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Parents ask District 153 to return more students to classrooms

Two parents spoke at the Homewood School District 153 board meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 13, to express their concerns about the effect remote learning is having on their daughter and ask the board to consider speeding up the return of students to the classroom.

Bonnie and Tony Fanelli said they wanted to make sure the board was aware of how much some students are struggling to adapt to online-only classes.

“I know Zoom is doing well for some students. It’s not doing well for some students,” Bonnie said, referring to the video conferencing program used by schools to connect students with their teachers. “I think teachers are doing a wonderful job.”

But those efforts are not necessarily enough to provide students with the experience they need, she said. Her daughter is “back sliding,” she added. 

“It’s hard for me to watch.”

Tony, who is able to work from home, agreed it was frustrating to see his daughter struggle and not be able to provide what she needs. He said his daughter often cries with frustration at some point during most days.

“I just feel powerless. It would be great to have her go a couple times a week for a little bit of normalcy,” he said.

The district’s plan for the fall semester, adopted on Aug. 10, would have done that, with more than 60 percent of the district’s students attending in person two days per week and online three days. The plan was disrupted just days later by new state guidelines that made the in-person part of the plan impractical.

Just before the semester began, District 153 quickly shifted to the all-remote plan.

“I understand why it had to go in a different direction,” Tony said, but suggested the situation has changed since August. “If health and safety guidelines are able to be followed now, move in baby steps in that direction as long as health and safety can be maintained.”

The Fanellis both noted that other area school districts are holding in-person classes.

Assistant Superintendent Scott McAlister, representing the administration in Superintendent Dale Mitchell’s absence, explained the district’s decision to stay on remote learning through the first semester. He said the administration was concerned that if the pandemic worsened or there was an outbreak in the district, in-person classes would have to be canceled again.

“It was done with the goal of consistency first and foremost,” he said, noting that moving back and forth between all-remote and blended online/in person classes would be disruptive “seesaw” both for students and their parents.

He cited New Trier High School, which had reopened classrooms early in October only to see a spike in COVID-19 cases that reportedly were not traced to school but nonetheless forced a return to all-remote learning a week later. 

He noted that the district has begun to bring some students back to classrooms on a limited basis, and the district hopes to be able to cautiously expand that program.

Board members thanked the Fanellis for bringing their concerns forward and expressed empathy for their situation while defending the district’s commitment to its current plan.

Board member Ron Zinnerman said his daughters have expressed doubt whether they are retaining what they learn online as well as they do in the classroom. 

Board member Greg Lawrence added that the board was faced with a difficult balancing act. 

“We are sensitive to people’s individual needs and balance that with group needs,” he said.  “We initially went with hybrid because we recognize students learn best in person. It is our mission that all students will learn and all students will be served.”

Board President Shelly Marks said the lack of a central clearinghouse for COVID-19 information as it pertains to schools makes decision-making more difficult. She said there is a “vortex of information,” but it’s gathered in an ad hoc way.

“It’s all done by colleagues calling colleagues. ‘How’s it going in your building?’ There’s no place to get information about how many cases in each district, how many districts have cases, how it spreads through the community,” she said.

“We want those kids back in the building. We want to get it right. We want to make sure staff have an opportunity to stay healthy,” she said. “In November we should know more about January” and the what the start of the next semester will look like.

Note: On Wednesday, Oct. 21, an Illinois Department of Public Health spokesperson announced the department would begin releasing school COVID-19 data, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

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