NJ Teachers Want COVID Vaccine; Gov. Murphy Has Possible Timeline

NEW JERSEY – New Jersey school districts have stepped up their demands to get teachers vaccinated against COVID-19 now that Gov. Phil Murphy has offered a possible timeline for educators to get "shots in the arm."

A growing list of districts are now calling on Murphy to add teachers to the eligibility list, with one New Jersey superintendent saying this week that it's time to "normalize" the school day by making the classrooms safer and getting educators vaccinated.

"To normalize our lives, bolster our economy and strengthen our educational system, immediate action must be taken to expedite vaccine access to all school district employees," Scotch Plains-Fanwood Superintendent Dr. Joan Mast, along with the district's Board of Education members, wrote in a letter to Murphy last month. Read more: Scotch Plains Schools Urge Murphy To Get Educators Vaccinated Now

The closest Murphy has come to publicly saying when teachers may get vaccinated came during the "Ask Governor Murphy" program on WBGO on Jan. 28th, which was almost two weeks ago.

During the program, Murphy told the station and its callers that he believed educators would be able to start getting vaccinated "within weeks." You can listen to the segment here at the 12-minute mark.

Murphy made a point of saying that the Biden administration has made vaccinations much more readily available, and New Jersey has had a surge in immunizations in recent weeks. Because of that, he said, it's much more possible that educators will get vaccinated "sooner than later."

"I hope sooner than later, within I'd say a few weeks, we're going to get to the next group and that will most certainly be and include educators," he said during the program. "So I think it's sooner than later, but we got to let a little bit of this first wave of supply/demand get a little more in balance with that increased supply."

But the words haven't completely reassured school districts who continue to write letters and pass resolutions saying it's time to prioritize teachers and other school staff members.

Besides Scotch Plains-Fanwood, here's where the demands are coming from:

Mercer County

The Mercer County Association of School Administrators has written to Murphy urging him to place educators in the "highest priority" to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Comprised of school superintendents across all school districts in Mercer County, the association told Murphy that unless teachers are vaccinated, "New Jersey will feel the negative consequences of the pandemic both educationally and economically."

"Our ability to maintain classroom learning is directly affected by having healthy teachers and staff, whose safety and confidence hinges on access to the vaccines," the letter said. Read more: Mercer Superintendents Urge Murphy To Vaccinate Teachers Quickly

Lawrence Township

The Lawrence Township Public Schools Board of Education recently passed a resolution urging Murphy to prioritize public school staff for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Lawrence BOE said that public schools have a profound impact students, families and staff and that the district has responded to the challenges of the pandemic by providing resources necessary to ensure delivery of instruction, virtually and in-person.

However, to keep the students and teachers in the in-person learning track safe, it's imperative to vaccinate the staff. They requested Murphy to categorize public school staff as "essential workers."

"School district staff at all levels are essential to the day-to-day operations of this district, responsible for the thorough and efficient education of all students and their social and emotional wellbeing, are critical for virtual and in-class instruction and are "essential workers," reads the resolution. Read more: Lawrence BOE Urge State To Prioritize Teachers For COVID Vaccine

Livingston

Teachers and school staff have been in the "on deck circle" for COVID-19 vaccinations long enough, Livingston Board of Education members say.

During their Monday meeting, the school board unanimously passed a resolution that urges Murphy to include school staff on the state's vaccination eligibility list.

Speaking prior to the board's vote, Superintendent Matthew Block supported the idea of opening the eligibility list to school staff. He added that it may give them more confidence to return to classrooms, an issue the district has struggled with during the pandemic.

"I think it will make a very big difference – and this is just an opinion – when our teachers will be able to get vaccinated," Block said.

"The teachers have been on deck now for about three weeks, and we're ready to be at the plate," Block added, referring a metaphor that Murphy made in January. Read more: Livingston Teachers 'On Deck' For Vaccines Long Enough, BOE Says

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