The Chicago Teachers Union announced on Sunday that its members voted to defy an order to return to in-person instruction on Monday, citing concerns over COVID-19. Officials with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have made clear that refusing to return when ordered would be tantamount to an illegal strike.
CPS, the nation’s third-largest district, ordered roughly 10,000 K-8 teachers and other staffers to return to school on Monday, while roughly 70,000 students are expected to show up for part-time in-person classes on February 1 – when CPS says they still expect K-8 teachers to appear in-person. There has been no return date set for high school students.
The teachers union says that the reopening plan fails to take the health of teachers into account, and has called on the district to allow them to continue teaching from home.
“Here you have the most lethal health emergency that we’ve had in 100 years, and there is so little guidance that everyone is doing different things,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers last week, adding that a national strategy “costs money, it requires good management, and it requires working together.” – READ MORE
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