Senator Kristin Corrado and Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean hosted a virtual “Return to School Roundtable” with parents, students, educators, and experts to discuss returning students to classrooms full time and the various challenges that have resulted from the pandemic.

The meeting was held this morning via Zoom and livestreamed for public viewing on Facebook Live.

Sen. Kristin Corrado and Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean hosted a Return to School Roundtable on Friday, May 7, 2021. (NJ Senate Republicans/YouTube)

“I’m glad we could provide a forum for parents, students, and education advocates to have an open discussion with their lawmakers about the importance of returning to school in a manner that is both responsible and safe,” said Corrado (R-40). “There was broad consensus that many students are missing out on a variety of important interactions and support systems both inside and outside of their classrooms resulting in learning loss and physical and emotional harm. It’s imperative that we get kids back into the classroom full time as soon as possible.”

“There was a clear and uniform sentiment expressed by our panelists that the potential risks to students of COVID-19 in a school setting is less than the real harm that is impacting students due to learning loss and social isolation with continued hybrid and remote learning,” said Kean (R-21). “We also heard repeated concerns that districts have struggled with differing county and local health department requirements leading to a wild inconsistency in school closures and pandemic response measures. It’s clear that we need to open up our schools fully and trust that our administrators know how to keep their students and teachers safe.”

Click here to watch the archived event on YouTube.