Glen Ellyn School District 41 is encouraging everyone to participate in a program in which they will submit saliva samples for COVID-19 testing by having classrooms compete to adopt a turtle from a local zoo.
A flier was presented to parents, staff and students that discusses the Cosley Zoo Challenge, which encourages students to sign up on the district’s web site to participate in the challenge.
The flier says that the first building in the district to reach 90 percent participation in the program and 90 percent in the submission rate of saliva samples will get to adopt a turtle for a year from the zoo.
“The turtle reminds us to help slow the spread of COVID-19!” the flier says.
Twitter user Emma Woodhouse shared the flier and her dislike for the program on Jan. 5.
“Seriously @GlenEllynD41?” Emma Woodhouse tweeted. “You’re using turtle adoption to motivate children to be tested for a virus that is less serious to their health than flu? What a disgraceful waste of money—& shameful propaganda. Parents, reject this nonsense.”
Several users agreed with Woodhouse and urged parents to speak out against the program.
One user asked how anything was supposed to go back to normal after a program like this.
“They don’t even hide their totalitarian aspirations anymore,” the user tweeted.
Another user said that using whole-class peer pressure to push for kids to have their parents participate in the program wasn’t right.
Another said the program was a waste of money.
Woodhouse replied to one tweet, saying there was no reason the program needed to exist.
“Honestly, if this go (sic) through, it’s because parents allowed it,” Woodhouse tweeted. “No excuses.”
Another Twitter user suggested that Gov. J.B. Pritzker was paying school boards to keep case numbers up.
“This state has gone full criminal,” the user tweeted.
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