The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) recently announced a resolution agreement with the Los Angeles Unified School District largely addressing issues related to OCR’s finding that the District...more
5/17/2022
/ California ,
City of Los Angeles ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Education ,
Educational Institutions ,
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) ,
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OCR ,
Public Schools ,
Remote Learning ,
Section 504 ,
Special Education ,
Students
The COVID-19 paid leave law has raised both legal and practical questions for school administrators. To further assist with following the mandates of the law, we have prepared a model form that schools can use when receiving...more
Schools and districts throughout the State – and country – are beginning this school week on the heels of a flurry of announcements made last Friday by the CDC, the Illinois Supreme Court, Governor Pritzker and ISBE,...more
2/28/2022
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Illinois ,
Infectious Diseases ,
ISBE ,
Masks ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
Students ,
TRO ,
Workplace Safety
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker released an official statement this week vetoing HB 2778 and announcing in its place a joint initiative reflecting a compromise with the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the Illinois Education...more
1/26/2022
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Governor Pritzker ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Paid Leave ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
School Districts ,
Teachers ,
Universities ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour
After announcing last week its plans to adopt the CDC’s new recommended shortened timeframes for exclusion, the IDPH and ISBE released several new guidance documents making such changes. The new guidance documents, as well as...more
1/14/2022
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
ISBE ,
New Guidance ,
Public Health ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Social Distancing ,
Students ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing
Late Friday, Governor Pritzker issued Executive Order 2021-24 requiring schools to exclude students and school personnel for COVID-19 diagnosis, exposure, or symptoms. School districts, not the local health department, are...more
9/21/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Quarantine ,
Sick Employees ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Workplace Safety
Last week, ISBE published Emergency Rules regarding Mandatory Vaccinations for School Personnel. The Emergency Regulations clarify the requirements under Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order 2021-22. ...more
9/20/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Governor Pritzker has ordered a vaccine mandate for all teachers and staff at pre-K-12 schools, as well as students and personnel at higher education institutions. Under the Executive Order, all pre-K-12 school personnel must...more
8/30/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
ISBE ,
Private Schools ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Public Schools ,
State Contractors ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Earlier yesterday Governor Pritzker announced a mandate for all teachers and staff at pre-K-12 schools, as well as students and personnel at higher education institutions, to be vaccinated. ...more
8/27/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Private Schools ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Public Schools ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Focused on providing a safe learning environment for in-person instruction, Governor Pritzker announced that all individuals in all PreK-12 schools and daycare settings in Illinois must wear a mask when indoors, regardless of...more
In a new FAQ issued, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) confirm that the adoption of the CDC’s July 9 guidance means local control of mitigation layers—most...more
7/28/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
ISBE ,
Masks ,
New Guidance ,
Public Health ,
Social Distancing ,
Students ,
Vaccinations
The U.S. Department of Education recently released Volume 3 of its COVID-19 Handbook, which provides higher education institutions with strategies for reopening for in-person instruction and implementing the most recent CDC...more
Earlier last week, on June 1, 2021, Governor J.B. Pritzker re-issued and amended Executive Order 2020-47 to provide more flexibility to preK-12 schools seeking to offer full-time in-person instruction. The order allows...more
6/8/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Public Gatherings ,
Public Health ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
School Closures ,
Students ,
Teachers ,
Vaccinations
Yes, but not like last fall. On May 19, 2021, the Illinois State Board of Education adopted a Resolution Supporting In-Person Learning. The Resolution points to a definite shift to return the vast majority of students to...more
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...more
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...more
COVID-19 saliva tests have been used as one tool to slow the spread of coronavirus—notably on college campuses. Soon, several saliva tests will be available to K-12 schools. The availability of such tests prompts several...more
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has again updated its COVID-19 Interim Exclusion Guidance as well as its general Interim Guidance for Pre-K-12 Schools. The updated guidance documents include several revisions,...more
10/27/2020
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Contact Tracing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
Guidance Update ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Public Schools ,
School Closures ,
Students ,
Virus Testing
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) updated its COVID-19 FAQ and Exclusion Guidance last week. As we previously reported, the IDPH released Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for schools in August to supplement but...more