information provided by the Office of Robin Kelly
MATTESON, Ill. (April 27, 2020) – On April 23, Congresswoman Robin Kelly hosted a telephone town hall with educators from the 2nd Congressional District to discuss the first three COVID-19 response bills and hear suggestions for further legislative relief efforts.
“I wanted to hear the on-the-ground concerns of our teachers and listen to their ideas on what should be included in the CARES 2 relief bill that Congress is currently preparing,” said Kelly. “With our children’s futures at stake, we need to get this right. Our top priority is to provide more money for our schools and communities, along with another round of direct payments to families and targeted investments in disproportionately impacted communities.”
Congresswoman Kelly briefed teachers on the more than $569,000 designated for Illinois’ elementary and secondary schools and the hundred-plus thousand earmarked for education at Governor Pritzker’s discretion.
Teachers expressed their concerns about the safety of teachers and staff once schools reopen in the fall, as well as the shortage of teachers and substitutes. Other issues of concern were:
- The expansion of broadband infrastructure in areas with connectivity issues
- Paycheck protection for teachers and staff if paid sick time is exhausted due to repeated quarantines
- More funding for professional development in remote online teaching
- Adequate funding of state governments to prevent school budget cuts and teacher layoffs
- Social distancing in overcrowded classrooms, congested hallways and cafeterias once schools reopen
- An expanded SNAP program and an extension of pandemic school food relief into the summer session
This call was the eleventh in the Congresswoman’s COVID19 response series. On Wednesday, she will participate in a constituent virtual town hall with Senator Dick Durban and members of the Illinois Delegation focusing on COVID-19 and the African American community.
