This website serves as your one-stop where Acero Schools provides information about what we are doing to keep scholars and our school communities safe places to learn and grow while also remaining vigilant about the health and safety protocols that dramatically mitigate the risks that we have become all too familiar with while living through the COVID-19 global pandemic.
You will find this website organized to showcase the internal and external considerations and controls Acero has developed to keep our focus on the safest possible return to in-person learning.
Internal considerations include the steps Acero Schools has and will continue to take to minimize risk and support our learning communities. External considerations include issues that we are unable to independently control but do influence our approach to this critical effort. These are also sometimes areas that we can complete advocacy efforts for in spite of not having direct control.
Finally, you will find a layered approach to our risk mitigation strategy. While a single layer of safety protocols often does not entirely mitigate risk, when each layer is applied concurrently, they come together to create the safety that our scholars and colleagues need to safely return to school buildings.
THE ESSENTIALS
The following highlights essential elements of our back-to-school plan. Please be sure to review the tabs at the top of this website to see more detailed information regarding safety, food service, vaccination opportunities, COVID-19 screening, links to previous 2021-22 school year news and other important resources intended to support our scholars, parents, caregivers and community during this challenging time.
Scholar Self-Certification and Verification
A completed one-time COVID-19 Self-Certification and Verification Form is required for every scholar to begin school. It must be completed prior to the first day of school and only needs to be completed one time.
This is a form that describes the daily COVID-19 screening you will conduct each day at home, confirming that your child does not have any COVID-19 symptoms or other exposures before you send your child to school on any given day.
COVID-19 Surveillance Testing Program
Acero Schools will deploy an updated COVID-19 surveillance testing program with the start of the 2021-22 school year. This program, brought to our network by Shield Illinois, is applicable at all campuses and is effective beginning August 23, 2021.
Unless you choose to opt your scholar out of COVID-19 surveillance testing, all scholars will be automatically enrolled in the program.
If you prefer that your scholar NOT be periodically tested for COVID-19, the following Notice includes directions on how to complete the form.
Once completing the opt-out form for your scholar(s) please allow seven days before your child is listed on our opt-out list. Once on the list, they will no longer receive surveillance testing.
If you do not complete an opt-out form for each of your Acero Schools’ scholars, they will be enrolled in Acero’s surveillance testing program. While parents and caregivers may choose to have scholar(s) participate in surveillance testing now, you may also opt your child(ren) out of the program at any time.
Testing for people who have recovered from a SARS-CoV-2 infection is not recommended if they are within 90 days from symptom onset or previous positive test, but testing should resume once the 90 days has passed.
Acero Schools offers weekly COVID-19 testing to all colleagues and scholars. If you do not wish for your scholar to be tested, you must opt your scholar out. Otherwise, they will be tested.
All scholars will return to their respective schools on Thursday, August 19, 2021.
August 18: Kindergarten and high school freshman orientation
August 19: School begins for all scholars.
An ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education) resolution requires a return to full in-person learning for the 2021-22 school year.
Exceptions are allowed for:
The most medically fragile scholars
Those required to quarantine
Meals will be available to all enrolled scholars each school day including breakfast and lunch. Acero has deployed practices to keep mealtime as safe as possible.
We will begin the year requiring all scholars and staff to complete a one-time Health Screener Certification Form. The purpose is to confirm that an individual will not attend school or work unless they are free of COVID-19 symptoms and not awaiting a COVID-19 test result. Please complete this form before your child attends school for the first time this year.
Acero Schools continues to strongly encourage all eligible scholars and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
All persons entering an Acero school building or on school grounds must be masked, covering both their nose and mouth. Masks must be worn at all times except when eating or drinking.
Hand sanitizer is available for all individuals within our school buildings and offices.
Disinfecting wipes are available for daily use within Acero school buildings.
By order of Gov. Pritzker, all Acero employees, contractors and partners who provide before or after school programming must either be fully vaccinated or participate in no less than weekly COVID-19 testing
Acero Schools continues to strongly encourage all eligible scholars and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This includes offering onsite vaccination opportunities and information regarding vaccination events through the city of Chicago and community partners.
You can make an appointment for a free and safe in-home vaccination by calling (312) 746-4835 through the CDPH hotline. No government ID is required. Vaccinations are available for all Chicagoans age 5+. Anyone vaccinated through CDPH's in-home program will receive a $25 Visa gift card from CDPH.
To best protect our learning communities, whenever possible, all visitors are required to make an appointment to enter an Acero Schools facility.
Acero begins this school year with the following support in addition to our outstanding educators and administrators.
Social worker at every campus and supplemental social work graduate scholar supports
Academic interventionist at every campus
Care Rooms and attendants at every campus. This team includes professional nurses.
2-3 long-term substitute guest teachers to even further support our school colleagues and scholars at every campus.
Acero Schools welcomes all feedback, questions, and concerns.
Click here to view the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreed upon on February 28, 2022 with our Chicago Teachers Union (CTU).
Acero follows all CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), IDPH, CDPH and ISBE guidance concerning social distancing impacting classroom set up and practices.
This includes:
Ensuring three (3) feet of physical distance when possible.
During unmasked lunch consumption, scholars will be provided partition shields at each seat (by Aug. 30). Cafeterias are also outfitted with additional air purification devices.
Acero requires assigned seating for elementary school lunch to help facilitate contact tracing, if needed, and to create routine and ease during mealtime.
Breakfast consumption will be in the classroom.
COVID-19 Case Reporting
Stay up to date with COVID-19 cases throughout the Acero network and in your own school community. All cases accounted for were self-reported to Acero Schools or were identified by an Acero Schools surveillance test.
