The Change for Children Plan for COVID-19 and Our Schools

JERSEY CITY, NJ—Today, the Change For Children Board of Education candidates Asheenia Johnson, Sonia N. Cintron, and Karen Poliski released their plan for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. The plan goes beyond safely opening schools and lays out a path for our students’ education recovery.

The current Jersey City Board of Education and the Education Matters candidates have approached the COVID-19 pandemic the same way they have approached so many other issues facing Jersey City children – with a lack of leadership, planning, and forward-thinking. The current Board’s lack of leadership has put Jersey City students’ futures at risk and squandered the trust between the Board and parents. The Board wasted months of precious time and money with indecision and inaction. While schools sat empty, needed repairs and upgrades on water and air quality were put off. While students needed computers and internet connections, delivery was hampered with incompetence and lack of planning. We somehow still do not know the criteria, if any, the Board is using for re-opening schools. That is why so many Jersey City families’ lives are still being needlessly disrupted with on again/off again reopening and rescheduling announcements.

The Change For Children candidates’ COVID-19 plan is based on science and educational research. It is backed up with the experience, determination, and a get-it-done background the candidates will bring to the Board. Their plan:

·         Get all our schools’ air and water quality up to the highest standards.

·         Independently certify all schools safe before reopening.

·         Rapid and frequent COVID-19 testing of ALL students, teachers, and staff.

·         Set clear reopening criteria based on science and best practices.

·         Ensure ALL Jersey City students have computers and adequate internet access in their homes – not just during the pandemic, but throughout their time in school.

·         Rigorous training for teachers, students, and parents on remote and on-line learning

·         Implement a system for tracking student performance to make sure the students that need help the most get it.

·         Hire and train more tutors and teacher’s aides.

·         Implement a new strategic plan that looks forward instead of backward to ensure ALL students get a quality education.

Jersey City schools, parents and taxpayers need fresh leadership on the Board of Education to move forward and away from the botched and chaotic responses to crisis that have plagued the current Board. The Change For Children slate of Asheenia Johnson, Sonia N. Cintron, and Karen Poliski for Board of Education are committing to bringing that change to the Board.

Change For Children encourages those interested in better schools for Jersey City schoolchildren and their families to sign up for updates at ChangeForChildrenJC.com and to follow the campaign on Facebook @ChangeforChildrenJC, Twitter @changeteamJC, and Instagram @ChangeForChildrenJC.