A group of Essex County superintendents including Verona Superintendent Dr. Rui Dionisio have sent a letter to Governor Phil Murphy urging him to prioritize vaccinations for teachers, support staff and school administrators.
“It is critical that our teachers and support staff remain healthy if we expect to maintain classroom learning for our students,” the educators wrote. “With access to the vaccine, we can safely and expeditiously embark on the road back, minimizing the disruptions that can create unnecessary problems for our students, staff, and families.”
The vaccination plan that New Jersey drew up in December put teachers in category 1b, just below health care workers and nursing home residents (1a), but ahead of all people 65 or older (1c). But a change in guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) combined with a shortage of vaccine doses has made it hard for teachers to get their shots. On Monday, the New Jersey Department of Health announced that it has administered 1,037,657 COVID-19 vaccine doses since it began giving shots on Dec. 15, 2020. (The chart below, compiled by NJSpotlight shows that most of that total is for first doses only.) New Jersey’s current population is estimated at just under 9 million people and the state’s goal is to vaccinate 70% of all adults by mid-June.
“Our collective educational experiences shine a light on the harsh realities that we are facing in this seminal moment in the lives of our students,” wrote the superintendents, who are members of the Essex County Association of School Administrators (ECASA). “As Governor, you have the opportunity to designate priority and establish a real perspective and urgency that will benefit this generation for years to come. It is paramount that we vaccinate educators as soon as possible and restore normalcy so we may make critical contributions to the educational and economic prosperity of our state.”
While the superintendents acknowledged the importance of vaccinating health workers and seniors, they insisted that educators are essential frontline workers too. “Vaccinating staff who work closely with our students will allow us to significantly increase the possibility of a return to in-person learning in our classrooms.”
In addition to Dionisio, who is a co-president of ECASA, the letter was signed by the superintendents of Belleville, Caldwell/West Caldwell, West Essex, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, West Orange, East Orange, Roseland, Essex Fells and the Essex County Schools of Technology.
AGREED! Essex County superintendents including Verona Superintendent Dr. Rui Dionisio have sent a letter to Governor Phil Murphy urging him to prioritize vaccinations for teachers, support staff and school administrators.
“It is critical that our teachers and support staff remain healthy if we expect to maintain classroom learning for our students,” the educators wrote. “With access to the vaccine, we can safely and expeditiously embark on the road back, minimizing the disruptions that can create unnecessary problems for our students, staff, and families.”