Partial reopening OK’d
Parents protest e-learning as Homer Elementary District 33C plans for full return of students
“This is an essential service. The idea that a remote learning is an essential service isn’t working.”
— Chad Morris, Homer Glen resident
Despite a crowd of protesting parents outside their board room demanding an end to distance learning, the Homer Elementary District 33C Board voted Wednesday to only partially begin inperson classes.
The board approved a system where half the students will attend class two days a week, then the other half will go two days. Wednesdays will be wholly online. Students also will be gradually phased into the classroom, meaning the oldest students will return last.
Kindergarten through second grade could be back in school partly by Oct. 5, while seventh and eighth grade could partly return in early November. However, Superintendent Craig Schoppe said the dates could bemoved forward.
“There is nothing prohibiting us from accelerating this timeline if possible,” Schoppe said. “Those are tentative dates at this time but I hope we can get those grade levels in there sooner, if possible.”
Board members stressed that under the Illinois Department of Public Health COVID-19 orders, the school buildings aren’t big enough to open fully and maintain social distancing requirements. A substitute shortfall also means it’s unlikely the school could successfully open fully.
Still, even Mayor George Yukich attended the meeting to demand that the district open up its school given recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information.
“What is the holdup on not letting someone back in the schools now,” he asked. “The CDC numbers are down now.”
Yukich said children can’t learn as well unless their teacher is present.
Resident Chad Morris told board members education is an essential service so the teachers should be in the classroom with the kids.
“This is an essential service. The idea that a remote learning is an essential service isn’t working,” Morris said.
He told the board his wife is a nurse and works nights.
“She’s forced to spend her days being a teacher,” he said. “This is not justmy case. There are a lot of people trying to maintain their livelihoods and trying to get their kids educated.”
The district is in its fifth week of distance learning.
Parents protesting outside the meeting complained of too much screen time and children who miss their friends.
“My concerns aremy youngest, who is in fifth grade, will have crying fits,” Angela Dunlap, one of the protesters, said. “He’s missing his friends and he doesn’t feel like he’s learning anything.”
The community members who spoke did not stay for the whole meeting, but it was streamed online and board members expressed sympathy, saying the plan is hard on everyone.
Teachers union representatives said their members had to work harder and spend extra time preparing online curricula.
“Nobody benefits from the kids being remote,” board member Adam Briner said. “People are angry at us, we’re spending more money because of this situation, the teachers would rather be talking to your kids in a classroom.”
The board increased substitute pay to $150 per day, a raise of $40, in a bid to recruit more substitute teachers. Schoppe said without more substitutes, in-person learning will be impossible. He said during a normal school year, the district has a roster of 125 substitutes, but this year they have 25.
“For the most part, the subs who were in the pool last year don’t feel comfortable this school
year,” Schoppe told the board.
Board member Ken De Schaaf said the district needs to almost triple the number of available substitutes.
“Other districts that are opening all have the same situation and it’s not just here in Homer Glen,” said board member Karen DeFilippis. “They’re strapped with the same issues we are.”
The temporary substitute raise is for this school year only. Anyone with a bachelor’s degree can sign up to be a substitute through the Will County Regional Office of Education.