Dupage Policy Journal

State Sen. Darren Bailey, the Republican candidate in the upcoming November election for the governor against incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker, believes Pritzker's handling of pandemic restrictions was extreme and harmful to children.

Bailey is a strong advocate for common sense education reforms that put Illinois children first, and promises to continue to uphold these values as governor.

"Ensuring our students have access to a great education shouldn’t be controversial; putting Illinois students first is common sense," Bailey said on Twitter.

During the recent Oct. 6 debate, Bailey was asked how, as governor, he would handle a pandemic emergency situation such as COVID-19. According to CBS News, he said it would be left up to local jurisdictions, blaming the pandemic shutdowns and mitigations for Illinois schoolchildren losing two years of education, businesses leaving the state and a 29% vacancy rate on the Magnificent Mile.

Bailey's first step of his education agenda is keeping kids in school, WIFR News reported. Bailey said Pritzker’s lockdowns “decimated” education in the state and he challenged the governor over his pandemic executive orders and closing of schools.

According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, students struggled with their English and math courses throughout the 2021 school year, while younger students showed significant drops in proficiency.

If elected this fall, Bailey pledges to keep children in school, as he believes Illinois students suffered without in-person learning, WIFR reported. He also believes Pritzker owes an apology to students and parents for moving schools to virtual learning so early in the pandemic.

In an interview Bailey told WGEM News, "While Pritzker can more than afford to hire private tutors or pay for private schooling, many hard-working Illinois families don't have that option. Whille their  children fall behind, they have nowhere to turn which is shameful."

The Center Square reported in February that the Sangamon County Circuit Court judge blocked schools from enforcing Pritzker's COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates, which had been in place  since the fall of 2021. The judge referred to the governor's policies as a "type of evil" and Attorney Thomas DeVore further argued on behalf of the parents, students and educational staff across the state.

"I can only hope this might be the time for the governor to lift what the Court has found to be illegal mandates and let the good people of this state get back to their lives," DeVore told The Center Square after the ruling.

According to his campaign website, Bailey understands the importance of access to quality education, as he and his wife founded a southern Illinois Christian school, offering education for students in preschool through grade 12. He also served for 17 years on the North Clay Unit 25 Board of Education, with 12 of those years having served as board president, allowing him to know the challenges faced by Illinois public schools. As a current member of the Education Committee in the Illinois State Senate, he consistently works to find responsible solutions to education funding gaps across the state.