“They need substantive action.”Ruiz said the frustration was mounting. “And believe it or not, from parents as well. While not yet threatening job actions demanding that schools open remotely, neither is the union ruling it out yet either.And in a state where the courts often play a big part in education policy, the Education Law Center is also planting its stake, saying that, whatever decisions are made about reopening, New Jersey must fulfill its responsibilities to its poorest students.David Sciarra, the center’s executive director, on Thursday said the state’s failure so far to show it had addressed the technology gap was troubling, especially given the inevitability of at least some remote learning.The state has said that as many as 230,000 students may be without the needed technology to avail of remote learning. “Six weeks out, I have extreme concerns.”So far, Murphy has remained insistent that there be at least some in-school instruction from the start, and school districts are mostly toeing the line, following the directive to come up with a variety of models that mix in-school education with remote learning.In a not-so-tacit admission that last spring’s all-remote instruction left thousands of children behind, Murphy has emphasized that in-school instruction — at least in some form — is required to ensure that all students get the necessary attention and education.But the New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, is not hiding its insistence that not all schools will be ready to protect both children and staff if they reopen.A spokesman for the union on Thursday would not specify if its members would take more organized actions but acknowledged the possibility.

“The second is about the quality of the education we are able to provide. Nationally, the country’s second largest union, the American Federation of Teachers, said it would support teachers striking in defense of their own safety. He adds: The number of cases New Jersey … The NJEA is part of the National Education Association, not the AFT.“What we are doing is advocating every day that we have to keep the safety of children and educators primary,” said Steve Baker, NJEA communications director.“There are major challenges to that, and it is not clear at this point that districts will be able to rise to those challenges,” he said.Jasey on Thursday said she was still gauging support for her bill, which would set an Oct. 31 target for reopening in-school instruction, but would also allow for that to be shortened or extended in case conditions change. The idea behind the bill is ‘let’s pause.’”Lawmakers, unions and activists are weighing in as schools work out details Students will be expected to wear face coverings at all times, while reading circles and other close-contact activities will be suspended.“Nothing should be left to the last minute,” Murphy said. Anything higher than 1 means the pandemic is spreading.The governor has said that opening schools safely is among the state’s toughest tasks, with health experts expecting cases to climb as New Jersey reopens. But he said he had confidence in the state’s guidelines.New Jersey is well beyond its novel coronavirus peak, but a key measure of transmission -- the average number of people infected per known carrier -- is creeping upward toward 1, after Murphy on June 11 said the 0.62 rate was among the nation’s lowest. New Jersey governor Murphy speaking New Jersey governor Murphy (D) is on the wires saying that schools will open in the fall. File photo: Children wearing masks wait to enter a school in Strasbourg, France, May 14, 2020. A sign displays the message that a middle school is closed in Glen Rock, New Jersey, on March 15.A sign displays the message that a middle school is closed in Glen Rock, New Jersey, on March 15.New Jersey’s more than 2,500 public schools will open in September with smaller class sizes and a mix of remote and in-person instruction, Governor Phil Murphy said Friday at a Trenton news conference.Schools should be ready to close if virus cases soar, Murphy said, adding that parents should “appreciate the fact that we’re predicting as best we can.” He said he “can’t fathom” a return to distance learning, but the scenario couldn’t be dismissed.“I wouldn’t be spending a lot of money on a range of alternatives,” Murphy said of parents who may face abrupt school closings and the need for child care.The state’s 1.5 million public and private school pupils met via video conferencing and other remote means for three months starting in March. Phil Murphy announced a plan to fund up to $54 million in added technology, but his administration has yet to provide the latest data on where the money would go and where the greatest needs lie.“The state has yet to assume full responsibility for addressing the digital divide and other impacts of COVID-19,” Sciarra said in an email. The reopenings were announced as the state reported 13,060 testing-confirmed deaths and, with New York and Connecticut, demands self-quarantining from visitors from the hard-hit U.S. South and West.School buses must be “properly cleaned on a daily basis,” Murphy said. They project a broader surge in the latter part of the year.