CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago Public Schools canceled school for a fourth day as the district remains at odds with the Chicago Teachers Union over COVID-19 safety measures.
Some CTU members gathered outside Spry Elementary School in Little Village Monday morning with an update on their negotiations.
“I worked at the bargaining table until about 10 o'clock [Sunday night] and bargaining is at a serious phase,” said CTU President Jesse Sharkey. “That's good news, but what's not good news is that we still remain apart on a number of key features that we need to restart our stalled schools.”
Those issues include remote instruction, widespread COVID-19 testing and metrics that would allow individual schools to switch to remote learning during a COVID-19 outbreak.
Sharkey noted some progress has been made with Chicago Public Schools providing high quality face masks to students and staff, but the union continues to push for remote learning until January 18th, an estimated date when the surge in coronavirus cases will subside.
“We've made compromises to try to accommodate a mayor who has said that she won't take a compromise,” added Sharkey. “At a certain point, that becomes pointless and so, really, this ball is firmly in this administration's court.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot claimed science is on her side, tweeting the “best, safest place for kids to be is in school” and that “students need to be back in person as soon as possible”.
Both Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union remain hopeful a deal will be reached.
It’s still unclear whether instruction will resume for Chicago Public Schools students on Tuesday.
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