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Blog: New Jersey School Reopening Plan Leaves Unanswered Questions, Helping Parents Voice Their Concerns

Posted on July 14, 2020

Nina Peckman, Staff Attorney
Nina Peckman, Staff Attorney

On June 26, the New Jersey Department of Education published it’s re-opening plan with the approval of Governor Murphy, The Road Back, Restart and Recovery Plan for Education (“NJDOE Plan”). The document with more than 100 pages was developed with the input of over 80 entities including state agencies, school districts and organizations.  It covers every significant aspect of school district operations, provides detailed guidance regarding the education services for general education students and COVID-19 minimum health and safety standards to keep students, staff and parents safe.

However, the NJDOE Plan raises many questions and concerns for all parents, but even more so for parents of students with disabilities and other special populations such as ELL students, homeless, low-income and at-risk students.  How will the needs of students with IEPs/ 504 Plans or those eligible for disability services be met in the 2020-2021 school year?  What is a districts’ obligation to a student with a disability who has demonstrated that the remote model is not effective also remains unclear.

What is clear in the Plan is that parents should play a role in shaping their district’s reopening plan.

Districts have been asked to try to complete and share a reopening plan at least four weeks prior to the start of school with the directive to include stakeholder’s input in the development process.  The district must appoint a “Restart Committee” made up of school administrators, board members, local education associations, content experts, parents, students, and educators.

Districts should engage families in developing the reopening plan by: surveying parents, involving parents on district level planning teams, communicating plans using multiple platforms and languages, and conducting virtual town hall meetings and home visits.  Parents especially those of students with special needs have an opportunity to address some of the questions that remain unanswered.

Parents can ensure they are included in the reopening planning by:

  • contacting the district’s Board of Education to ask how they will engage a diverse group of parents that represent the interests and needs of all the district’s special student groups;
  • asking the superintendent/board president how to be part of the Restart Committee;
  • asking if the district will survey parents and how it will ensure all families complete a parent survey before a reopening plan is finalized;
  • asking whether and where parent survey results will be posted and how results will be used; and
  • requesting details about any virtual town hall meetings.

View this fact sheet with some issues to consider and recommendations for how a parent/guardian can try to influence their district’s reopening plan, particularly parents of children with disabilities and academic challenges.

Parents, don't miss the opportunity to have your voice heard. Be the best advocate for your child by providing your input as the reopening plans are being developed.

 

Housing Survey on Homelessness Prevention Services

Posted on July 13, 2020

Housing Survey – Please respond!

The New Jersey Child Placement Advisory Council (NJ CPAC, or CPAC) is a board of court-appointed and trained New Jersey volunteers dedicated to the timely and appropriate permanent placement of all children and youth living in foster care.  

ACNJ helped CPAC develop a survey to gather information related to housing from community organizations that serve children and families. The objective of the survey is to examine how to better coordinate efforts to prevent and address homelessness, particularly of families, children and youth in our state. While many community organizations are temporarily closed due to COVID-19, staff from some organizations are working remotely. If you have or had any involvement in housing issues during or prior to the COVID-19 shutdown, please complete the survey. 

Every NJ CPAC executive board member also volunteers on a county Child Placement Review (CPR) board. CPR boards are composed of court-appointed and trained volunteers who review all out-of-home placement cases to help ensure that children do not remain in placement for an unnecessarily extended period. Each county has at least one CPR board. For more information about CPR boards in your county, visit www.njcpac.org.  

The New Jersey Child Placement Advisory Committee recently released its annual report for court year 2018-2019, which includes data from the courts, the Department of Children and Families and other government sources to measure the performance of the child welfare and protection system pertaining to children in foster care, and makes recommendations for improvement. Read  the report here.

New Monitor Report Released – NJ Now Satisfied 44 of 48 Performance Measures

Posted on July 13, 2020

Today, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), a national nonprofit working to achieve a racially, economically and socially just society in which all children and families thrive, issued its latest report as the federal monitor of New Jersey’s progress in meeting a court-ordered settlement order resulting from the federal class-action lawsuit Charlie and Nadine H. v. Christie.

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) has now satisfied 44 of the 48 performance measures that are required as part of the court-ordered Sustainability and Exit Plan (SEP) including, for the first time, lowering the number of children who re-enter foster care within one year of returning home. This is a significant accomplishment.

Reports are released to the Honorable Stanley Chesler and the public approximately every six months. The current report covers July to December 2019.  
 
Read the monitor’s latest report.
Read prior reports.

Register: Child Care and the Pandemic

Posted on July 8, 2020

ACNJ wants to hear from you!

The impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic has been far-reaching. Everyone has a story.  Your story provides evidence, hope and belief that we can shape another's existence. That's why we want to hear from you! The more we know, the more we can communicate to local, state and national policymakers about your needs and challenges.

Are you a child care provider that has experienced staffing issues?

ACNJ is interested in learning about how staffing has impacted child care programs during the pandemic and as they reopen. Please take just a few moments to complete a provider survey.

Are you a parent of a young child impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic?

We are interested in learning about how you and your family have been affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Share your challenges during this time by filling out the survey (English/Spanish).

Child Care and Afterschool Programs, An Important Piece School Districts Must Consider for Reopening

Posted on July 8, 2020

Since the New Jersey Department of Education’s (DOE) recent release of The Road Back: Restart and Recovery Plan for Education, school districts have hit the ground running in planning for what learning will look like during the 2020-2021 school year. While the DOE’s guidance has made it clear that many of the issues should be district-determined, there is no question that the delivery of education will look different come September.

A school's educational “new normal” may include virtual learning for all or part of a school-day as the best way to keep students and faculty safe. That decision will have a significant ripple-effect on families, particularly for those with parents/guardians that work both in and outside the home. Parents, especially of young students, will be faced with the dilemma of finding care while their child is not in school. It is important that district leaders provide child care and afterschool providers a seat at the table when planning for the reopening in the 2020-2021 school year.

ACNJ prepared the following two facts sheets to help ensure child care and aftershcool providers are included in the planning process.

A Seat at the Table: The Role of Child Care and Afterschool in School District Planning for the 2020-2021 School Year - provides guidance on how school district leaders can reach out to the child care and afterschool programs in their community.

An Important Piece of the Puzzle:  Child Care and Afterschool Care in School District Planning for the 2020-2021 School Year, guides providers on how to ensure they are part of the planning.