At today’s daily press briefing on COVID-19, Gov. Phil Murphy reminded school districts that if they plan on taking him up on his offer to start off the school year with full-time virtual learning, they must resubmit reopening plans to their executive county superintedent as well as the state Department of Education, now headed by Interim Commissioner Kevin Dehmer.

According to ROI,

All schools proposing all-remote learning must cite specific health and safety reasons, certified by school district leaders. A timeline to get back to in-person instruction must also be a part of the proposal.

“All districts must meet the same health and safety standards we reiterated for districts last week and in all the guidance that has been released over the last few months,” Murphy said. “All plans must be reviewed by executive county superintendents, as well as both the departments of Education and Health.”

Currently districts are scrambling to re-re-re-submit opening plans as Murphy adjusts guidance to suit the current wave of protests from NJEA leaders, teachers, and parents who fear contagion in enclosed spaces like classrooms. At a sit-in this morning at Summit, teachers held signs that read, ““I can teach from a distance, but not from a coffin.”