Macomb, IL-(Effingham Radio)- The following letter was read to the ISBE during their October 20th meeting in Macomb, IL. It was read by Matthew Sturgeon, Superintendent of Teutopolis school.
Illinois State Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Ayala,
These past twenty months have been challenging for students, families, educators and boards. Your leadership during the pandemic in terms of guidance and resources, while not always timely, have been instrumental to the work we do at the local level. Thank you for your ongoing commitment and service to our large and diverse state, and to our districts that educate students with unique needs and diverse barriers to academic, social, and emotional growth.
My name is Matt Sturgeon, Superintendent of Teutopolis CUSD #50 in Effingham County. I was present for the August meeting, and had planned to address this body in September, but was not available as the district and I were named in a temporary restraining order and injunction lawsuit, requiring my presence before the court. Regrettably, now two months into our third impacted school year, I come before you to share the story of Teutopolis Schools and to request your support in re-establishing local control for our elected Boards.
Although the underlying injunction against the district is still pending before the court, until last Wednesday, the district and I had been prohibited from enforcing your regulatory guidance and the Governor’s executive order for some students due to a TRO. Having been named as a necessary party, and now co-defendants in several similar suits involving other districts, ISBE should know that this cycle of uncertainty created by executive orders, untimely guidance, and changes to rules, regulations and orders has made it increasingly difficult to navigate within our local contexts.
Like many others within our region of the state, Teutopolis was able to maintain in-person instruction for all students throughout the entire 2020-21 school year. Beginning in March, our one hour early dismissal schedule gave way to full-day instruction, where we remain today without the need for adaptive pause or other draconian measures to date. This is not to say that our district has not been impacted by Covid-19, it has. Rather, it is evidence of our ability to monitor local data, implement local metrics and to work collaboratively with our local officials, parents and staff to safely meet the needs of our students. In other words, our district has successfully navigated Illinois’ phased approach, but now feels stymied by state overreach in what we thought was Phase 5.
What does ISBE expect of local districts post-pandemic; what is your plan for Phase 6? At what point will you begin to advocate for the recognition of our diverse local needs and local decision making, thereby eliminating the divisiveness that unnecessarily plagues our communities? Local leaders have lost credibility by adhering to rigidly enforced state guidance and mandates, resulting in compliance to be fair at best. The time has passed to restore locally elected officials’ ability to make necessary decisions and adjustments based on unique local conditions. To be clear, this is about more than masks and more than vaccinations. Local leaders are best positioned and capable of planning and implementing reasonable and safe approaches to serve our children.
Thank you in advance for supporting the re-establishment of local control for our elected Boards, their employees and the students and families we serve.
Respectfully,
Matthew Sturgeon, Superintendent
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