July 21, 2020
Dear Ramsey and Saddle River Communities:
Ramsey’s Restart and Pandemic committees are hard at work to develop the reopening programs and protocols that meet the guidelines in the state’s Restart and Recovery Plan. The process has made this very clear: There are many, many more questions than we have answers for. I have heard from parents who insist we should have all students on-site all day, and others who believe we should do 100% remote learning — and everywhere in between, on every facet of this issue. We need to face the fact that at this time, there are no good choices.
The state says we must reopen, and so reopen we will. I’ll share information with you as soon as it is available, starting today with some scheduling decisions. Please keep in mind that these plans may change. Everything is subject to review and approval by the state, and adjustments forced by an evolving public health situation. I don’t mind saying that I wouldn’t be surprised if we spend all this planning time for naught!
After discussing the reopening of schools with the Ramsey Public Health Officer, it is NOT recommended that everyone come to our school buildings full time this September. Yet we are under state orders to get every student on-site for at least some time. Therefore, we will operate Ramsey schools with a blend of in-person and remote learning, with schedules tailored to meet student needs the best we can.
For Ramsey, that means our students will work an A/B minimum day (4 hours) schedule– two days in person, with live, online instruction on Wednesdays for everyone. Everyone will have the opportunity to “meet” with teachers in the afternoons. This will allow families with multiple children to have the same schedule, time for us to deep clean the schools, and time in the afternoon for check-in with our staff.
Additional advantages include:
- mitigating the health and safety concerns related to recess and lunch times
- avoiding the cleaning that would be required between AM and PM sessions
- giving K-5 students five days a week of live teaching time, whether in-person or from home, and
- using Wednesdays for full-group online gatherings, an important aspect of building classroom communities.
Just this Monday, the Governor announced that schools must provide a full remote learning option for students who want to remain enrolled in their public schools, but not attend any in-person instruction. We are waiting for more guidance about the remote learning requirements. Please visit our special website for more details about schedules.
That website also has other information and FAQs (you know I love my FAQs!), and we will continually add to it as our plan develops. Significant questions remain regarding protocols for observing symptoms and responding to potential illness. Those questions are squarely in the medical realm, and I am communicating regularly with the Ramsey Board of Health to address them. When protocols have been finalized, we will share the information via parent email and website updates. We will always communicate decisions as they are finalized, but unfortunately, we have to work at a fast pace and in an environment full of outstanding questions.
I am acutely aware that opening schools has become a local, state, national and international issue, however, I can assure you that the District Restart Committee has been focused on keeping our students and staff safe while continuing learning – NOT politics.
As you read the details for September, please keep in mind those primary goals of safety and learning. I appreciate differences of opinion, and I fully expect to hear from those who come from varying perspectives. (I wouldn’t mind some supportive ones, just saying.) However, I ask that this issue not further divide our community. Now more than ever, we need to rally together. Remember: The children are watching, and parents hold great influence on how their children will react when school reopens.
Thank-yous: Thank you to everyone who sent polite emails with thoughts and comments. Thank you to the staff, parents, and students who are helping with the Restart Committee. Thank you all in advance for directing any criticism at me, instead of committee members, because these are my recommendations based on their hard work. As your Superintendent, and on behalf of the dedicated Ramsey staff, I take great offense at the thoughtless claims that school leaders, educators and health officials are ignoring the risks of returning to school. Nothing could be further from the truth. School districts are required to resume in-person instruction, and we will do that within the best of our abilities to keep our students and staff safe while continuing learning.
Matthew J. Murphy, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools
Ramsey Public Schools
Twitter: @drmatthewmurphy
Facebook: @RamseyNJschools
Instagram: @ramseyschooldistrict
