"No roadblocks to the expanded reopening"
Happy New Year! This short note is to follow up on OpenNewTrier’s efforts late last year to assure the high school continues to open up to more in-person learning. If you’ll recall during the Dec. 1 meeting, the board committed to increase in-class attendance to a two-track model (“50%”) on the week of January 25. I spoke with New Trier Superintendent Paul Sally last week to confirm that the plans to increase attendance were on track, and he assured me that he “sees no roadblocks to the expanded reopening.” I thanked him for his commitment to making that happen. I also let the Superintendent know that OpenNewTrier will continue to call for a further reopening. As many parents have expressed, the two days a week of in-class learning under the two-track model still provides a substandard education. The board’s goal must be to fill classrooms to the maximum extent allowed by law and public health recommendations. We’ll continue to communicate with the school board for how that can be best achieved as soon as possible.
The conditions for more in-person learning are favorable in Illinois. Cases have dropped by half since their peak, while hospitalizations are down almost 40 percent. Gov. Pritzker has announced that he’s ready to lift Tier 3 restrictions this week where IDPH’s metrics allow it. More importantly, acceptance that schools must reopen more or fully is taking hold across the country and across the world. The data shows that students aren’t at risk and that the virus isn’t spreading in schools. Even CPS, with all its complexities and challenges, has begun reopening today. The steady, if slow, distribution of vaccines is also encouraging. Front-line workers and the elderly will be more protected over time. It is important that the board continue to hear from parents via a personal email expressing your desire for more in-person learning. Write them as soon as possible, their emails are below. The board has a special meeting tonight (the 11th) and most importantly, on January 19th, just one week before the scheduled move to the two-track model.
Cathleen Albrecht – albrechc@newtrier.k12.il.us,
Marc Glucksman – glucksmm@newtrier.k12.il.us
Keith Dronen – dronenk@newtrier.k12.il.us
Carol Ducommun – ducommuc@newtrier.k12.il.us
Jean Hahn – hahnj@newtrier.k12.il.us
Brad McLane – mclaneb@newtrier.k12.il.us
Greg Robitaille – robitaig@newtrier.k12.il.us
Paul Sally – sallyp@newtrier.k12.il.us
If you have any questions, concerns or ideas, please don’t hesitate to reach out to opennewtrier@gmail.com.