Chicago City Wire

Most schools in Illinois have offered virtual learning while students have returned to classrooms amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

About half of students in Illinois will be turning to schools in person in September, while most school districts in the Chicago area are going to offer fully remote learning, Patch reported in August. 

Some Chicago school districts are offering a mix of hybrid learning.

As NBC Chicago reported on Aug. 17, many students will learn from home despite this back-to-school week when it is usually swarming with students. 

For some, keeping schools closed is not an option.

One mother, Susan Samuels, said in an interview with Chicago City Wire that her 13-year-old daughter needs in-person learning.

When schools closed down and went to an online learning model, Samuels said it affected her daughter. 

"... There are things that you have to be in, in a social setting. There's a lot of social settings, a lot of executive functioning ... planning out your day," Samuels said. "And the academics are all designed and kind of tailored to each kid. That's why it's an individual education plan." 

Samuels said that aside from her daughter being bright, there is the day-to-day functioning. 

"There's a lot more to it than just the actual academics," she said. "You have to be in person with her." 

Samuels said if she has occupational therapy and speech therapy, one-on-one contact is essential.

Samuels said it takes a lot of people to help her daughter get to as functional as possible.

"... It takes a ton of people and has taken out tons of people to help her get her where she is. She was non-verbal at three and she can do the standard, a seventh-, eighth-grade math right now, which is good and understands some concepts, but that takes work and we are trying to get her as functional as possible," Samuels said. "And the capabilities of the school are there. It's just the decision to not do it. The effort is another. And if you want to make the schools do the right thing, you have to hire an advocate."

When asked how administrators and politicians go back and forth in decisions on schools being online or in-person, and teachers who say it is too dangerous to reopen schools, Samuels gave her perspective and her husband's who both work in a hospital. 

"Well, it's so in our jobs. My husband and I — we've had to deal with a transition with COVID in the hospital," said Samuels. "And I don't get paid if I don't work. So we learn to be adaptable at our job and we don't have the choice."

Samuels said if she could say one thing to administrators and politicians regarding the need to get children back to school for in-person learning, it would be that "the benefit of having kids in school far outweigh the risks that you perceive because of what the media is saying and how that information is being presented." 

She said if you look at the "true numbers" that apply in their situation, the children are safe.

After months of knowing more about the coronavirus, Samuels said, "and we have so much information at this point at least, how to handle it. Let's start using it instead of having fear. Drive your decision making."