OPEN 204 SCHOOLS AND SAVE OUR CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY
OPEN 204 SCHOOLS AND SAVE OUR CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY
The Issue
Dear Dr. Talley & District 204 School Board and Teachers Union IPEA,
By keeping the schools of District 204 closed for in-person learning after the initial Covid-19 statewide emergency declaration, you have exceeded the legal authority granted to you as a school board by the State of Illinois. We can no longer sit back and wait for this board to make a decision about in person learning. As parents we are now demanding you do what you should have done on September 3, 2020 and open our schools for in-person learning for those families and educators who want to be in the classroom. Plans have been created and then recreated; all while our children have been suffering. The latest plans have been approved by this board and have the accommodations available for those who would like to be in person and for those who would like to remain completely remote learning. It is now your responsibility to open IPSD 204 IMMEDIATELY! Studies have shown it is safe and appropriate to open schools because they are ESSENTIAL.
As a local school board, you simply do not have the ability to involuntarily quarantine completely healthy students. The law is designed to keep contagious students isolated. Your policy is not only unprecedented, but illegal. Our children are failing due to remote learning. It can be seen in the record number of cases you have of children failing multiple classes. Good students who no longer want to put the work in. The Zoom fatigue, the black screens, the lack of motivation, the absence of in person interaction! We are asking too much of these kids. The consequences are depression, isolation, thoughts of suicide, and managing unmet expectations! When does our children’s Mental Health take a priority? We must start looking at the the detrimental affects of the whole child before we lose them.
Governor Pritzker knew that he lacked the legal authority to mandate such a quarantine, which is why he delegated the decision to local school boards. Of course, many schools around the state are open as is their legal obligation. Many states that schools aren’t unionized are open and ones that are unionized are closed. Politics should not be a part of our children’s EDUCATION and definitely NOT something that interferes with their mental health, emotional health, physical health or spiritual health.
105 ILCS 5/10-21.11 provides for the authority of local school boards related to infectious disease policies and rules. It states, “Such policies and rules must include evaluation of students with a chronic infectious disease on an individual case-by-case basis.”
The illegal policies implemented by the District 204 School Board are not based on individual cases of infection, but rather the prohibition of all students to attend school regardless of health status.
In Illinois Administrative Code Title 77. Chapter 1. Subchapter K. Section 690.30General Procedures for the Control of Communicable Diseases, it states, "Except in an emergency, the occurrence of a case of communicable disease in a school, child care facility or college / university should not be considered a reason for closing the school, facility or college / university."
The only city, county or state declaration of emergency related to Covid-19 was limited to the early days of the pandemic and has long since expired. District 204 is in violation of this Illinois code of procedures for schools.
The students and parents of District 204 demand that the Superintendent and Indian Prairie School Board immediately cease their illegal actions and open all District 204 school facilities to in-person learning. Remote learning should be a choice, not an involuntary and illegal requirement of a school board that has exceeded its authority over students. It's time to free the kids of District 204 from their involuntary quarantine they have suffered since March. We can no longer can sit and wait for things to improve, or pass. Unless we are lending our voices to what we believe to be the best course of action, things may continue to transform for the worse. Our Pre-K and K-12 kids are struggling due to our silence; they want, and need, to be back in school. As parents, as tax payers, as community members, we demand in-person learning now!
Sincerely,
The Parents and Students of District 204
Media and other inquires should be directed to 630-318-0005.
The Issue
Dear Dr. Talley & District 204 School Board and Teachers Union IPEA,
By keeping the schools of District 204 closed for in-person learning after the initial Covid-19 statewide emergency declaration, you have exceeded the legal authority granted to you as a school board by the State of Illinois. We can no longer sit back and wait for this board to make a decision about in person learning. As parents we are now demanding you do what you should have done on September 3, 2020 and open our schools for in-person learning for those families and educators who want to be in the classroom. Plans have been created and then recreated; all while our children have been suffering. The latest plans have been approved by this board and have the accommodations available for those who would like to be in person and for those who would like to remain completely remote learning. It is now your responsibility to open IPSD 204 IMMEDIATELY! Studies have shown it is safe and appropriate to open schools because they are ESSENTIAL.
As a local school board, you simply do not have the ability to involuntarily quarantine completely healthy students. The law is designed to keep contagious students isolated. Your policy is not only unprecedented, but illegal. Our children are failing due to remote learning. It can be seen in the record number of cases you have of children failing multiple classes. Good students who no longer want to put the work in. The Zoom fatigue, the black screens, the lack of motivation, the absence of in person interaction! We are asking too much of these kids. The consequences are depression, isolation, thoughts of suicide, and managing unmet expectations! When does our children’s Mental Health take a priority? We must start looking at the the detrimental affects of the whole child before we lose them.
Governor Pritzker knew that he lacked the legal authority to mandate such a quarantine, which is why he delegated the decision to local school boards. Of course, many schools around the state are open as is their legal obligation. Many states that schools aren’t unionized are open and ones that are unionized are closed. Politics should not be a part of our children’s EDUCATION and definitely NOT something that interferes with their mental health, emotional health, physical health or spiritual health.
105 ILCS 5/10-21.11 provides for the authority of local school boards related to infectious disease policies and rules. It states, “Such policies and rules must include evaluation of students with a chronic infectious disease on an individual case-by-case basis.”
The illegal policies implemented by the District 204 School Board are not based on individual cases of infection, but rather the prohibition of all students to attend school regardless of health status.
In Illinois Administrative Code Title 77. Chapter 1. Subchapter K. Section 690.30General Procedures for the Control of Communicable Diseases, it states, "Except in an emergency, the occurrence of a case of communicable disease in a school, child care facility or college / university should not be considered a reason for closing the school, facility or college / university."
The only city, county or state declaration of emergency related to Covid-19 was limited to the early days of the pandemic and has long since expired. District 204 is in violation of this Illinois code of procedures for schools.
The students and parents of District 204 demand that the Superintendent and Indian Prairie School Board immediately cease their illegal actions and open all District 204 school facilities to in-person learning. Remote learning should be a choice, not an involuntary and illegal requirement of a school board that has exceeded its authority over students. It's time to free the kids of District 204 from their involuntary quarantine they have suffered since March. We can no longer can sit and wait for things to improve, or pass. Unless we are lending our voices to what we believe to be the best course of action, things may continue to transform for the worse. Our Pre-K and K-12 kids are struggling due to our silence; they want, and need, to be back in school. As parents, as tax payers, as community members, we demand in-person learning now!
Sincerely,
The Parents and Students of District 204
Media and other inquires should be directed to 630-318-0005.
Petition Closed
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The Decision Makers
Petition created on December 6, 2020