensifying its efforts to reopen schools and get children safely back into classrooms.

Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

Get breaking news alerts on your phone with our app. Download here. Sign up to get Patch emails so you don't miss out on local and statewide news.