In Chicago, a deadlock between the teachers union and the school district over COVID-19 safety has led to canceled classes Wednesday and Thursday for most of the district’s 330,000 students.
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), which has roughly 25,000 members, voted late Tuesday to shift to remote learning until Jan. 18, or when cases fall. The union is concerned about what members see as inadequate COVID-19 safety rules and is demanding that the district require negative coronavirus tests from students and staff before returning to school.
In response, Chicago Public Schools announced it would cancel classes Wednesday, neither offering in-person nor remote instruction. On Wednesday evening, it announced that classes would again be canceled Thursday because there weren't enough teachers to staff classrooms.
Experts say the conflict is far from surprising and a result of an already tense relationship between the union and district. And they predict it won't last long at a time when schools desperately need teachers and students desperately need in-person learning.
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