CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A group of elected officials has written an open letter to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools asking for improvements to remote learning and an investment into stronger health and safety measures at schools before a return to in-person learning.
The letter — signed by a group of 15 Chicago aldermen from across the city, 26 state legislators, including Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-8th) and Rep. Kam Buckner (D-26th), and Cook County commissioners Brandon Johnson, Dennis Deer, and Alma Anaya — comes days after CPS announced plans to phase students back to in-person learning next month, starting with preschoolers and some special education students. Other students may start returning as soon as January.
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“So far the Mayor and CPS have been tight-lipped on the specifics of how they plan to return to in-person instruction, cutting students, parents, Aldermen and other elected officials, and our labor partners out of this very necessary planning process,” Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th), who signed the letter, said in a statement. “We should be working together to find the best solutions to create safe learning environments for students, teachers and staff.”
The group has sent the letter to the Mayor and CPS pointing to the challenges remote learning causes for students and families, particularly when it comes to internet access, device shortages, and prolonged screen time for young learners.
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“We implore you to revamp the screen schedule and increase opportunities for non-screen learning and physical activity,” the letter reads. “Other cities have made the shift, and we think the same should be done here.”
The coalition of officials is also demanding that any decision to bring students back take into account the disparities in how COVID-19 has affected different communities, including those with “high populations of essential workers, multigenerational families, and those at higher risk of serious complications.”
“We ask that you build flexibility for parents and families into any in-person return plan, including a clear remote-only option that does not penalize students and families for prioritizing their safety,” the letter reads.
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"We need the Mayor and her team to work collaboratively with all stakeholders in this moment, and do so in good faith. The families we represent have great trepidation about returning to schools this fall, just as they did prior to the September start of classes. What they want is remote learning to be better until students and their teachers can safely transition back into school buildings. We know remote learning and COVID has been difficult for our communities, but so are the risks of bringing students back, and we have yet to see anything from CPS that gives us confidence in its current plans," said Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson.
“We have experienced a great deal of death in our communities. We want to prevent more people from dying. We call on the Mayor and CPS to cooperate and collaborate with community leaders and experts in the field, and reach common ground on what is truly a life or death decision."
Additionally, the elected officials urged CPS use TIF funds to improve the air ventilation and filtration systems at their schools should they decide to bring students back for classes, and implement a strategy for testing, tracing, and isolation should someone test positive.
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“We have seen the statistics on CPS’s air quality, as well as the recent arbitrator’s decision on CPS school safety. That information is deeply concerning. Only through short-term measures like room air purifiers and ensuring windows can open can we even consider a return," the letter reads. "Over the long term, CPS must equitably invest in HVAC and filtration upgrades in schools across the city. Capital funding, including using TIF, is thus a high priority. With regard to testing and tracing, we believe that the city’s current approach is insufficient. The experience of several universities is instructive: rapid testing, backwards tracing to prevent “super spreader” events, and clear isolation protocols. The city must have the same resources in place for a return to in-person learning at CPS."
The letter concludes, "We present these proposals fully aware of the difficult decisions we will have to make this year and next for the city, county, and state finances. First and foremost, we choose to invest in the health and safety of the Chicago Public Schools’ students."