CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Unions that represent Chicago teachers and other CPS workers said the school system and the mayor continue to drag their feet on making schools as COVID safe as possible.
On Monday, the first day of the school year, Mayor Lightfoot declared schools COVID safe. But, the Chicago Teachers Union and SEIU Local 73 said schools are less safe than they were last year when in-person learning began.
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They said many students are in overcrowded classrooms and sit shoulder-to-shoulder in lunchrooms with no chance for physical distancing.
And COVID testing hasn’t yet begun said Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Stacy Davis Gates.
“Testing hasn’t started in a broad-based manner. There are members and families who have not gotten a communication about when they go and test, where they go and test, where the procedures are. This is day four," she said.
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Gates said in situations where students are crammed in lunchrooms and have to have their masks off to eat, they could be eating outside on the school grounds. She said schools could set up tables to make that happen.
And, in high schools where the change of class periods means crowded hallways, she said schools could stagger how many students are in the halls.
“Scheduling for a pandemic in a school community is chaotic in itself, because it doesn’t easily conform to that, but failing to do so in the middle of a pandemic is even worse," she said.
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Diane Palmer, president of SEIU Local 73, said “We have over 100,000 students that are under 12 years old and they cannot get vaccinated. Every day we delay putting in place testing and cleaning protocols is another day that lives are at risk.”
CPS has been contacted for a response.
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