217 Today: Recess law boosts elementary students’ social-emotional learning

Fifth graders playing during recess at Gregory Elementary School in Rockford.

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Today’s headlines:

  • Four defendants in an upcoming federal corruption trial want to limit evidence against them.
  • Tuesday was National Black HIV-AIDS Awareness Day, and a coalition of Black health equity advocates is calling on the Illinois Department of Public Health to do more.
  • Republican Illinois congresswoman Mary Miller wants to stop all foreign purchases of U.S. land. On Monday, she introduced the Saving American Farms from Adversaries Act.
  • A proposal that would help the Chicago Bears move to Arlington Heights has been filed in Springfield, but some lawmakers – including its own sponsor – have reservations.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll take a look at the impact of a 2021 Illinois law that requires at least 30 minutes of recess per day in elementary schools.

217 Today is produced by Sydney Wood. Reporting today contributed by Dave McKinney, Mawa Iqbal, Sarah Nardi, Alex Degman and Peter Medlin.

Sydney Wood