Why is cps going on strike

CTU continued its fight Thursday by organizing a news conference with medical experts and parents who support keeping students at home, citing health and safety concerns. The district said the vote would "cancel in-person learning for the tens of thousands of students who asked to return — and the thousands of pre-K and cluster students who are already learning safely in classrooms.

Along with the thousands of elementary and middle school staff and teachers expected to return to classrooms next week, an estimated 71, students are scheduled to join them on Feb.

Skip to content. Chicago Public Schools. Kyle Rittenhouse 12 mins ago. The union has been suggesting that the reopening be delayed and then phased in so that fewer teachers and staff are needed. The union wants more staff to be allowed to work from home. A big argument has been over how many teachers and staff should be required in school buildings. The union wants staff to be able to volunteer to return, or at least a more liberal accommodation policy that allows for almost all staff to stay home if they have a medical concern or someone in their family does.

Up to now, CPS has let staff with qualifying medical conditions work at home but has been far less willing to let staff work remotely who are fearful for themselves or for a family member with a higher risk of a COVID complication. In its proposal Tuesday, CPS said it is guaranteeing remote accommodations for all staff who have conditions that put them at elevated risk if they contract COVID or who are the primary caregivers for family members who are at increased risk.

But the school district is trying to balance these concerns with the need to have teachers in schools with students. Even with a small percentage of students going into classes, matching teachers and other staff with classes is difficult.

The union wants metrics in place to dictate when schools close and reopen. Union leaders acknowledge that this is likely too optimistic. CPS had backed off having a positivity rate this summer, saying public health officials no longer recommend it. The school district says the public health department recommends a measure that looks at how many days it takes for positivity rates to double. The union wants more testing. In recent days, leadership has mentioned the need for more baseline testing and for students to get tested.

Elementary and middle school teachers will be required to report to schools Monday to teach their students virtually. The teachers union has already voted to strike if its members are locked out. Why should CPS stand out when private and parochial schools in Chicago have been operating since the beginning of the school year? The district said its bargaining team stood ready to resume negotiations, waiting for a counterproposal from the union that never came.

If CPS locks out elementary and middle school teachers and the union strikes, high school classes would also come to a halt, jeopardizing final exams scheduled this week. A day earlier, several verbal agreements turned into written ones on health and safety protocols, ventilation, a contact tracing program and safety committees at each school that would monitor problems.

The sides are still negotiating over larger disagreements, such as a health metric to determine school closures, teacher vaccinations, a broader testing program for staff and students and work-from-home accommodations. CPS said 5, CPS employees have already received approval to continue working from home because of underlying medical conditions. But the union is looking for another 2, requests to be approved for educators who are afraid of bringing the virus home to medically vulnerable household members.

But he was frustrated by what he called a lack of communication on the issue by district officials. Lightfoot and Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady have been reluctant to do that, saying essential workers who have been in person all this time should be prioritized over teachers. Schools are not significant sources of spread. And so this is a public health solution. We have to start with that.