The Chicago Teachers Union warned CPS leadership that their members would return to remote learning if an agreement was not reached by Wednesday. CTU and CPS bargained late into the night on Tuesday but were unable to come to an agreement. As warned high school teachers and staff taught from home or sat outside of their school building to teach remotely. Over 84% of high school teachers returned to their classrooms on Monday to prepare for the return of their students. CPS set an April 19 return date for high school students and remains confident that in-person learning will resume on Monday.
Earlier this week CPS stated that they were “firmly committed” to having the students who opted in for in-person learning return to the classroom this coming Monday. They spoke about being in alignment with CTU on safety measures and procedures and committed to assisting students with receiving the COVID-19 vaccination when they became eligible.
Despite CPS’s optimism high school teachers did not return to their classrooms today. Opting instead to continue to teach remotely until an agreement can be reached between the CTU and CPS leadership.
CTU president Jesse Sharkey held a press conference Wednesday and appeared pleased with the progress so far. He said CPS was “quite responsive” towards their concerns and called the bargaining session productive.
Bargaining between the two parties continued into late Wednesday evening. The union’s House of Delegates is expected to vote on a tentative framework agreement later this afternoon.
Paula J. Shelton is a freelance writer and journalist based in Chicago. Find her on social media @BeBoldShineOn.
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