Guttenberg & Harrison Students Begin Year With Remote Learning

The number of Hudson County School Districts choosing to begin the year with their students remaining at home under remote learning continues to grow.  With Bayonne, Jersey City, North Bergen, Union City and West New York already having announced all-virtual learning to open the academic year next month, Guttenberg and Harrison this week also announced similar intensions.

Governor Phil Murphy has given school districts the option to open will full remote learning if they could not meet “core health and safety standards” by the first day their districts restart.  Kearny and Harrison originally had planned to open using a hybrid format, with students attending school in the classroom for a portion of the week, with the remainder of their instruction being given remotely.  They have since changed their minds and will now start up completely virtual.

Many districts are pointing to the recent statistics coming in from around the country showing an uptick in the number of positive COVID-19 cases as the reason for their decision to go all remote.

Some of the districts say they will re-examine their decision midway through the first semester.  So it is possible some Hudson County school districts could go to a hybrid model, part in the classroom and part remote instruction before schools break for the winter holidays.

In Guttenberg, parents have until Monday, August 17 to complete a survey on the District’s re-entry plan.  The survey may be found by clicking on this link:

Return Survey

If you have any questions or concerns please fill out the following form:

Questions/Concerns

The Harrison Public Schools posted the following information on their website:

HARRISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS REMOTE/DISTANCE LEARNING PLAN SEPTEMBER 2020

The District’s ability to provide in-person instruction/hybrid model has been impacted by various factors.  For example, under the guidelines from The Road Back Restart and Recovery Plan for Education, almost 52 percent of the students have requested distance learning.  A significant number of staff and support personnel have requested accommodations.  Many parents are concerned about their child either getting sick or spreading the virus when they get home.  Thus, the Harrison Public Schools will proceed in the following manner:

Phase I:  A Full-Time Remote/Distance Learning model will begin Friday, September 11, 2020 and continue until November 13, 2020. Principals will be contacting all parents beforehand, regarding each school’s distance learning plan and expectations.

Teachers will receive distance learning training on Wednesday, September 9 and Thursday, September 10, 2020.

The District will re-evaluate the “Remote/Distance Learning Plan” by the end of the first marking period, on or about November 13, 2020.

Phase II:  When conditions warrant, the in-person/hybrid model as described in our “Reopening Plan” will be implemented.

Please visit www.harrisonschools.org for further information.