With growing COVID-19 positivity rates, Addison teachers will hold car rally to push for immediate switch to remote learning

ADDISON – Tonight, the Addison Teachers Association (ATA) will call for an immediate switch to remote learning for students and staff. The ATA plans to make the statement at tonight’s Addison School District 4 Board of Education (BOE) meeting. Ahead of the meeting, teachers will hold a car rally and call for safe learning conditions.

“We need to do what’s safest for our students and our community. The medical experts at the DuPage County Health Department recommended school districts move to all remote learning. We should absolutely be following that advice,” ATA Co-President Allison Andrikokus said. “The board has chosen to put the lives of our students, staff and our families at risk. We need the board to do the right thing.”

On Mon., Oct. 19, the DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) advised all schools in the county shift to virtual learning because of growing COVID-19 infection rates.

Currently, the seven-day average COVID-19 positivity rate in Addison is 15.73 percent. According to the DCHD, there have been six outbreaks in DuPage County schools and 17 confirmed cases.

“We are asking for a clear, transparent plan that uses metrics and data to drive decision making. We would love to continue seeing our students in person, but it is just not safe right now. It’s heartbreaking that we now have to switch back to remote learning, but lives are at risk and this is the safest way forward,” Andrikokus said.

In District 4, pre-K through sixth grade students are in person as part of the hybrid learning plan. All other students return for in-person learning on Nov. 5 and 6.

ATA has 316 members who are teachers, speech pathologists, nurses, social workers and psychologists. District 4 serves 4,059 students in nine schools.

Tonight’s socially-distanced car rally will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Indian Trail Junior High (222 N. J.F. Kennedy Dr., Addison). The BOE meeting will take place inside the building at 7 p.m. in the same location. Andrikokus plans to make a statement at the board meeting.

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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.

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