Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker orders schools closed for remainder of academic year
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Friday that he’s ordering schools across the state to stay closed through the end of the academic year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’ve said time and time again, my decisions are hard ones, but they will follow the science, and the science says our students can’t go back to their normal routine,” he said at his daily news briefing.
Remote learning will continue, he said.
Also Friday, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, announced that the state is reporting 1,842 new coronavirus cases since Thursday, its largest increase in a 24-hour period, and 62 additional deaths attributed to COVID-19.
That brings totals to 27,575 confirmed cases and 1,134 deaths in Illinois, she said. Some 130,163 coronavirus tests have been administered, according to the Public Health website.
“For people who are experiencing illness and want to get tested, I do want to alert that we do have increased testing capacity,” Ezike said. “Go to dph.illinois.gov/covid19 to find sites where you can get tested.”
Teachers union supports decision
After Pritzker’s briefing, the Illinois Education Association, the union that represents teachers and other employees in elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, released a statement supporting his decision to keep school buildings closed.
“This decision was based on facts and scientific data, and we believe it is the right move to ensure the safety of our students, our educators and our communities,” the statement read.
“While we know there is absolutely no replacement for the one-to-one contact educators have with our students in schools, our teachers, paraprofessionals, adjuncts and support staff across the state are doing everything they can to make sure all students are safe, fed and are successful during the remote learning that will continue for the rest of the school year.
“We know this is an exceptionally hard time for our students, our parents, our communities and all of our educators. We will get through this together. We truly are better together.”
Two million students affected
At Friday’s briefing, Pritzker noted that before March 17, when he closed public and private schools, Illinois had two million students who congregated five days a week in classrooms, hallways, cafeterias and gymnasiums before going home to their families.
“That routine is a source of joy for so many,” he said. “But it also opens up a nearly limitless opportunity for potential COVID-19 infection at a time with our health-care workers, our researchers, our scientists and our first-responders need us to bend the curve downward.”
Pritzker acknowledged disadvantages of keeping schools closed, noting some districts are more equipped than others for remote learning and that home study can lead to a decrease in “instructional time.”
Pritzker praised school districts in Illinois for their creativity and hard work in developing remote-learning systems. He mentioned a few by name, including Red Bud and Staunton in the metro-east. Red Bud Community Unit School District 132 is among the districts that have distributed electronic devices to students who didn’t already have them at home.
“Red Bud honored its graduating seniors on social media and offered area parents the opportunity to hear directly from Red Bud administrators on Facebook Live,” Pritzker said.
Federal funds on the way
Officials at Friday’s briefing also discussed state efforts to plan for the day when students return to classrooms.
Pritzker announced that he would sign an executive order to modify licensing requirements for future educators who are nearly finished with their studies to ensure that schools can hire qualified teachers for the next academic year.
Pritzker said $569 million from the Federal CARES Act can be used to provide Illinois students with technology and internet access to enhance remote learning, support teachers in developing instructional programs and assist schools in serving meals. Some funds will go to districts based on number of low-income students, and some will be distributed by the Illinois State Board of Education for other needs.
The state board is recommending that student grades “reflect the unprecedented circumstances” created by the coronavirus pandemic, Pritzker said.
“That is, grades should deliver feedback and not be used as a tool for compliance. COVID-19 is forcing far too many of our students to deal first-hand with concepts that even adults find nerve-racking. Let’s recognize that and be supportive of all of our students.”
This story was originally published April 17, 2020 at 3:19 PM.
