Dear Governor Murphy,

We are kids – students – from multiple school districts in multiple counties across New Jersey. No one is asking for OUR opinions about going back to school this September, so we have come together to start this petition to let our voices be heard.

We believe kids and their parents should be able to CHOOSE a VIRTUAL OPTION for school.

First, we would like to thank you for the tremendous work you have done during this pandemic. It was very comforting for us to know that you were taking the Coronavirus very seriously.

When the 2020-2021 school year started, and the Covid-19 numbers started to spike, many of our schools went fully virtual. Some of our schools eventually switched to hybrid schedules as the year went on. When given a choice, many of us CHOSE to stay fully virtual for the entire year. We had many different reasons.

Sophia: I was doing okay in virtual school and we didn't feel that it was safe for me since I was not able to get vaccinated yet. Having the option to stay fully virtual, looking back, was the best option for me and my family and our mental health. Given that my mom has an autoimmune disease we didn't want to take that chance of possibly exposing her to Covid.

Corie: Virtual is a nice change of pace from navigating the building and dealing with things like bullying or being late for class. Virtual days are shorter because we don’t have to take the bus or sit in lunch or study halls, which gives students more time to do assignments and their own personal activities. I used my extra time learning to code and start graphic design. My grades did not drop. In fact, they were better than last year because I could work at my own pace. I didn't have any teachers saying "get to work this is due at the end of class" which makes me feel pressured and makes it harder for me to focus.

Josiah: For a long time I struggled in school not knowing where I fit in. When Covid started I was confused with how school would work out for me, but I quickly learned how to make the best of school time at home. I didn't feel anxious anymore or shy like I did when I was in person. I finally found where I could be me. I don't want to go back in person since it’s still unsafe for my brother and me because of Covid. My younger brother is very sick. I think we shouldn't be forced to go back if it's going to harm us or if I won't be able to concentrate on the teacher. I'm worried that my grades will go down and I will get sick also. 

Samantha: 2020 brought a lot of changes and hardships, but one good thing that came out of the year was virtual learning. It can be argued that Virtual Learning was unsuccessful and kids were not learning, but from personal experience I can say that is not the case. There were many children who excelled more in virtual schooling rather than in in-person instruction. An example of this is my little brother who is 5 years old and can do 3rd grade mental math and multiplication.

Jake: The best thing about virtual school was that on zoom only one person speaks at a time. There are no distracting side conversations, so it is easier for me to pay attention to the teacher. I also got to take a lot more breaks. I have a disability and it helps me to have breaks between classes. I like to walk outside by myself to clear my head and get calm before a test instead of rushing through the crowded hallway trying not to get bumped into by anyone and worrying about being late. I also liked being able to send a private chat to my teacher to remind her of my IEP accommodations instead of having to raise my hand and say it in front of everyone, which is embarrassing.

TJ: For me, virtual was the best. I was able to participate every day in class and never miss. Before Covid I was absent a lot because I would always get sick from school and that hurt my grades. But when I was virtual I made the Honor Roll all year long. I do not want to lose what I worked very hard for. People were mean to me in school because I was different. I have Asperger’s and people made me feel horrible about myself. Virtual school during Covid gave me the opportunity to do better.

There are other reasons why we believe virtual school should be a CHOICE. Many kids all over the state have excelled with virtual learning. More than just excelling, bullying has gone down since the beginning of the pandemic. There is less of a chance of getting bullied when there is less face-to-face contact. With less bullying children can focus on more of their curriculum and extracurriculars.

Many families with younger children that cannot yet get vaccinated are very nervous to send their kids back. I can only imagine the fear those parents must have -- imagine having to put your child's life on the line because there is no other option. If a child is exposed to Covid-19 and/or tests positive then they will have to miss days of school and a parent will have to miss days of work to take care of their child. This scenario could put lower-income households on the streets. Not to mention that a child's education could be disrupted for 14 days. If there was a virtual option, this would not be as big of an issue. If the child stayed virtual from the start there would be no Covid exposure in the first place. While there is no guarantee this will stop Covid cases completely, it will help, just like masks or the vaccine. Having a virtual option for our children -- who are most affected by the Delta variant because there is no vaccine for them yet -- will help prevent breakthrough cases and this virus mutating.

Just because the pandemic isn’t affecting kids as much doesn’t mean it is not affecting them at all. So far, 4,413,547 children have caught Covid. And there are many who have died or are living with the effects of long Covid. This is a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic so some adjustments will need to be made until we have eradicated this virus. While it can be hard it is worth it so that we don't see a spike in children's hospitalizations similar to states like Texas and Florida.

Giving kids a virtual option is just that, an option. No one is recommending going fully virtual, it would simply be a way to keep kids under 12 or kids who can’t get vaccinated for other reasons safe. It would also let kids who liked virtual school and learned better that way have a choice that works for them. Even if virtual learning saves only one child, isn’t that worth it? You're asking us to risk our health and life, we deserve a CHOICE.

Thank you.

New Jersey Kids For Virtual Choice