Classes have been canceled Jan. 5-7 in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) after the teachers union voted to refuse to appear for in-person work, The Chicago Tribune reported. [UPDATE: Classes have also been canceled for Jan. 6.]
Mayor Lori Lightfoot criticized the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) for the vote, which the union said was endorsed by 73% of its members. CTU said it took the step out of concerns about inadequate COVID-19 protections and intends to continue to teach remotely.
Before the final vote was revealed, Lightfoot, CPS CEO Pedro Martinez and public health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady held a news conference where they again insisted that, despite the current spike in cases, children need to be back in school and that it’s a relatively safe environment with proper mitigation.
CTU’s House of Delegates, its 600-member governing body, approved a resolution Jan. 4 for members to teach remotely until Jan. 18, unless an agreement with CPS is reached or the rate of Chicago COVID-19 cases falls below a certain threshold.
On Jan. 5, the stalemate made national news, with White House press secretary Jen Psaki saying the country is “more than equipped to ensure schools are open … including in Chicago.” Former President Donald Trump said that “what is happening in Chicago, with all the school closures, is devastating.”