Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that public schools would be closed until April 30. | Facebook/Gov. J.B. Pritzker
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that public schools would be closed until April 30. | Facebook/Gov. J.B. Pritzker
Local Illinois schools are holding virtual meetings to discuss the future of the 2019-20 school year and are preparing for the event that schools may not resume normal session on the set return date.
All public schools in the state are now required by an executive order to stay closed until April 30, while many colleges and universities are already finishing the entire semester online.
Many public schools in the state are still waiting to hear from the governor and the Illinois State Board of Education on how to continue with education.
Shannon Anderson, superintendent of Momence Community Unit School District No. 1, said to the Daily Journal that he wasn't surprised by Pritzker's announcement.
“Frankly, we were surprised that it was only extended for as long as it was,” he said to the Daily Journal. “We’ve experienced (virtual learning) before, and so it was more about dusting off the work we had already done and going back to this type of format."
He also said that teachers who don't have much experience with online education are getting help from their coworkers.
“While [first-year teachers] might have very current knowledge in the way of what’s being taught in the colleges and universities, they don’t have a lot of experience applying those things to the classroom, and then you throw in a situation like this,” Anderson said to the Daily Journal.
Anderson said there's concern for students being able to get through the school year now that it has shifted to online learning. Issues being discussed are AP course testings, SATs and graduation requirements.
“These are all things that are going to have to be sorted out relatively soon so that we can understand as a school district, and our students can understand what it is that they’re going to have to do or not regarding those things,” Anderson said to the Daily Journal.
Lisa Herrod, Manteno Community Unit School District No. 5 superintendent, said the school's main concern is COVID-19.
“We recognize that things right now are out of our control, but we can do our best by providing a continuity of education to our students and helping to streamline the resources and supports that are available,” Herrod said in an email to the Daily Journal.
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