CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago Public Schools has reached an agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union that will provide $10 million to support school staffing.
The money will be used to hire additional long-term substitute teachers, and may also be used to cover expedited compensation for missed teacher prep time, compensation for teachers covering additional classes, and expand the substitute teacher pools, according to a news release.
CPS, like many districts across the country, has had many employee vacancies amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"By giving our schools more funding and flexibility, we can ease the burden on administrators and educators so they focus on their most important job: preparing every Chicago Public Schools student for success in the classroom and beyond," said CPS CEO Pedro Martinez in a statement.
District officials also agreed Tuesday to pause REACH teacher evaluations for the second consecutive year except for teachers on remediation plans and probationary teachers working towards tenure following the State Board of Education’s decision last month to provide flexibility amid staff and supply shortages.
CPS created and implemented REACH (Recognizing Educators Advancing Chicago’s Students) educator evaluation and support system in response to a 2010 state law requiring more robust teacher evaluations, including classroom observations and student growth measures.