Parents Push NJ For Virtual School Option As Delta Variant Surges, Mask Debates Rage

TRENTON, NJ — While New Jersey families gear up to send students back to school for full days, some for the first time in nearly 18 months because of the coronavirus pandemic, there is a group of parents who want remote learning to remain available.

Some have children who are medically fragile and susceptible to severe complications from COVID-19. Some have family members who are immune-compromised. And some have found remote learning to be far less stressful emotionally, because they are no longer faced with bullying from classmates.

The group New Jersey Parents For Virtual Choice is pushing for Gov. Phil Murphy to give school districts permission to establish virtual learning as a choice for parents who want their children to have the virtual option.

"None of us could have anticipated the pandemic or that schools would switch to virtual platforms," the group says in a statement on a Change.org petition. "Yet after more than a year of remote learning we discovered something – some of our children actually learn BETTER virtually."

The group's petition to Murphy has garnered more than 22,000 signatures as of Friday. The group also was planning to participate in a virtual rally Friday evening to highlight their reasons for seeking a permanent remote learning option.

The group first was established in the spring, when the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to be waning. Parents who found their children were thriving in the remote instruction environment wanted it to continue.

"Charlotte was a student who barely raised her hand. She was timid about joining peers at recess," one parent says in a YouTube video the group created to share families' stories. "Charlotte's socialization has actually increased this year thanks to all of the students in her class gaining access to technology. She collaborates with them through Microsoft Teams. She is able to message, video chat and have Roblox and Among Us games consistently with a wide range of her peers."

"Throughout this year she has learned to communicate with her teachers, to advocate for herself, to take accountability for her own work and has been a very active participant in her class despite being one of only three in her class who remain remote," Charlotte's family said.

Murphy has rejected the idea of having students learn remotely for the 2021-22 school year, insisting children need to be in school learning face-to-face. The Road Forward guidance from the state Department of Education only makes an allowance for remote learning in the case of a quarantine situation:

If a school district "is required to exclude a student, group of students, a class, or multiple classes" because of COVID-19 positive cases while the school itself remains open for in-person instruction, the district "should be prepared to offer virtual or remote instruction to those students in a manner commensurate with in-person instruction to the extent possible," according to the Department of Education guidance.

The New Jersey Parents For Virtual Choice says that is insufficient, and that all districts should be able to have remote learning available to students as an option. The group says 33 states have permanent, free virtual school options through public and charter schools.

"Many of these programs predated the pandemic, others have been added or have expanded within the last year," the petition says. "Our neighbor Pennsylvania, for example, has operated virtual academies successfully for over a decade. Pennsylvania’s virtual program does not detract from the in-person school experience, rather it provides a vital choice and reaches students that otherwise would be falling through the cracks."

Stories shared on the group's website include families with children who have serious medical conditions and students who have been bullied.

The delta variant, which has pushed New Jersey hospitalizations from COVID-19 over 1,000 for the first time in months, has heightened the concerns.

"My daughter has a rare genetic syndrome that involves a compromised heart, lungs, and immune system," a parent wrote. "She is too young to be vaccinated (and a vaccine might not even produce antibodies for her) and her team of specialists agrees that in-person school is unsafe for her. She has an IEP and would lose services if I had to pull her out of the district and homeschool her. Her sisters are also too young to be vaccinated and have been attending remote school as well. Sending them back in person would jeopardize her health."

One parent wrote about how remote learning provided an avenue for their son Jason to manage his Tourette syndrome tics.

"In February 2020, before the pandemic ... Jason was getting overwhelmed by tic attacks every day, usually somewhere around 6th period," which was his English class, and he was failing the class as a result. "Remote learning has allowed him to manage the tics more effectively, taking walks outside between classes. ... He's able to focus more consistently in his classes and has been able to reduce both his medication and his doctor visits."

Jason finished the 2020-21 school year with an A in English, the parent said.

"Many of us have children with complex medical needs that make them high risk for serious complications from COVID-19. Many of us have children with disabilities that have been better managed at home. Many of our children qualify for special education and have IEPs (Individual Education Plans). Our IEPs are supposed to ensure our children receive INDIVIDUALIZED education delivered in a way that best meets their needs. For many of us, remote learning best meets the needs of our children," the group says on its petition.

"While we understand that learning in person is best for many students, we also know that learning virtually is what is best for other children. Families deserve to have a choice in our children’s education and to do what is best for our kids," the group said.

"With the delta variant upon us now we need this option more than ever," the group says. "Families need a virtual school option. Education is not one size fits all, our children are not one size fits all."

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com