CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) --Thursday marks the final day of the fall quarter for Chicago Public School students, but there’s no indication yet when they’ll be able to return to classrooms for in-person learning.
Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey told members Wednesday that despite rumors CPS would be returning for in-person learning next week, that was not true.
“Although some principals continue to tell staff otherwise, Chicago Public Schools officials told us during bargaining today that they do not plan to reopen school buildings to returning students and staff on Monday,” Sharkey wrote in a statement.
CPS has previously said that at some point before the end of 2020, it hopes to have pre-kindergarten and special education student clusters returning to classrooms. But they have yet to publicly announce a date for a return to classrooms.
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CPS also has not publicly released the outcome of intent-to-return surveys submitted by parents of eligible students. Sharkey believes that most parents said no.
“We’ve heard from school after school that parents surveyed by CPS overwhelmingly responded that they were not comfortable with their children returning for in-person learning,” Sharkey said in a statement. “Because CPS and the mayor know that buildings aren’t ready to be reopened, despite their claims in the press.”
On Wednesday, CPS announced it was investing $8.5 million to buy HEPA air purifiers for 20,000 classrooms that don’t have mechanical ventilation.
Additionally, CPS pointed out that ventilation and air quality assessments have been done and found that 94% of school spaces and 99% of classrooms have been found to be safe enough for students to return. A CPS website spells out the status of all classrooms and which ones may need repairs or improvements before students return.