New Jersey Association of School Administrators

It's not only a challenge to keep people in the profession; there's an obvious shortfall in the number of wannabe educators coming through the pipeline.

School officials say most districts will abide by looser guidelines from the New Jersey Department of Health regarding how long a COVID-positive student or teacher needs to stay out of the classroom, but there's concern over whether this greater leeway is coming at the worst possible time.

According to the state's rules, only in-person instruction days can count towards a full year in a post-pandemic New Jersey.