Education in Illinois During COVID: Trying to Maintain a Clear Vision

• In Event: An International Study of the Cultural and Spatial Politics of Education During the COVID Pandemic

Abstract

This paper examines the role of schools during the COVID pandemic in the Chicagoland area, in public and charter schools. Utilizing the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), that were provided to schools to guide them during the pandemic as a framework, the audience will understand from the teachers’ and leaders’ perspectives how and why they felt they were left in “survival mode” and had to “redefine schooling on the fly.” In doing so, when clear visions were not communicated from the district level to leaders, there was no consistent message to teachers and parents, which led to confusion.

All teachers and leaders served in schools with high percentages of Latino and/or African American students. Given the geographic areas and/or financial backgrounds of the communities served, many students did not have internet in their homes and when students were first sent home in March 2020, many schools were not set up for one-to-one (computer-based). After distributing computers, many began to break, given their age and/or the use and/or care, as well as spotty internet, even after district-issued hotspots. There were three recurring themes during the interviews. One “silver lining,” as some called it, was that teachers and leaders could literally see into the students’ homes and how they really lived. Some children lived in cramped quarters, others bounced to different homes, while others had to be surrogate parents to younger siblings when their parents went to work. Another theme was that their students and families will truly need the school, teachers, and administrators, as many have lost loved ones during the pandemic and they have not grieved, particularly the students. Schools, particularly for the target populations, are a large part of their day and provide them with many services, even community based. Lastly, while the interviewed educators agreed with the districts and state board of education emphasis on students’ social and emotional learning, there were also consensus that there was no training provided on it, and furthermore, the districts and state board focused on standardized testing, as opposed to SEL training.

References

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Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). (10/14/2020). Public Health Interim Guidance for Pre-K-12 Schools and Day Care Programs for Addressing COVID-19. 6 pp.

Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). (3/12/2020). Education-Related Guidance for Illinois Schools and School Districts Regarding Coronavirus/COVID-19. 9 pp.

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Author

• Martha Zurita