Live Breaking News & Updates on Education and family

Stay informed with the latest breaking news from Education and family on our comprehensive webpage. Get up-to-the-minute updates on local events, politics, business, entertainment, and more. Our dedicated team of journalists delivers timely and reliable news, ensuring you're always in the know. Discover firsthand accounts, expert analysis, and exclusive interviews, all in one convenient destination. Don't miss a beat — visit our webpage for real-time breaking news in Education and family and stay connected to the pulse of your community

Peoria Public Schools Balanced Calendar Vote Delayed, Coaches and Interventionists to Be Reassigned

Peoria Public Schools will delay a vote on adopting a balanced calendar until more input from the community can be gathered.

Katie-cobb , Martha-ross , Lynne-costic , Dan-walther , Gregory-wilson , Doug-shaw , Jeff-adkins-dutro , Sharon-desmoulin-kherat , Walther , Thomas-jefferson-elementary-school-to-rev , Peoria-federation-of-teachers

Mandatory Sex Education Bill Advances In Illinois House

Julia Strehlow of the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center speaks about the REACH Act to members of the Illinois House committee for curriculum and policies in elementary and secondary education.
A bill requiring updated sex education standards in Illinois public schools has advanced out of the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee on School Curriculum and Policies in the Illinois House. The vote fell along party lines.
If the Responsible Education for Adolescent and Children's Health Act, or the REACH Act, becomes law, Illinois would join 30 other states already requiring sex ed. The curriculum under the bill would vary depending on grade level.

Illinois , United-states , Chicago , Villa-park , North-lake , Kathleen-willis , Ralph-rivera , Deb-conroy , Julia-strehlow , Chicago-children-advocacy-center , Young , Children-health

Latest COVID Relief Bill Is 'Shot in the Arm' For Local Government

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan passed through Congress along party lines and signed into law by President Joe Biden last week is welcome assistance for many in Peoria-area local government.
In addition to $1,400 stimulus payments for many Americans and boosted unemployment benefits, the bill includes $7.5 billion for The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention to combat the coronavirus.
The bill also includes $140 million in relief funding for Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford counties. For the City of Peoria, the one-time relief funds are welcome to blunt the blow of a painful budget readjustment cycle sparked by reduced revenues as the COVID-19 pandemic set in last spring.

United-states , Americans , American , Doug-roelfs , Beth-crider , David-zimmerman , Darin-lahood , Joe-biden , Cheri-bustos , Patrick-urich , Fitch-ratings , Centers-of-disease

Baby Fold Embraces Digital Family Services Amid COVID

The Baby Fold offers early interventions and prevention-focused programs for families with children that may be at risk for abuse or neglect. Due to COVID, many of those services have gone virtual. In some cases, the nonprofit says, that's worked out well
The Baby Fold
/ Facebook
Social service agencies have had to integrate more technology into their outreach amid COVID. Some of those changes could stick, even after the pandemic ends.
Tony Wilson recently joined the Baby Fold in Normal, serving as director of family and community services. He oversees foster care and intact family services, as well as partnerships with Bloomington-Normal schools and the Healthy Start program for new parents.

Bloomington , Illinois , United-states , Tony-wilson , Illinois-department-of-children , Family-services , Woodbourne-center , Intact-family-services , Baby-fold , Healthy-start , Karen-major , Illinois-department

Rebrand Is Just The Start For East Bluff Community Center's Expansion Efforts

Tim Shelley / Peoria Public Radio
The East Bluff Community Center's new brand isn't just cosmetic. It's the first step in an expanded commitment to positively engage with youth in the Peoria neighborhood.
Tim Shelley recently sat down with the EBCC's new executive director, Kari Jones, about their new push towards more youth engagement and outreach in the neighborhood.
Tim Shelley: Tell me a little bit about yourself. I guess you've been here for less than a year. I think about six months. And a bit about your background and how you came here to Peoria.
Kari Jones: Yeah, actually, this month, end of February, marks exactly six months for me at the East Bluff Community Center. And I do have a little bit of an interesting path that brought me here. I grew up in St. Louis. So I am from the Midwest. But I left, and thought I was never going to come back to the Midwest. And then I came back for graduate school at Western. And my husband's from Texas. We were going to move back to Texas, but he found a job that he loved. And so I started looking.

Illinois , United-states , Texas , Kari-jones , Tim-shelley , Grayson-burke , Master-in-public-health , Peoria-art-guild , Girls-club , Friends-of-the-east-bluff-community-center , Ymca , Bluff-community-center

Peoria Public Schools and Food Service Provider Sodexo Forming Advisory Committee

Mark Streamer, general manager of the Sodexo branch overseeing District 150, speaks to the school board on Monday, March 8, 2021.
Peoria Public Schools and its food service provider Sodexo are forming a local advisory committee to oversee decisions regarding student meals in the district.
Local Sodexo General Manager Mark Streamer presented the plan to the board at Monday night’s meeting. Formation of the committee comes just weeks after the Peoria Federation of Teachers shared photos on social media of moldy cheese sticks in student lunches.
The committee, which Streamer hopes to have up and running by the end of the month, will be made up of students, parents, and district staff.

Jeffrey-adkins-dutro , John-kelly , Sharon-desmoulin-kherat , Peoria-health-department , Peoria-federation-of-teachers , Large-peoria-city-council , Peoria-public-schools , Sodexo-general-manager-mark-streamer , Peoria-federation , Teachers-president-jeffrey , At-large-peoria-city-council , North-valley

Illinois Business Leaders Say More Investments Needed in Early Childhood Education

(Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP, Pool, File)
ReadyNation members see the inequity which harms the development of Black and brown children. WCBU student reporter Jordan Mead tells us why they feel it's urgent to meet the needs of these children.
Illinois human resources veteran Joni Duncan says there are important factors about child development that we must understand.
"Research makes it increasingly clear that many workforce fundamentals are seeded during the earliest years of learning and life. From technical skills like math, to more social-emotional skills like creativity and teamwork," Duncan said.
Duncan said too many Illinois children do not benefit from early learning opportunities they need to develop their potential.

Illinois , United-states , Jordan , Rudy-valdez , Joshua-gunn , Joni-duncan , Peoria-area-chamber , Kaney-aerospace-in-rockford , Jordan-mead , Kaney-aerospace , Education-and-family , Ready-nation

Peoria Teacher's Union Raises Concerns About Return to School Plan

Jeffrey Smudde
/ WGLT
The Peoria Federation of Teachers is going public with its concerns about the March 1 return to school after Peoria Public Schools administration declined to bargain over several issues deemed outside the union's purview.
Jeff Adkins-Dutro is the teachers' union president. He said many teachers won't be able to socially distance their students to the CDC-recommended minimum of 3 feet in the classroom, due to lack of space.
"We have manifold instances where students will not be able to be distanced by 3 feet, let alone 6 feet," he said.
Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat said principals are working on those issues within their individual buildings. Potential solutions include moving furniture into storage, installing plexiglas desk shields, or implementing flexible seating arrangements.

Illinois , United-states , Jeff-adkins-dutro , Kim-thomas , Mick-willis , Sharon-desmoulin-kherat , Peoria-federation-of-teachers , Trewyn-school , Peoria-federation , Peoria-public-schools , Illinois-teacher , Education-and-family

Schools Turn Down The Heat As Natural Gas Prices Surge Amid Shortage

(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Utilities are asking residents to turn down the heat as widespread power outages in Texas and Oklahoma limit natural gas production and shipments to the Midwest. Now, the fallout of the winter storms is having a chilling effect on central Illinois classrooms.
Tremont District 702 will be lowering the thermostat to save money until prices and natural gas supplies normalize.
Superintendent Sean Berry said a heating bill in February is normally around $6,000 to $7,000. This year, that bill might reach $60,000.
"We're keeping the lines of communication open, and we'll update families as we go through this," Berry said.

Oklahoma , United-states , Illinois , Farmington , Texas , Minonk , Supeintendent-kari-rockwell , Zac-chatterton , Jeff-hill , Sean-berry , Kari-rockwell

Q&A: Rep. Brady Criticizes 'Culturally Responsive' Teaching Standards

Republican lawmakers have been speaking out against new standards for teacher education being proposed by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Illinois , United-states , Dan-brady , Illinois-state-board , State-board , State-representative-dan-brady , Politics-and-government , Education-and-family , Sound-ideas , இல்லினாய்ஸ் , ஒன்றுபட்டது-மாநிலங்களில்