Student Starts Petition For Partial E-Learning In District 225

GLENVIEW, IL — Parker Krex is happy to be back at school. The Glenbrook South High School senior started classes last week along with the rest of Glenbrook High Schools District 225.

With the absence of a remote learning option this school year in the district, Krex is concerned about what happens when students need to miss school due to COVID-19 or other illnesses. When 17 students in District 225 tested positive for COVID-19, he decided to start a petition at Change.org to at least bring back partial e-learning.

"Missing even one day of school can set a student back, and missing a week or more due to quarantine could set a student back a month," Krex said. "District 225 put so much time and energy into e-learning last year and they are throwing it all away when they should be utilizing it."

As of Thursday morning, 192 people have signed Krex's petition.

Patch has reached out to District 225 for this story.

"Parker is passionate about helping others and making sure no kid falls behind, especially when it could have easily been prevented," his mother, Erin, told Patch.

Parker Krex plans to speak at the next meeting of the District 225 Board of Education on Sept. 13, according to his mother.

Erin Krex said that many of the people that tested positive had no symptoms and were vaccinated. She said Parker was sick last year during e-learning, but was able to keep up with classwork and excel due to the ability to watch and participate in class.

"[The students that have tested positive this year] are now at home with no learning abilities besides an emailed worksheet from teachers," Erin Krex said. "... The fact that the school has fully taken this away even though so many kids will be back at home this year for extended periods is crazy."

District 225 partnered with the University of Illinois to test students, teachers, and staff members for COVID-19 infection. On Monday, the District 225 Board of Education approved several revisions to its COVID-19 testing program for students and staff following recent guidance from the Cook County Department of Public Health. Among them are:

Students and Staff Participating in Higher-Risk Activities

Students and staff participating in all sports and high-risk activities will be required to take a saliva-based COVID-19 test every week. Vaccinated students and staff participating in high-risk activities will be removed from the required testing program after submitting a copy of their vaccine card. Students can upload a copy of their vaccination card online at any time.

All Other Students and Staff

Unvaccinated students and staff are strongly encouraged to take a saliva-based COVID-19 test every week, even if they are not participating in higher-risk activities. Vaccinated students and staff also have the option of testing on a weekly basis.

This week, testing is available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at Glenbrook South and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at Glenbrook South. Beginning next week, testing will be available from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Glenbrook North in the Little Theatre and at Glenbrook South in Room 1193. An additional make-up testing opportunity will be available from 2 to 4 p.m. every Thursday.

Parker Krex started Deerfield-based Brick Loot at the age of 9 in 2013. The family-run company designs, manufactures, and discovers products that "delight toy LEGO and brick fanatics of all ages."

For Krex, he understands the challenges teachers encountered last year with hybrid teaching, but insists that's not what he's proposing.

"Partial e-learning at the very least would mean teachers have cameras on during class, so students can log in from home and watch the lessons," Parker Krex said. "I want to be clear that teachers do not need to be on zoom chatting with students. Students can email questions to the teacher later if needed."

To learn more about the petition, visit here.