Mayor Lori Lightfoot blasted the Chicago Teachers Union late Tuesday for the work action, which the union said was endorsed by 73% of its members. CTU said it took the step out of concerns about inadequate COVID-19 protections and intends to continue to teach remotely, though it remains unclear if that will happen starting Thursday.
CPS parents interviewed by the Tribune expressed a range of opinions, with some adamant that in-person school classes must continue and others saying schools should take a pause. Some pandemic-weary parents just wished the district had better plans in place.
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At Laurel Hill Elementary School in Hanover Park, music teacher Lynne Schefke, right, who normally works at Huff Elementary School in Elgin, high-fives student Angel Herrera in a dual-language kindergarten classroom while working as a substitute teacher on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Even remote learning is not an option for some students at a growing number of suburban schools, where the spike in COVID-19 cases this week has sidelined teachers and staff, suspending classroom instruction amid a critical statewide shortfall of school employees.
At Elgin-based Community Unit School District 46 — the second largest school district in Illinois — officials announced that five of its 57 schools were closed Tuesday because of staffing shortages, which unlike previous classroom shutdowns, does not include pivoting to online instruction.
People stand outside the Center for COVID Control COVID-19 testing trailer on Harlem Avenue in Forest Park on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022 at Chicago Police headquarters. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace walks on the field before the Bears play the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field Sunday Dec. 26, 2021 in Seattle. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
One game remains in the Chicago Bears’ lackluster 2021 season — and big changes could be ahead for the organization. Brad Biggs answers readers’ questions about the team’s future and more in his weekly Bears mailbag.
People walk through snow on North Michigan Avenue after a winter storm dropped at least two inches of snow in the area Jan. 2, 2022 in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)