Join our car caravan for a safe demonstration to demand schools open virtually this fall, for the safety of all.
CTU members miss our students and want to teach them in-person as soon as we can safely. Yet safety for our students, their families and our colleagues comes first. Safety first was our watchword before the pandemic, it’s even more important now. On the other hand, President Trump and U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos are pushing to reopen schools without regard to safety. Unfortunately, Mayor Lightfoot seems to be on the same page as the White House. The CTU, however, believes that the best way to guarantee the safety of our school communities is to begin the year virtually.
The CTU released its new report Same Storm, Different Boats: The Safe Equitable Conditions For Reopening CPS in 2020-21 that highlights the needs of students and their families and of educators in order to teach and learn in person. Here’s a brief outline of these needs:
- Clean and sanitized school buildings
- Protective equipment
- Adequate staffing: nurses, counselors and social workers to support student physical and emotional health
- Adequate social distancing, which requires small class sizes
- Prep time and self-directed days and a moratorium on evaluations
- Fresh air flow and adequate ventilation
- Alternative options for high-risk students and educators, including those with compromised immune systems
CPS failed to provide even the most basic sanitation before the pandemic. They’ve failed to provide adequate staffing or supports for students with special learning needs, much less adequate supports for students facing a pandemic.
Join this car caravan—safely distant and protected in your car from contamination—to show the board meeting we are united for the safety of our students, their families and the educators who serve them.
