Chicago public schools will start the school year all virtual

06 / 08 / 2020

By CNN -

Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s third-largest school system, will start the coming school year with fully remote learning for all students due to the coronavirus pandemic, the district announced Wednesday.

The decision could avoid a possible strike from the Chicago Teachers Union. The district will implement remote learning through the first quarter, which ends November 9, and then will evaluate if it is safe to open in a hybrid learning model.

“As a district, we value parent feedback and we cannot overlook that a large percentage of parents have indicated they do not feel comfortable sending their students to school under a hybrid model for the start of the school year,” said CPS CEO Janice K. Jackson in a statement.

“I understand the uncertainty this pandemic has caused our parents, especially communities of color who have been disproportionately impacted. We are making every possible effort to provide a high-quality remote learning experience in the fall, utilizing live, virtual instruction for every student, every day, and we are committed to ongoing engagement and communication with parents.”

The announcement comes a day after a source close to the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) told CNN that the CTU planned to convene their House of Delegates early next week to discuss taking a strike vote to demand remote learning for Chicago Public Schools.

The decision affects more than 355,000 students and most severely hurts poor families and people of color. About 76% of students are economically disadvantaged, and among all students, 36% are African-American and 47% are Hispanic, according to Chicago Public Schools data.