Sadly, COVID-19 infections continue to spike in New Jersey. With just weeks until the start of the new school year, reports are coming out that Governor Murphy will likely make a controversial announcement soon.

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Tensions are already high with the gov's mask mandate for school children returning to the classroom regardless of vaccination status.

Parents aren't the only ones unhappy about the ruling. School boards like in Wall Township are urging Murphy to let the districts make the decisions.

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New Jersey Advanced Media is reporting that they have learned that the governor will be announcing that all teachers must be vaccinated for the new school year to be in the classroom.

If this intel is correct and Murphy moves to vacate those who aren't vaccinated will likely cause even more upheaval.

Only two other states in the nation have this mandate in effect. Both California and Washington require teachers to have the COVID-19 vaccine. Washington has gone all in, while California is allowing teachers that opt not to get the vaccine in the classroom as long as they provide regular negative tests.

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What will New Jersey do? Only time will tell, but Murphy has his weekly COVID briefings on Mondays. The governor and staff would not comment on this speculation.

I'm torn on this one. So, I'm just going to write out my thoughts.

  • Hasn't the pandemic made it difficult enough for our New Jersey teachers?
  • Large concert venues are requiring proof of vaccination, including staff members. Why should schools be any different?
  • Are all of these rules and mandates going to make it harder for teachers to teach and students to learn?
  • At the rate we're going, why don't we explore remote learning options? But, children need normalcy back in their lives. A regular school day and experience are a big part of that.

That's where I'm at. If you're an educator, thank you, truly. You managed to keep the learning going during a shutdown. I know you care for your students.

How do you feel about teachers having to be vaccinated to be in the classroom? Should New Jersey meet in the middle and require regular testing for those teachers that choose not to get the vaccine? Share your thoughts with me. Matt@943thepoint.com.

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