CHAMPAIGN — Two weeks after Champaign teachers voted to allow a potential strike, one parent is experiencing déjà vu. Amy Dunn was in sixth grade in 1986 when negotiations broke down between Homer teachers and their school board. Teachers went on a strike that lasted eight months – possibly the longest teachers’ strike in U.S….
URBANA – Decatur Public Schools has a new superintendent. On Tuesday night, the board of education appointed Dr. Rochelle Clark as District 61’s new leader. Clark started her career in 1992 as a special education teacher’s aide and worked her way up to assistant principal at three Decatur schools. She also served as assistant superintendent of…
DANVILLE – A clinic for addiction and mental health treatment could open in Danville High School by the end of March. Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation has agreed to run the clinic. Danville School District 118 is renovating the school’s basement as the clinic’s future home. Deanna Witzel is a McDonald’s owner and operator. She also…
For Thursday, February 17 closure information, visit here URBANA — Many cities, schools and other organizations are announcing closings and cancellations because of heavy snow in central Illinois. We will include as many of them as possible in this article, organized by location. The following closures are for Friday, February 4: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign…
URBANA – A study by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools finds that 88 percent of schools say they have a teacher shortage. Seventy-seven percent report the problem is getting worse. And more than 90 percent of Illinois districts expect it to get worse for the next two years. Champaign and Ford County…
CHAMPAIGN — Champaign teachers are willing to strike to protest Unit 4’s latest contract offer. That contract would extend the elementary school day by 50 minutes, starting in the fall of 2023. On Wednesday, about 700 Unit 4 teachers gathered at Jefferson Middle School in Champaign. 91 percent voted to authorize their union to strike….
CHAMPAIGN – More than 350 Champaign teachers rallied on Monday over contract negotiations, and they will vote on Wednesday about authorizing a strike. At issue — whether Unit 4 should extend the elementary school day. Contract negotiations between the Unit 4 School District and the Champaign Federation of Teachers have stalled in recent weeks. The…
CHAMPAIGN – Cooks and custodians at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana say the univeristy rejected their proposal this week for stricter safety measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Dena Gary is a head cook at the University of Illinois and the president of the Champaign-Urbana chapter of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73. She and other…
It’s no secret that some underage students at the University of Illinois like to drink at nearby Campustown bars, and that those under 21 have ample opportunity to violate the law at Campustown bars. But throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Champaign Police Department has made it even easier for minors to get away with underage…
URBANA — The University of Illinois is expecting a surge of COVID-19 cases as students return to Champaign-Urbana for the spring semester. The goal now is to prevent those who have caught COVID from spreading the virus further, according to epidemiology assistant professor Rebecca Smith. “We really encourage people to be cautious over the next…
Despite a growing need for mental health services in the community, the director of the Counseling Center at the University of Illinois says the resources remain underfunded and understaffed. “I think mental health services everywhere are underfunded,” said Center director Carla McCowan. “How many staff members do you need before you meet demands? What’s that…
URBANA, Jan. 11 — Urbana Middle School will stay with remote instruction for the rest of this week. Absences among staff at Urbana Middle School pushed the school to go virtual this week. District 116 Superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum says she doesn’t expect other Urbana schools to go virtual. “Even before Thanksgiving, we have been doing…
Students and staff at Urbana public schools only need to isolate for five days after testing positive for COVID-19. District 116 made the change on Monday, after federal, state and local public health agencies all greenlighted the new quarantine guidance. District 116 Superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum said students and staff who are still sick with a…
A University of Illinois research team has published a study on the impact of assistance programs on vulnerable families. According to a new report from the Project for Middle Class Renewal at U of I, extending the child tax credit program beyond 2021 could promote financial stability in low-and-moderate-income families. Dylan Bellisle is a postdoctoral…
Champaign Unit 4 School District and the City of Champaign have launched the Leading Individuals and Families to Transformation program, also known as LIFT. LIFT will focus on African American students and families who are experiencing academic and personal challenges. The program provides trauma-informed care through intensive support from both school-based and community resources. Anthony…