Chicago City Wire

A podcast featuring Dan McCaleb, executive director of The Center Square and its publisher, Chris Krug, explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Illinois schools, and what McCaleb sees as "a lost year."  

“The sad thing is, we’re nearing the end of January, we’re beyond the middle of January right now, five months into the school year and we don’t know if we have a plan,” McCaleb said.

“Many schools are still doing remote learning, it’s been a wasted year because Illinois, particularly because of Gov. Pritzker’s mitigation efforts and all the restrictions he has put on everybody across the state," McCaleb added. “It’s going to be a lost year.” 

Krug followed through saying that it is “an absolute shame” and the situation is the biggest hardship that “didn’t need to be this way.”

Youth sports have also become a pressure point for Illinois, Krug said.

“While schools aren’t affected by the tiered mitigation structure from the governor," Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) told Greg Bishop, The Center Square, during the podcast. “It’s the sports where student athletes still don’t have certainty. Every state around us is doing it, our kids are going to those states. They’re playing basketball on the black market.”