The Barbershop: Dennis Byrne, Proprietor

IL school board says schools should open this fall; Pritzker says I dunno

J.B. Pritzker. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

You might have missed this: “IL Board Of Ed Recommends Schools Reopen In Fall: Require Masks”. Reported Patch:

Illinois State Board of Education officials are recommending schools fully reopen and proceed with in-class instruction in the fall, but said some students and schools may opt for online learning due to specific circumstances. The board met virtually on Wednesday and gave some guidance regarding its transition plan, which is expected to be released by the end of the month or early in July. The governor’s office and the Illinois Department of Public Health must first sign off on the plan before it can be released, officials said.

That plan will include specifics on what school districts should be doing prior to the 2020-21 school year. Ultimately, how to proceed will be left in school districts’ hands.

But, but…

State school board officials issued their guidance Wednesday [June 17] under the assumption that Illinois will be entering Stage 4 of the governor’s reopening plan on June 26.

In Stage 4, people are not allowed to gather in groups of more than 50, and social distancing is still required. Temperature checks, quarantine areas in the nurse’s office and the need for additional personal protective equipment are among the standards that may need to be in place for schools to safely reopen.

Maps, social distancing, groups no larger than 50? This is absurd. Schools don’t operate like that. Masks and social distancing together? What will a classroom or the lunchroom look like? No school assemblies? No sports events?

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has managed the COVID-19 pandemic so irrationally that no telling what he and his Department of Public Health will do. The longer he waits, the more confused local school administrators are about what to do, and whether they’ll have open schools or more of that ineffective online-learning at home.

To help make sure that they do the right thing, go to Reopen Illinois Schools where you will find the latest news and advice on how you can help ensure that your children can get back their lives this fall.

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