At a recent West Essex Board of Education meeting (mid September), it became clear that the board is considering moving back to live in-person meetings with no online component. 

We ask that the Board of Education continue to provide transparent feedback to parents, faculty, and staff of the sending districts of Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, and Roseland during this challenging time:

1. Continue to stream via Zoom the live proceedings of the West Essex school board meetings, including the ability for parents to continue to ask questions and provide feedback; and

2. Record and publish the meeting videos so that parents, teachers, administrators and others who do not have ability to view a live stream can watch and stay informed at a later time.

Both are technically possible today with existing technology the board is using. The ability for the hundreds of parents who have been joining every month to continue to engage has been one of the few silver linings of the pandemic.  

We hope the board does not take a step backwards in transparency and community engagement.

We have appreciated all of the board's and administration's efforts, and even more so the transparency and relative comfort it has brought parents.

Sincerely, 

Citizens of Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, and Roseland