Illinois governor orders schools closed due to coronavirus

[ancianita]

Source: Charlotte Observer

CHICAGO
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday ordered the closing of every school in the state until March 30 starting Tuesday amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus.

Other states and large cities shut down schools this week over COVID-19 concerns, but officials in Illinois and Chicago resisted until Friday. Pritzker announced his decision in Chicago where more than 355,000 public school students will be affected. Statewide, nearly 2 million students will not be returning to the classroom.

Pritzker acknowledged that the decision will deeply affect students who receive meals at school and parents or family members who are unable to work from home. The Democrat, who has been particularly critical of the federal government's response to the spread of COVID-19 cases, said he still believes closing schools is necessary to limit the virus' spread.

Illinois officials on Friday also reported 14 additional cases of people who had tested positive for the virus, bringing the state's total number of COVID-19 cases to 46. State officials are focused on trying to limit transmission in Illinois and hope that broader actions will help, said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.



Read more: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/article241169916.html

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That makes 12 states so far.

[frazzled]

1. CPS (Chicago) will provide meals

From my alderman (a Biden delegate!) this afternoon:

Governor J.B. Pritzker announced that starting Tuesday, March 17, ALL public and private K-12 schools (including charter schools) in the state of Illinois will be closed until Monday, March 30. Below is information for Chicago Public School (CPS) parents:

All school buildings will be closed for deep cleaning.

Only environmental cleaning experts will be allowed in schools buildings along with essential staff. Families should not send their children to schools.

Healthy meals will be available to our students.
All families will be able to pick up meals at their nearest CPS school beginning Tuesday, March 17 between 9am and 1pm daily. Lunchroom staff will prep, bag, and provide meals outside of the school building.

Schools will be sending enrichment resources and materials home with students.
On Monday, March 16, school-based staff will send resources home in hard copy and online format. School-based staff members will also help students remember to take supplies, personal belongings, medications, and other materials home with them.

All full-time and regular hourly school staff will be paid throughout this time.
Central and network offices will be open only for emergency personnel.

There are some 400,000 students in the CPS district

[ancianita]

2. Great info. Thank you. What IL and CPS do for children right now is a big deal for Chicago.

[Polybius]

3. Yet NY remains open

It's also has the most cases of Coronavirus in the nation.

[ProfessorGAC]

4. Saw The News Conference

Subbed Jr Hi math yesterday. I knew something was up.
Heard teachers talking about an after school meeting. On a Friday. Rare.
Then right before final bell, an announcement to tell kids to be sure to take devices home, rather than leave them at school.
No doubt in my mind that superintendents were told sometime after noon that this was going to happen.
As just a sub, they didn't tell me, and i understand that. I had 2 things booked next week at high schools. No big deal. Golf season is coming.

[ancianita]

5. Communications to education professionals should have been better conveyed than that.

Hope your economic situation stays sufficiently stable for as long as you need them to be.

Thanks for an on the ground look at how big decisions like this are communicated to personnel compared to the public.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. I Don't Sub For The $

I traveled so much that it's not a desire in retirement, so I sub during the "can't play golf" months and rainy days.
When I do sub, I'm making nearly 180% more than they're paying me, per hour just for breathing. And I get that 24 hours a day, 365. So there is zero economic concern in our house.
But, I'm more worried about those single parents who now have to fork over child care $ they didn't budget. That's going to be tough for some of them.
Two of the districts in which I sub are reasonably affluent, so the concern population is a distinct minority.
But, a couple tiny town districts are not so. I can see this causing a lot of extra pressure on the families there.