Chicago Parents Adjust To Kids Not Having CPS Classes Because Of COVID-19
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As Chicago Public Schools shut down amid COVID-19 concerns, parents of schoolchildren are also worried about how long school will be out.
As CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov reported, for some, the ability to access food is also on the minds of parents as they balance work and how to care for their kids.
Kassandra Perez picked up her daughter Monica from school, preparing for the long two weeks or more ahead.
"It's so chaotic," Perez said.
CPS parents across the city did the same thing Monday afternoon: making sure children have enrichment materials and all they need to learn for this long home stretch.
"This is not like the strike," said CPS CEO Janice Jackson. "There will be no adult supervision at the schools to support the students. So we are imploring families not to send their children to school."
CPS leaders and the city have been scrambling since the governor's order Friday that all schools must close effective Tuesday. They want to make sure the needs of the district's almost 400,000 students are met.
That includes setting up a CPS command center for parent and teacher questions, giving teachers time to prepare at home and online learning materials and providing three days worth of food for pick up for CPS families who need it.
"We've set this up so it's grab and go," Jackson said. "So that's going to limit interaction and touching between the individuals picking up and those that prepare the food. We're also stationing the pick-up and go spots right outside the school. That's an additional precaution. So we feel pretty confident about that and we're limiting social interaction as much as possible."
Perez said the food will help.
"I don't want to lose money so I have to go do work," Perez said. "No one is going to pay my bills. That's why I might get some food."
CPS is urging families who come to get food to do so every three days. Jackson said there will be Safe Passage workers around some schools to make sure that families can get to that food pickup without any problems.
