CPS, CTU Continue In-Person Learning Negotiations As Teachers Are Set To Return Wednesday
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A school standoff pushes back the return of Chicago Public Schools teachers to their classrooms, at least until Wednesday.
These are teachers who instruct kindergarten through eighth grade. The Chicago Teachers Union said it's not safe to return just yet. CBS 2's Mugo Odigwe reports on what they're waiting for.
Monday is the day people in Phase 1B can start getting vaccinated. That group includes teachers. The Chicago Teachers Union said it doesn't understand why the district can't wait until all teachers are vaccinated before requiring them to return to school buildings.
"We believe it will be possible for nearly all of our members to be vaccinated by the end of next month," said CTU Deputy Counsel Thad Goodchild.
Until then, these CTU members said they'd rather continue to teach their students remotely.
"The part I still can not figure out is why do I need to return to a classroom when 100% of students and families in my classroom chose remote learning," added teacher Shavon Coleman.
Kindergarten through eighth grade teachers were scheduled to return to classrooms Monday. Their students scheduled to come back to the classroom on February 1. But then, CTU voted to defy an order from Chicago Public Schools to return to in-person instruction. That led CPS to push the teachers' return date to Wednesday while bargaining continues.
In person learning for pre-K and special education cluster classes will continue. The district says more than 70% of those teachers showed up to school as expected last week.
Union leadership insisted teachers want to go back to the classroom, but they also want decisions on who returns and who stays remote made on a case-by-case basis.
"There are people who have said they would go back to work. We just need to build support around those people. There are people who say they want the vaccine. We believe that you can phase in those individuals and re-open," said CTU VP Stacy Davis Gates.
Both the district and teachers union will meet again Monday afternoon to continue negotiating.
At a news conference regarding the COVID vaccine, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said CPS wants to give families the option of returning to school if that's the best choice for them.
"It's not just your students showing up. It's not just teachers showing you. It's the whole school system ecosystem that is necessary to make that learning experience fruitful and worthwhile," Lightfoot said. "We're educating people, we're answering questions, listening and being responsive. For some people it's not going to be right, that they're going to want to keep their children and function."
In terms of discussions between CPS and the CTU, the mayor said she is optimistic that progress will be made in order to avoid a possible strike.
"We made a lot of progress, I think, over the course of the weekend. And I feel confident that school community that we are going to get a deal done," Lightfoot said.
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