CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she is confident that Chicago Public School officials are doing everything possible to be sure that no child gets left behind by the remote learning that is underway.
When the school year began last week, only about 84 percent of Chicago Public School students were logged in for classes - that’s 10 percent lower than last year, before the coronavirus.
Is the Mayor concerned?
"I am not really concerned. Obviously, I am aware of the fact that CPS at the central office level, but also on a school-by-school basis, for weeks prior to the start of school and since, have been doing extensive outreach on an individual basis," she said.
She said teachers were doing everything they could to bridge the digital divide, and make sure even the poorest students have the equipment that they need for remote learning.
"I am confident that they will be diligent over these next couple weeks to make sure that they have outreach. When I was going around the schools for the first day last Tuesday, we were seeing parents just showing up that day to get the devices, to get the packet of information that was available to students," Lightfoot said.
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In fact, by midweek, attendance had risen to 90 percent, according to CPS figures, and officials are still working to address any technical issues and answer questions.
And the Mayor said school-by-school, family-by-family the outreach goes on.