Back To School For CPS Students
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It's back to school for hundreds of thousands of Chicago students.
But for most of them, school is at home. CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov reports for some, the first day had its fair share of challenges.
The start to this school year is anything but traditional. It's all remote for more than 300,000 CPS students like first grader Aubrey Jackson.
"It's actually going better than previously expected," said her mother Andrea Jackson.
The principal of Pullman's Edgar Allan Poe said the same for their first, all virtual day.
"We just about had 100% attendance. Even though one kid didn't show up, we made contact with him. We know he'll be here tomorrow," said Eric Dockery, Principal at Edgar Allan Poe Elementary School.
As some parents come in to pick up books and supplies, Dockery said there were some technical glitches at first.
"But we had them all worked out by 10:00 a.m.," he said.
Other schools, not so lucky. Some students had problems logging in. Others, with connectivity. And still others with finding teacher links.
Unlike the spring, attendance will be taken every day in every class and it will count. But CPS CEO Doctor Janice Jackson said students students won't be counted absent if technology kept them away.
"Absolutely not. We're working directly with our families, working through those technical issues. Our plan has been about flexibility," Jackson said.
Jackson and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said more than 18,000 tablets were given to CPS students in the past two weeks, and the Chicago Connected program is helping hundreds more get high speed internet.
It's two ways CPS hopes to improve remote learning now after a substandard virtual spring.
