Illinois

Illinois passed paid COVID sick leave for school staff. Seven things to know about it.

Published

2 years ago

May 10, 2022

Illinois passed paid COVID sick leave for school staff. Seven things to know about it.

A brand new legislation offers Illinois faculty staff paid go away for COVID-related causes and restores sick days used throughout the 2021-2022 faculty yr. Nonetheless, there are some questions on who is roofed beneath the brand new legislation.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into legislation final month a measure that grants absolutely vaccinated faculty workers paid administrative go away in the event that they should take day off for COVID-related causes. The legislation additionally restores COVID-related sick days to staff who had to make use of them within the 2021-2022 faculty yr. Faculty workers should be absolutely vaccinated by Could 10 to be eligible for the advantages.

The legislation “ensures that if a trainer has carried out their half to maintain their classroom protected for his or her most weak college students, they gained’t have to fret for a second about their pay or their paid day off in the event that they get COVID, in the event that they’re required to isolate or if the college has moved to e-learning and their work can’t be carried out at residence,” Pritzker stated when he signed the invoice.

Listed below are seven issues that educators and college staff have to know concerning the new legislation:

What’s the aim of the legislation?

The legislation restores sick days to highschool workers who needed to take day off as a result of COVID-related causes throughout the 2021-2022 faculty yr and offers paid go away sooner or later.

Underneath the Illinois faculty code, lecturers obtain a minimal of 10 sick days per yr — in keeping with nationwide averages, based on the Nationwide Middle for Instructor High quality. Whereas the overwhelming majority of districts permit lecturers to hold over unused sick days from yr to yr with no restrict, many educators used up their sick days for COVID-related causes. Earlier within the pandemic, affected faculty workers have been required to remain residence for as much as 10 days; it’s now 5 days.

Who is roofed?

This legislation, HB 1167, covers absolutely vaccinated staff of Ok-12 public faculties, constitution faculties, group schools, and universities all through the state who wanted to take days off as a result of they examined constructive for COVID-19, have been required to quarantine by their faculty, or as a result of their youngster examined constructive or wanted to quarantine.

The legislation additionally covers hourly staff corresponding to janitors, transportation staff, meals service suppliers, classroom assistants, or administrative workers who couldn’t carry out their duties due to faculty closures or e-learning days.

What age should their kids be for varsity workers to be eligible?

This legislation applies to kids who’re in elementary or highschool who had a confirmed constructive case or have been in shut contact with somebody who examined constructive for COVID-19. The legislation doesn’t cowl kids in day care or preschool.

Who is taken into account absolutely vaccinated?

The legislation states that persons are absolutely vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19 two weeks after receiving a full dosage of the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson and Johnson vaccines. At the moment, the state doesn’t require boosters for somebody to be thought of absolutely vaccinated, based on a spokesperson for the state division of public well being. The legislation says that may change if the Division of Public Well being adopts adjustments made by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.

When ought to educators be vaccinated to be lined beneath the legislation?

All faculty workers should be absolutely vaccinated 5 weeks after the invoice is signed into legislation, or Could 10, until an worker has a medical or spiritual exemption protected beneath federal legislation.

Most educators have been required to obtain their first dose of a COVID vaccine within the fall by an emergency order issued by the governor. The state’s largest lecturers unions — the Illinois Federation of Academics and the Illinois Educators Affiliation — supported the mandate. IFT has reported {that a} majority of its members are absolutely vaccinated. In Chicago, 90% of the district’s staff are absolutely vaccinated, based on a spokesperson for Chicago Public Faculties.

What proof is required to revive sick days or obtain paid go away?

To revive sick days, Illinois faculty workers and their school-age kids might want to present proof of a constructive lab COVID check or documentation of a quarantine as a result of a college required it or as a result of the worker or youngster was an in depth contact of somebody who examined constructive. Comparable paperwork will probably be wanted to obtain paid go away.

Can faculty districts decide out of the legislation?

All Illinois faculty districts are required to observe this legislation, they can not decide out. Faculties can not rescind sick days returned to a trainer or different faculty staff if the definition of “absolutely vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19” is modified by the CDC.

Samantha Smylie is the state schooling reporter for Chalkbeat Chicago, protecting faculty districts throughout the state, laws, particular schooling, and the state board of schooling. Contact Samantha at ssmylie@chalkbeat.org.

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Illinois

Two Morrison seniors attend Illinois Premier Boys State

Published

5 hours ago

June 30, 2024

Press Room

Two Morrison seniors attend Illinois Premier Boys State

MORRISON – Two Morrison High School students participated in Illinois Premier Boys State, which was June 8-14 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

Gavin Streets Wood and Blaine Williams, who will be seniors this upcoming school year, were selected to attend and were sponsored by American Legion Post 328 in Morrison.

American Legion Illinois Premier Boys State was founded in Illinois in 1935 by three Illinois Legionnaires, Hayes Kennedy, Harold Card and Matthew Murphy, who organized the first Boys State at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. It is a participatory program in which students become part of the operation of city, county and state governments, according to its website.

American Legion posts select high school juniors to attend the program in June right after their junior year. In most cases, individual expenses are paid by a sponsoring Legion post, a local business or another community-based organization, according to the website. At Boys State, participants learn the rights, privilege and responsibilities of citizenship. Fictional political parties are created and the citizens are randomly assigned to one.

Boys State activities include various levels of legislative sessions, political party caucuses, four election cycles, general assemblies, band concerts, law enforcement presentations and recreational programs, according to the website.

Streets Wood said he decided to go to Boys State for a chance to win scholarship money. His plan is to attend Sauk Valley Community College and work toward earning a degree in cybersecurity, possibly at the University of Illinois.

Williams said he is unsure as to what he wants to study after high school, but the Boys State experience has him thinking about politics.

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Illinois

Its official, Chick-fil-A is Illinois’ favorite chicken sandwich

Published

12 hours ago

June 30, 2024

Press Room

Its official, Chick-fil-A is Illinois’ favorite chicken sandwich

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A new fast-food study from Richfield Research confirms what many Illinoisians could’ve guessed, Chick-fil-A is the king of chicken sandwhiches.

According to the study, Illinois isn’t alone. 30 other states ranked Chick-fil-A as the best place to get a chicken sandwich.

Popeyes and Wendy’s took home the silver and bronze, respectively.

In spite of the love Illinois has for chicken sandwiches, the state doesn’t even crack the top five states for consumption. The top five are Florida, Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia.

On average, 14% of Americans are eating a chicken sandwich at least once a week.

The full results of the study can be found below:

Illinois’ favorite fast food chicken sandwich hails from Chick-fil-A, the preferred choice in 30 other states
Popeyes (21%) and Wendy’s (8%) follow CFA in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
Over 40% of Florida residents consume fast food chicken sandwiches on a weekly basis, the most among all U.S. States
43% of Americans admit to consuming a fast food chicken sandwich on a monthly basis

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Illinois

Looking to live off the grid? 3 Illinois counties are among the country’s top choices

Published

19 hours ago

June 30, 2024

Press Room

Looking to live off the grid? 3 Illinois counties are among the country’s top choices

Looking to get away from the bustle of the city? Suburbia just not for you? An off-grid lifestyle might appeal to you.

According to a recent poll, three Illinois counties are among the best for off-the-grid living, including one in the top 10:

Top Illinois counties for off-grid living

In its poll of 3,000 people nationwide, BusinessElectric.com says these counties were the most popular choices in the Land of Lincoln:

No. 9, Pope County: The southernmost county in Illinois sits on the border of Kentucky, along the Ohio River. It has 3,763 people — second-fewest people in Illinois, according to the 2020 census. The entire county is hilly and during rainy weather, “rivulets cascade down the hills in the park forming waterfalls of varying sizes and heights,” according to Wikipedia. The county contains Dixon Springs State Park and is part of the Shawnee National Forest.
No. 36, Johnson County: The immediate western neighbor to Pope County has 13,308 people, according to the 2020 census. It includes part of Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge and Shawnee National Forest.
No. 124, Jo Daviess County: Let’s go to the opposite side of the state with the northwesternmost county in Illinois. Part of the so-called “Driftless Area,” the county contains “rugged terrain compared to the rest of the state,” says Wikipedia, including Charles Mound, the highest natural point in Illinois. The county has a population of 22,035 and sits in a tri-state area including Dubuque, Iowa, and Platteville, Wisconsin.

The top 5 locations nationwide to live off the grid

No. 1, Wasco County, Oregon: The county gained significant attention as the setting for the Netflix series “Wild Wild Country,” which documents the controversial Rajneeshpuram community led by Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh in the 1980s. Despite the community’s tumultuous end, the show has appeared to have sparked renewed interest in off-grid lifestyles in Wasco County, according to Business Electric.
No. 2, Hot Springs County, Wyoming: Ranked second, Hot Springs County in central Wyoming offers a rural environment enriched with natural hot springs, rivers, and mountains. The county’s remote areas provide the essential seclusion and resources necessary for off-grid living.
No. 3, Meriwether County, Georgia: Located in west-central Georgia, Meriwether County offers a rural setting with large parcels of land available for purchase. The county’s strong agricultural community and abundant natural resources support a sustainable off-grid lifestyle.
No. 4, Bienville Parish, Louisiana: Situated in northern Louisiana, Bienville Parish provides a rural environment with access to plentiful natural resources like forests and bodies of water. The parish’s remote areas offer privacy and opportunities for alternative living.
No. 5, Somerset County, Maine: Completing the top five, Somerset County in central Maine boasts a rural environment with vast forests and access to rivers and lakes. The county’s low population density and natural beauty make it an ideal location for off-grid living.