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 The third-largest school district in the United States told the
parents of 62,000 elementary and middle school students who opted to
begin taking some of their classes in their schools on Monday to
stay home, saying it hopes to resume in-person classes for those
students on Tuesday.
The parents of 5,200 pre-kindergarten and special education students
who began taking in-person classes on Jan. 11 were also told to keep
their children home on Monday.
The decision to postpone in-person classes comes after the Chicago
Public Schools (CPS) and the Chicago Teachers Union, representing
28,000 public school educators, failed to reach an agreement despite
months of negotiations. The two sides have been at odds on teachers
demands for stronger safety protocols to prevent the spread of the
virus inside the classroom.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on Sunday that the two sides have
agreed on health and safety protocols, ventilation in schools,
contact tracing and creating health committees.
"We need a renewed sense of urgency on the part of CTU leadership,"
she said, noting that talks stalled on Sunday.
The union said the two sides remain apart on testing for teachers
and students, teacher vaccinations and infection metrics used to
decide when to close schools are also on the table.
It also said it needs accommodations for teachers to work remotely
if they suffer from or live with people who have medical conditions.
"We are disappointed the way this has gone," said CTU President
Jesse Sharkey, during a news conference late on Sunday, vowing to
continue to negotiate. "It's been a frustrating process ... we are
at the phase of negotiations where we have some really hard issues
left."
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Tensions between the two sides grew over the last week after
rank-and-file members voted 71% in favor of staying remote and not
going back into their schools until their needs are met. The union
also has threatened to stop working altogether and picket if the
district retaliates against any of them who failed to report to
school buildings.
CPS CEO Janice Jackson on Sunday night ordered teachers to report to
work in-person on Monday and warned those that do not have a valid
reason for their absence will be considered absent without leave.
She also said they would be locked out of their remote systems on
Monday if they do not report to work.
Similar labor disputes have unfolded across the U.S., pitting
teacher unions against district officials over plans to reopen,
almost a year after the virus shut down schools for 50 million
students nationwide.
CPS devised a plan to gradually bring back younger students to
in-person learning this winter, but it has yet to announce when high
school students will have the option to return to school buildings.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; editing by Diane Craft)
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