It is hard to believe that it has been nine months since the Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Public Health issued their Part 3 – Transition Joint Guidance, “Starting the 2020-2021 School Year.” ISBE and IDPH have now provided a follow-up to that June 2020 guidance. The Part 4 – Transition Joint […]
Category: K-12 Education
Making Sense and Moving Forward: CDC and ED Department Guidance for In-Person Instruction
February 17, 2021
President Joe Biden has made returning kids to in-person learning a priority in his first 100 days, promising that guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) would help schools safely meet that goal. The long-awaited guidance from the CDC, issued last Friday, focuses on essential […]
Is Providing Services to the Greatest Extent Possible Enough?
December 15, 2020
Originally posted on our Special Education Law Insights blog. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented hardships for all students and school leaders, and it has been particularly challenging for students with disabilities and their IEP teams. Over the last nine months, […]
As the Illinois COVID-19 positivity rate continues to rise, the Illinois Department of Public Health, Cook County, and the City of Chicago have asked the public to limit activities outside the home to essential activities as we head into the Thanksgiving holiday. Unlike the stay-at-home orders from this Spring, these recommendations are “advisory” in […]
Let’s Talk Turkey: What Recent Stay-At-Home Advisories Do and Don’t Mean for Schools
November 13, 2020
With COVID-19 rates rising and warnings about risks of holiday and family gatherings abounding, it is no surprise that state and local leaders are looking for ways to flatten the curve as we head into Thanksgiving break. In the past few days, we have heard […]
What Will a Biden-Harris Administration Mean for Special Education?
November 12, 2020
Originally posted on our Special Education Law Insights blog. While much of the talk about Biden’s education agenda has quickly turned to who he will appoint to replace Betsy DeVos and how he will manage the COVID-19 pandemic, both critical issues for sure, we […]
Block or Charge? Deciding Whether to Start Basketball in November
November 5, 2020
As promised, following our October 29 alert we more closely examined the conflict between the Governor’s order delaying basketball to Spring and the IHSA’s decision to proceed as scheduled in November. Our review identified a number of issues that must be […]
IDPH Updates FAQ for Schools
October 30, 2020
As the understanding of COVID-19 grows, the guidance from public health authorities continues to develop. After issuing various updates to its guidance for schools over the past weeks, IDPH has now revised its FAQ for Schools with substantial additions and […]