Maplewood Schools Open Back Up For Certain Students This Week

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — After being remote for nearly a year, certain special education and Pre-K students in the South Orange-Maplewood public schools were able to return to the buildings this past Monday, while the teachers' union continues to talk with the administration about plans for others.

The schools actually briefly opened in January for some students, but then went remote again when teachers cited unsafe conditions and a need for vaccines.

Across New Jersey, teachers will begin to get vaccines March 15. READ MORE: How NJ Teachers Will Get COVID Vaccines: New Information Released

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Schools Ronald Taylor wrote in a letter last week:

"The District has been involved in mediation discussions with our teacher’s union, SOMEA over the past several days. As of yesterday, after a more than nine (9) hour mediation session with SOMEA representatives, we have come to an agreement that will allow for a subset of our most vulnerable students to return to in-person hybrid instruction beginning on Monday, March 1.

"Cohort C, Special Services self-contained and English Language Learners (ELL students across all grade levels) and Pre-K students who have chosen hybrid-instruction, will return to school buildings for in-person instruction (following their pre-assigned cohort schedules) on March 1.

"At this time the District will continue to operate under our current instructional schedule (i.e., class times as shared in our February 22 communication - https://bit.ly/3au0Xfp). Teachers for these students will report to school buildings to teach in-person.

"This subset of Special Services, ELL and PreK families/students will receive a corresponding communication with additional information from the Office of Special Services as well as their School Principals.

"The District is continuing mediation with SOMEA in hopes of having all students and staff return to continue Phase 3 in-person instruction as soon as possible. Once again, we thank you for your patience and continued support as we seek to resolve this issue. Educationally yours, Dr. Ronald G. Taylor, Superintendent of Schools"

Last month, the teachers said they would not return, and the district said it would be remote "indefinitely." READ MORE: Maplewood Schools Are Now Remote Indefinitely

A SOMA parent group has a counter on their webpage that says that it's been nearly a year since the last in-person class for all students.

Series of setbacks

The 2020-2021 school year in Maplewood so far has been riddled with setbacks.

• The teachers' union sent a letter to the district last month saying they are concerned about conditions in the schools, and would not report to the buildings.
• The district responded later that day, "We are in receipt of SOMEA’s email indicating that they are once again refusing to report to the school buildings. As per the Community Reopening Update of only a few hours ago, the district was making progress in its Phase 3 reopening with no evidence of in-school transmission. We felt that the Sidebar Agreement with SOMEA was working as intended..."
• On-site was to begin in the district in November, but problems with the ventilation system put those plans on hold until January.
• A snowy nor'easter also caused schools to go remote for several days in February.

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