Name: Illinois schools can cut social distance to 3 feet, state announces, but Chicago Teachers Union says it wants 6-feet spacing ‘vigorously’ maintained
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Illinois schools can cut social distance to 3 feet, state announces, but Chicago Teachers Union says it wants 6-feet spacing ‘vigorously’ maintained

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AdvertisementBy Chicago TribuneMar 11, 2021 at 8:25 pmThe long-standing 6-feet social distancing rule for Illinois schools has been halved to 3 feet, part of loosened guidelines unveiled by state education and health departments that say the new rules are needed for a rapid return to the classroom.But the Chicago Teachers Union said late Wednesday it wants the 6-foot standards maintained in Chicago Public Schools. AdvertisementThe State Board of Education website, Superintendent Carmen Ayala said the revised guidance for schools “reflects what we have learned about the transmission of COVID-19 in school settings, as more students in Illinois and across the country have returned safely to in-person learning during the 2020-21 school year.”“This joint guidance supports the return to in-person instruction as soon as practicable in each community,” Ayala said.AdvertisementAmong the easing of COVID-19 restrictions outlined in the 22-page document is a revised recommendation for social distancing for in-person learning, which is now defined as “3 to 6 feet for students and fully vaccinated staff,” Ayala said.“Maintaining 6 feet remains the safest distance, but schools can operate at no less than 3 feet in order to provide in-person learning,” she said, adding that “Unvaccinated staff should maintain 6 feet social distance as much as possible because adults remain more susceptible to infection than children.”Six feet of social distancing must still be strictly maintained in situations where face masks are removed, such as during lunch, which is considered one of the higher-risk activities in school. Otherwise, except for those who have medical exemptions, face masks are required at all times, and the guidance calls for masks of at least two layers without any vents.In addition, Ayala said the Illinois Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “no longer recommend symptom screenings on the school grounds, but schools may continue this practice if preferred.”Families of students who are at “increased risk of severe illness (including those with special health care needs) or who live with people at increased risk must be given the option of remote instruction,” Ayala said.“In March of last year is when we had to make the difficult decision to suspend in-person instruction statewide. ... One year later, I am grateful and encouraged to see us rounding the corner,” Ayala added.The Revised Public Health Guidance for Schools was prompted by the CDC’s recently updated guidance that underscores that schools are “an important part of community infrastructure.”“In-person instruction promotes learning recovery along with the well-being of students and families, and that schools therefore ‘should be the last settings to close ... and the first to reopen when they can do so safely,’” Ayala said, referring to a recent CDC announcement.AdvertisementBarrington School District 220 Superintendent Brian Harris said officials at the pre-K through 12th grade district were “very happy to receive the revised guidance from ISBE.”“These changes will allow us to provide full time, five-days-a-week instruction for students in our district who have selected to attend in person,” Harris said, adding that officials will “continue our distance learning option for our students who have chosen to learn from home.”“We are highly confident with the successful mitigation efforts that we have implemented in our schools that we will continue to keep all students and staff healthy while in our buildings,” Harris said.Teachers unions appear to be less enthusiastic.CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates tweeted about the new rules: “To all the critics who failed to understand *why* (the union) worked hard to establish standards and memorialize guidance that keeps ppl safe in our agreement — read how *flexible* it all becomes when flouting *guidance* is NO longer a red state phenomena.”...to all the critics who failed to understand *why* worked hard to establish standards and memorialize guidance that keeps ppl safe in our agreement —read how *flexible* it all becomes when flouting *guidance* is NO longer a red state phenomena. — #ArrestBreonnaTaylorsMurderers (@stacydavisgates)CTU spokesperson Chris Geovanis said the union’s reopening agreement was “built on” the 6-feet distancing guidance, calling it a “a basic and vital safety protection that we intend to continue to vigorously observe.”AdvertisementThe agreement that was reached last month, narrowly averting a teachers strike, spelled out that social distancing instructions should ensure “6-foot physical distance from other persons as much as possible.” The agreement also said such instructions should be consistent with guidance from ISBE and IDPH, the state agencies that formulated the new rules.CPS released a statement saying it’s exceeding the latest guidelines: “The district has a comprehensive health and safety plan in place, which goes beyond the measures proposed in the updated ISBE guidance. We are evaluating the guidance and will keep school communities apprised to any potential changes. We will also continue to engage the joint CTU/CPS health committee.”Despite the state modifying the social distancing requirement, the new guidance indicates that 6 feet will still be the threshold for quarantining. In other words, if a student or staff member has a confirmed case of COVID-19, quarantine is still required for anyone who was within 6 feet of that person for a total of 15 minutes over 24 hours and isn’t totally vaccinated.“Districts and schools should evaluate the burden this could place on in-person learning when social distancing of less than 6 feet is employed, as more students and staff could be considered close contacts to a confirmed case,” the guidelines state.Among other highlights of the new guidelines:At Arlington Heights-based Township High School District 214, where officials announced earlier this week that for daily in-person instruction on April 5, Superintendent David Schuler was also supportive of the state’s revised COVID-19 rules.Advertisement“We appreciate the updated public health guidance from ISBE and IDPH and are actively looking at our protocols and procedures to ensure we are reflective of this revised public health guidance for schools,” Schuler said.Nevertheless, the looser COVID-19 restrictions for schools are unlikely to be welcomed by some educators, in particular those who are already anxious about being back in the classroom.Kathi Griffin, president of the Illinois Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, said while union officials were not notified by ISBE or the IDPH prior to Tuesday’s announcement of the revised guidance, they were not entirely surprised.“We quite honestly anticipated there could be some changes after the recent CDC announcement, but we didn’t know they were being released until yesterday,” Griffin said.While Griffin said she is glad to see the 3-foot recommendation only applies to classrooms where a teacher is fully vaccinated, she said the caveat underscores the need to ensure Illinois educators have access to the vaccine.“We have some school districts that partnered with their local health departments, including in Kane County, to establish vaccine stations for teachers,” Griffin said. “But that’s something I’d love to have seen happen across the state, especially in suburban Cook County, where I’ve heard it can be very difficult to get a vaccine appointment.”AdvertisementAbove all, she anticipates that similar to everything related to COVID-19, the revised guidance for Illinois schools will prompt mixed reactions from educators.“For me to tell you every single educator will be comfortable ... I can’t do that, especially those who have underlying conditions, and you do have new variants out there,” Griffin said. “I think some teachers will be concerned, and other teachers can’t wait to see their kids again.”Tribune reporter Hannah Leone contributed.Twitter @kcullotta Advertisement

AdvertisementBy Chicago TribuneMar 11, 2021 at 8:25 pmThe long-standing 6-feet social distancing rule for Illinois schools has been halved to 3 feet, part of loosened guidelines unveiled by state education and health departments that say the new rules are needed for a rapid return to the classroom.But the Chicago Teachers Union said late Wednesday it wants the 6-foot standards maintained in Chicago Public Schools. AdvertisementThe State Board of Education website, Superintendent Carmen Ayala said the revised guidance for schools “reflects what we have learned about the transmission of...

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Karen Ann Cullotta

The Chicago Tribune is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television are named), it remains the most-read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region. It had the 6th highest circulation for American newspapers in 2017.

Illinois schools can cut social distance to 3 feet, state announces, but Chicago Teachers Union says it wants 6-feet spacing ‘vigorously’ maintained

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