Due to the COVID-19 case numbers, lack of transparency from the Board Of Education, and poor ventilation systems in many Montclair Schools, teachers have felt that it would not be safe for them to return to in-person learning at this time. Many Montclair Public School parents and students have agreed with this sentiment and supported the Montclair Education Association’s (MEA) decision on teachers staying remote until it is safe to return.

When the Montclair Education Association stated that teachers would not return to in-person learning in the midst of a global pandemic, Montclair Board Of Education filed a lawsuit to mandate teachers to return to in-person learning unless they have a serious health condition that would cause them to become extremely sick with COVID-19.
 
A small, especially vocal group of Montclair parents has been pressuring Dr. Ponds and the Montclair Public School District to rush the reopening of schools. Not only does this decision completely ignore the students, staff, and parents who recognize the threat and severity of COVID-19 and do not feel it is safe to go back, but it is also ignoring the science. In other nearby areas, we have seen that it is unsafe for a district of our size to reopen at this time.
 
Dr. Ponds should be removed from his job immediately, as he and the district have doubled down on a stance that ignores the community’s safety and the will of our Montclair teachers. The Montclair Public School District has no place for a superintendent who is suing his very own staff for merely caring about their safety and the safety of the community. Jonathan Ponds is gambling with the lives of our teachers, students, and community just to appease a small group of angry parents, and we are therefore calling for his immediate resignation.
 

Information on the MEA website can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/mymeanj/ 

Montclair District Website: https://www.montclair.k12.nj.us/