Sherrill Calls For Schools To Reopen Safely In New Resolution

PARSIPPANY, NJ - U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives in support of the safe reopening of schools Tuesday, calling for the prioritization of teachers in vaccine distribution, and highlighting the impacts school closures are having on students across the country.

The resolution draws specific attention to the potential lasting impacts the pandemic may have on students and how it is exacerbating existing achievement gaps and disparities in the education system.

As a parent of four school-aged children, ranging from high school to elementary school, Sherrill said she has personally seen the effects this disruption in education is having on students.

Sherrill has repeatedly raised attention to the importance of getting students back in school. In December, she led members of the New Jersey delegation on a bipartisan letter to Governor Phil Murphy encouraging him to prioritize teachers and school employees in the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines.

Monday, she also joined First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Governor Murphy, and fellow New Jersey lawmakers at an event visiting an elementary school in Burlington.

The visit highlighted the steps schools around the country are taking to get students back in the classroom safely and how the recently passed American Rescue Plan funds and supports those efforts.

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