Coronavirus 'Seriously Impacting' Staffing In Livingston Schools

LIVINGSTON, NJ — It’s been several months since the Livingston Public School District reopened for a mix of in-person and online classes amid the coronavirus pandemic. And one of the district’s biggest problems during the crisis – keeping teachers and staff in classrooms – still continues to be a stumbling block, administrators said Monday.

As Livingston prepares to pivot yet again for a new hybrid schedule on Feb. 1, Superintendent Matthew Block offered a sweeping, mid-year update at the Livingston Board of Education meeting.

Watch a video of the meeting below. See the full mid-year update here.

Livingston was one of several districts in Essex County that began the school year in September with all-online classes due to COVID-19 concerns. Nearly 150 teachers said they may need to take a leave of absence if the district returned to in-person learning.

• See related article: Livingston Schools Can't Replace Teachers, Will Go Remote-Only

The district marked a milestone in October when staff and students returned for in-person learning at Heritage Middle School and Livingston High School. It was the first time since the pandemic began that all of the district's buildings were open and occupied.

• See related article: Big Milestone As Livingston Schools Reopen From Coronavirus

Since then, the district has continued to struggle with staffing issues, Block reported in his presentation on Monday.

“The virus is seriously impacting staffing,” Block’s report stated. “There are still many teachers on [medical] leave, quarantined, sick, or working from home and will need to teach remotely … This forces us to use proctors to cover classes, particularly at the secondary level.”

Here are some of the other highlights from Block’s presentation:

• “Around the Thanksgiving and winter break, several families withdrew from in-person learning and decided to remain fully remote. 40% of secondary students plan to remain fully remote into the second half of the school year.”
• “We have seen an uptick in new registrations for students to the district. At this time last year (December/January) we had 11 new registrations as compared to 32 this year. These new registrations have an impact on class size and transportation. We don’t know if this trend will continue.”
• “Concern over time on Zoom in-class and time on the same computer in same space for homework … ‘Zoom fatigue.’”

Block also shared updated coronavirus case and quarantine numbers for Livingston.

MOVING FORWARD IN LIVINGSTON

The district’s adjusted hybrid learning plan will kick off Feb. 1 to begin the second half of the school year.

It’s a logical “pivot point” for students and teachers, Block stated.

Principals hoping to share details of the secondary school hybrid schedule adjustments by early next week. Each school schedule may be “somewhat different,” Block said.

Livingston school administrators are aligning their strategy with the New Jersey Department of Health’s risk designations, which are updated weekly. READ MORE: Essex County Weekly COVID Cases Up 5 Percent (See Livingston’s Totals)

Here are some things that Livingston parents and students can expect moving forward:

• “Reduction of cohorts to two cohorts will provide additional frequency for students to be in school facilities or in-person learning more often.
• “New HS schedule to include fewer, extended daily class periods, giving teachers additional opportunities to conference with individuals and small groups, provide feedback, and work with in-person students in a more hands-on way.”
• “New MS schedule likely to keep classes a bit shorter based in feedback.”
• “Continued focus on balance and social and emotional wellness.”
• “Maintain and expand capacity for asynchronous and independent practice during the period.”

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