Efforts to slow the spread of the new coronavirus mean every public and private school in Illinois is closing Tuesday, if it hasn’t already.
How long will schools be closed?
Chicago Public Schools will remain closed through April 20, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Thursday.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive order closes all kindergarten through 12th grade schools — public and private — “for educational purposes” from March 17 through March 30, with students returning to classes March 31. Some individual districts, and some other states, have chosen to keep schools closed longer than that.
It’s possible that the Illinois statewide shutdown could be extended. State officials have said that future decisions about statewide closures will be made “in consultation with public health officials.”
For CPS, it’s the second shutdown this school year, following an 11-day teachers strike in October.
There are a few small exceptions to the shutdown: Schools operated by the Illinois State Board of Education or the state’s human services or juvenile justice departments are exempt from the order if they “exercise the necessary precautions to protect the health and safety of students and staff.”
The days off have been deemed ‘act of God’ days. What does that mean?
“Act of God” days, as defined by ISBE, normally require approval from regional and state superintendents of education and are for conditions beyond a school district’s control, such as snow, flooding, a tornado or something posing a “hazardous threat to the health and safety of the students.” A school district typically can only request “act of God” days after using all emergency days built into its calendar. But in this case, Pritzker’s executive order bypassed the usual approval steps and made March 17 through 30 “act of God” days for every school in Illinois.
Will the days off have to be made up at the end of the year?
The short answer is no, at least for now. These “act of God” days count toward the required number of student attendance days, and ISBE indicated that “at this time, these Act of God days do not need to be made up at the end of the year.” Effectively, they reduce the number of required student attendance days without negatively affecting state aid.
How does this affect e-learning efforts underway in some districts?
ISBE had earlier indicated that no schoolwork done on the days when school is closed should be graded, whether it’s e-learning or packets sent home.
Late Tuesday, however, ISBE tweeted a clarification that student work completed during the statewide closure “must not negatively impact a student’s grades” but that “schools may allow student work to count during the closure … only if it will increase a student’s academic standing.”
At Chicago’s Senn High School, where an e-learning plan is underway, Principal Mary Beck notified families that “while student grades will not be negatively impacted during this time, there are still many opportunities for enrichment and growth — and, students can absolutely use this time to improve their grades.”
Will teachers get paid during the days off?
On Tuesday, a joint statement from Pritzker, the state education board, the Illinois Education Association, the Illinois Federation of Teachers and the state’s associations of principals and school administrators said the following: “From March 17 through March 30, all school district employees on the district’s payroll will get paid as if the schools were functioning normally. Normal pay includes salary, hourly and stipend pay, benefits, and employees will receive full and normal service credit in their pension systems.”
The statement also said that during the same time frame, schools “can expect school district employees to participate in work activities in some form,” with the details to be “worked out through mutual agreement.”
Previously, ISBE had stressed that school districts “are strongly encouraged to provide instruction to all students during these Act of God Days through whatever means possible.”
Will students get homework or be expected to participate in e-learning?
They are being “strongly encouraged” to participate, but it’s not required. CPS students who were in school Monday were sent home with packets from their teachers, and many of whom have included e-learning components, as have many suburban districts.
In CPS, district-provided enrichment packets for grades K-8 and high school are also available online, and hard copies can be picked up at schools during food distribution hours.
School districts have “full autonomy” on what they provide, ISBE says: “We encourage every school and district to explore and implement what works best for the school community.”
What about students who don’t have internet or devices at home?
On Friday, Comcast announced it will make Xfinity Wi-Fi free and pause data plans, disconnects and late fee assessments for customers struggling to pay the bills as COVID-19 takes a toll on the economy. The provider will also give new low-income families 60 days of free internet and send free self-install kits with modems and routers.
Teachers and district staff have also included hard copies of lesson guides and activities that can be done off-screen.
What about schools that closed before Tuesday?
Schools that closed before the state mandate have to use up their emergency days before requesting “act of God” days for days missed before Tuesday, according to ISBE guidance. They may also use a teacher institute day instead of an emergency day, if they have any available, or change their spring break.
From Tuesday on, they will be treated the same as all other schools in the state. E-learning during the ordered closure still won’t count as instructional days.
Statewide, more than 75 school districts have notified ISBE of their intent to implement e-learning, according to ISBE. If schools were already using e-learning due to COVID-19, e-learning days before the mandatory closure will count as instructional days, according to ISBE.
Which CPS schools have already had coronavirus cases?
Vaughn Occupational High School was the first in CPS to close after a March 6 announcement that an aide had tested positive for COVID-19. On Monday, two more schools shut down early: Sheridan Math and Science Academy in Bridgeport, where a case had been disclosed late Sunday, and Mansueto High School, a charter school, which announced Sunday that a staff member had tested positive for COVID-19. Ogden International School remained open after a parent of an East Campus student tested positive last week, as the parent hadn’t been inside the school recently.
However, moving forward, city and school officials indicated that they may not provide information about cases tied to schools.
“I think it’s important that people understand that there is a shift,” CPS CEO Janice Jackson said Monday, on the eve of the closures. “With all of the schools closing, there’s no need to identify individuals.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot added that the protocol has been, for cases in CPS, to close the school and do a deep cleaning, and then the Chicago Department of Health investigates, looking at possibilities for exposure. In the event somebody else in the school community tests positive now, all of the schools are already getting deep cleans during the closure, and cases are still going to be investigated, she said.
What about kids who rely on school breakfast and lunch?
Though districts don’t have to provide meals if schools close for COVID-19, state and federal agencies including ISBE have recommended it — and local districts appear to be on board.
Illinois has joined a growing list of states granted federal waivers, allowing them to provide food to students outside of a group setting in the event of school closures specific to coronavirus precautions.
CPS is providing free boxes containing three days of breakfast and lunch for each student, and many suburban districts have taken similar steps. Food boxes can also be picked up between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day of the closure outside any CPS school except Vaughn and Sheridan. People need not go to their children’s school to receive a food box.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture waiver does allow for transportation costs if districts were to use, for example, buses to deliver meals.
Are school buildings open?
The order does not prevent staff from being present on-site, and ISBE recommends that each school have one administrator on-site during regular school hours in case a student needs a safe place to go. “If there are multiple staff members present for e-learning, supervision or planning purposes, please exercise social distancing,” ISBE advised.
In CPS, all school facilities are going to be closed for deep cleaning. “Plan accordingly, and bring any personal belongings you wish to have home,” according to district guidance. “You will not be permitted to enter the building during the closure.”
What happens to spring standardized tests?
With upcoming SAT tests canceled nationwide, students in Illinois have been waiting to find out if they still need to prepare for standardized state assessments that are scheduled for this spring.
As a result of the extended shutdown of schools, CPS says it’s canceling some of the end-of-year assessments and working on plans for other tests, including the SAT and PSAT.
The extension of the school shutdown so far applies only to CPS though some other Illinois districts have also decided to remain shut beyond March 30, the end of the unprecedented statewide closure declared by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
The Illinois State Board of Education is also working “in partnership with stakeholders to determine” what to do about government-mandated tests, like the Illinois Science Assessment and the Illinois Assessment of Readiness.
