It is time to reopen Illinois Public Schools with care and safety.  As families and policymakers make decisions about their children returning to school, it is important to consider the full spectrum of benefits and risks of both in-person and virtual learning options.  Parents are understandably concerned about the safety of their children at school in the wake of COVID-19.  The best available evidence indicates if children become infected, they are far less likely to suffer severe symptoms.  Death rates among school-aged children are much lower than among adults.  At the same time, the harms attributed to closed schools on the social, emotional and behavioral health, economic well-being and academic achievement of children in both the short and long term, are well known and significant.  Further, the lack of in-person educational options disproportionately harms low income and minority children and those living with disabilities.  The students are far less likely to have access to private instruction and care and far more likely to rely on key school supported resources like food programs, special education services, counseling and after school programs to meet basic developmental needs.  Aside from a child's home, no other setting has more influence on a child's health and well-being than their school.  The in-person school environment does the following:

Provides educational instruction; supports the development of social and emotional skills; creates a safe environment for learning; addresses nutritional needs and facilitates physical activity.

Please sign this petition and contact Governor Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education members and listed in this petition to demand they modify their guidelines to allow full in-school instruction as soon as possible.  Time is of the essence.

https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Illinois-State-Board-of-Education-Calendar.aspx