SPRINGFIELD – Today, Gov. JB Pritzker ordered Illinois residents to “stay at home” starting Sat., March 21 at 5 p.m. and ending April 7 in an effort to slow the spread of the novel COVID-19 virus. Illinois Education Association (IEA) President Kathi Griffin issued the following statement:
“Our hope is that the measures announced today save lives, keep our members, our students, families and communities safe and ease pressure on our emergency and medical communities. We are extremely proud and humbled by the outstanding, innovative and courageous actions taken by our educators. With just a couple days’ notice, they found ways to help students in Illinois:
- Continue learning in creative ways;
- Access the internet in internet-poor areas;
- Eat, by packing, delivering or setting up pick-ups for meals;
- Find unique and wonderful ways to keep in touch with their students, families, and colleagues to keep relationships with their schools alive and well.
This is a time in history for us to stand together. Solidarity brings strength. We are working through this crisis right alongside our members, our students and their families. We are better together.”
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The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest education employee’s organization. IEA represents preK-12 teachers outside of the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.
