For well over a month now, there has been a slew of issues concerning the school’s Wi-Fi, Powerschool, and various Gmail accounts. This has caused projects and assignments to be delayed, entire stretches of days without any work getting done, and a crippling breakdown of organization and planning. Less than halfway through the school year, this huge catastrophe has been taking its toll for weeks.

The equipment and technology of our school and other schools in our district are a main selling point for students applying, the cornerstone of our education model. Since it failed, it’s been brought up by some eighth graders as another fallthrough in the promises made to applying students, along with their ongoing field trip troubles.

The impact of the fiasco on students has been profound throughout, beginning with half days and a switch to pen and paper, and tapering off with delayed tests and the occasional abrupt cut to classes. Experiences varied, from some students viewing the effects in a positive light, and others with negative experiences.

Laila McCallum, 8th grade, shared her view. “I think it’s crazy how a school in the Hudson County Schools of Technology doesn’t have technology, get that problem fixed. But, I also like not doing work.”

A 6th grader had an alternative view to comment on, “My teachers are telling me to do it [classwork] for homework, but I don’t understand it because they’re not showing me it.”

Some parallels were drawn between this event and school during the pandemic. A halt in normal education, having to adapt quickly, and complete interruption of all planned activities. Just like the pandemic, we may be returning to normalcy now, but the consequences and faulting trust are likely to stick around.

This comes from a perspective not often considered, the view of a teacher on the affair. Mr. Dunphy, Social Studies teacher, said, “It’s an issue, but it’s also to be expected… When there’s so many different things happening at once, it shows the teachers should prepare for this just in case it should ever happen again.”

With the situation over now, the troubles of the past will hopefully be left there, but no guarantees can be made. On the plus side, things can only get better from here, and the next months could hold a recovery and come back into a fruitful school year.