CPS to announce ‘very soon' if in-person classes will resume next quarter; Mayor, CEO weighing factors

Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson
Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson Photo credit City of Chicago

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Mayor Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson said they are weighing many factors as they decide whether the second quarter of the school year will be inside the classrooms.

CPS CEO Janice Jackson said only that CPS will announce a decision "soon" about whether instruction will continue via remote learning or whether children will be back in the classroom.

“We know that parents are anxious to hear from us on this, and we’ve committed to making an announcement very soon,” Jackson said. “We know that the second quarter is approaching quickly and we want to be sure that the plan that we put out will be as thoughtful as our parents anticipate.”

When a reporter pressed for specifics, asking, “This week?” Lightfoot simply said, “Soon.” Fall quarter ends Nov. 5.

Jackson also did not say whether there might be some type of hybrid model.

"We will be making an announcement about what that is, just as we've done in the past," Jackson said. "We want to be intentional about that. There is a lot of data, most notably the data around health conditions that we are looking at. We are also looking at how our students are engaging in the current model."

Mayor Lightfoot said that is a serious concern for some, like special education students and the youngest children.

"There are some categories of students, who really struggle with remote learning. They need the touch of being in a classroom with their teacher, with their colleagues," she said. "...The focus, of course, is on the data and public health guidance, but it’s also around equity, and I am concerned about whether or not we are doing enough for certain categories of students, particularly our youngest learners and our diverse learners, and we’ve got to make decisions that maximize the opportunities for everyone, but particularly those students who I think are the most vulnerable and I think are having the biggest challenges in a remote learning environment."

Jackson reiterated that remote learning can’t replace in-person school, but officials must weigh all the safety data and plans to keep children and teachers safe, before making a decision on returning to classrooms.

"Remote learning is no replacement for in-person instruction, and so my desire and my priority is to see students back in school as soon as it is possible to do that safely, but again there are a lot of things we have to look at in order to make that decision," Jackson said.

The Chicago Teachers Union has also raised serious concerns about health and safety.

The Mayor said they are looking at all of that.

Featured Image Photo Credit: City of Chicago