No Teachers Convention Means Class Is In Session For Some NJ Schools
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- With the cancellation of this week's New Jersey teachers convention, some school districts are using Thursday and Friday to make up days lost to Hurricane Sandy -- but others will be closed as scheduled.
New Jersey law requires school districts to give teachers off for their annual convention, but with no convention, some districts, such as Cherry Hill and Mount Laurel, are now holding classes on Thursday and Friday to make up for time lost to Hurricane Sandy.
Cherry Hill Schools Superintendent Dr. Maureen Reusche says her district lost three days to Sandy, so she took the opportunity to make-up two of them.
"We were closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday," she says. "So November 8th and 9th, that gets back two days for us. We still have another day there."
Reusche says that day will be made up on President's Day.
On the other hand, Collingswood Superintendent Dr. Scott Oswald says schools there will be closed as originally scheduled.
"We probably would have a higher than normal rate of staff absenteeism," says Oswald. "Certainly a higher than normal rate of student absenteeism, because I know we have families who have made plans. And our focus is on quality teaching and learning, and not, for lack of a better word, a babysitting service."
Oswald says half of the people would have been upset no matter which decision he made.
The following is a list of some of the schools that will have class on Thursday and Friday in Camden and Cape May counties.
Cape May County
Avalon Elementary School
Cape May City Elementary
Cape May County Special Services School District
Cape May County Technical School
Dennis Township School District
Lower Cape May Regional School District
Lower Township School District
North Wildwood School District
Ocean City School District
Stone Harbor School District
Upper Township School District
West Cape May School District
Wildwood School District
Wildwood Crest School District
Woodbine School District
Camden County
Barrington School District
Brooklawn Public School District
Camden Academy Charter High School
Camden City Public Schools
Camden's Promise Charter School
Cherry Hill Public Schools
Haddon Township School District
Pennsauken Township Board of Education
Pine Hill School District
