CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Some Chicago City Council members say they have mixed feelings about the standoff between the Chicago Public Schools and the Teachers Union over continuing classroom instruction during a COVID surge.
3rd Ward Alderwoman Pat Dowell said she’s hearing from parents on both sides of the issue- those who feel their children cannot thrive with remote learning and those who don’t feel their children are safe from COVID in the schools.
40th Ward Alderman Andre Vasquez echoes that.
"That is definitely what I've been recieving very split down the middle of 'Hey, it's really damaging our kids mentally if they're not in person and then you're also getting folks who are like 'the protocols are not in place."
Both he and Dowell emphasized there must be more testing and vaccinations and that both sides need to work things out quickly.
Still Vasquez scoffed at reports saying CPS officials tried to meet the Teachers Union “half-way” on their safety demands. He asked rhetorically, “What does halfway to safe look like?”
"What's the common sense thing-to require students to be vaccinated, to make sure that testing is something you have to opt out of not opt in, to make sure there are remote options for parents who don't feel comfortable having their family members potentially go in and potentially catch COVID and bring it back home."
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