Topline
Chicago Public School students will return to classrooms on Wednesday after leaders of the city’s teachers union approved the school district’s plan on Covid-19 safety protocols late on Monday, ending a week-long standoff between city officials and the union after teachers last week voted to switch to remote learning due to the ongoing omicron-fueled surge.
A sign on the fence outside of Lowell elementary school asks students, staff and visitors to wear a … [+]
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Key Facts
In a press conference late Monday night, Chicago city officials said the deal included provisions for additional testing and outlined metrics that would determine school closures due to the virus.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot cheered the return to in-person classes and noted that remote learning without “a public health reason to do so” would have led to more social, emotional and economic turmoil for families.
In a statement issued on Twitter, the teacher’s union said it had voted to suspend its remote work action and the new agreement will now be voted on by its rank and file members.
At their own press conference, the union leaders acknowledged that the deal was not a “home run” but teachers wanted to resume classes for the students.
As part of the deal, teachers are expected to return to school Tuesday, with students returning to classrooms the day after.
Crucial Quote
Stacy Davis Gates, vice president of the union, said: “This agreement is the only modicum of safety that is available for anyone that steps foot in the Chicago Public Schools, especially in the places in the city where testing is low and where vaccination rates are low.”
Big Number
4,793. That’s the seven-day average of daily new Covid-19 cases being detected in Chicago at the moment, according to the city government’s official tracker. The city’s current positivity rate of tests stands at 18.9%, which is a slight drop from 21% in the previous week.
Key Background
Last week, officials in Chicago—the country’s third-largest school district—suspended all classes after the teachers union voted to switch to remote learning in the face of an omicron-driven Covid-19 surge. At that time the union blamed Lightfoot and public school officials for jeopardizing the safety of students and teachers, alleging a lack of proper mitigation measures to prevent outbreaks. The omicron wave has raised concerns about the risk of transmission in classroom environments, prompting many colleges to switch over to remote learning. However, U.S. government officials including President Joe Biden have insisted on keeping schools open due to concerns over the impact of remote learning. Apart from Chicago, teachers unions in several other major areas including New York City, Philadelphia and Massachusetts have also requested a switch to remote schooling, but their demands have been rebuffed by officials.
Further Reading
Chicago Teachers Union clears way for in-person classes to resume Wednesday (Chicago Tribune)
Chicago schools will reopen as teachers and the city reach a deal over virus safeguards (New York Times)
Chicago union leaders OK plan to resume in-person class (Associated Press)
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