School teachers in Newark are demanding COVID-19 testing be made available for students, as well as employees, before in-person learning takes place later this month.

John Abeigon is the president of the Newark Teachers Union, and his message to School Superintendent Roger Leon is -- let’s have testing for every student, as well as teachers and employees, if they return to class as scheduled.

Newark schools are currently fully remote, but a Jan. 19 return date is scheduled. Teachers like the idea of themselves and other employees being tested on a regular basis upon returning, but as Abeigon says, they do not like the idea of students not being tested and therefore becoming coronavirus question marks as they make their way from classroom to classroom.

“Right now, we are asking him, we’ve come so far together safely, let’s go just a little bit longer, just a little bit longer now that there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” says Abeigon. “Let’s all see that light at the end safely.”

Abeigon says he expects Newark schools to follow the path that other districts have taken and remain virtual at least until the third marking quarter in mid-April.  The concern for the teachers is that no announcement has been made just yet, and the Jan. 19 reopening date is still set. 

News 12 reached out to the superintendent for comment, but did not hear back.