AP Photo/LM Otero
The Illinois Federation of Teachers is pushing a bill through the legislature that would force all schools, public and private, to follow strict guidelines for resuming in-person instruction. It would give authority to the state’s public health department to set standards and requirements for schools even after the governor’s state of emergency is lifted and the pandemic has ended. There will be no expiration date for the protocols.
The bill is being opposed by both private parochial schools and Chicago Public Schools, along with the state board of education. It promises to make public and private schools subject to state rather than local control.