UIC administration officials held a town hall last week to push for reopening the university as the pandemic continues to take more than 2,000 lives daily in the US.
The students join thousands of other educators and young people throughout the country fighting for the emergency closure of schools to stop the spread of COVID-19.
With 20 percent of teachers not recording a vote, this means that only 41 percent of teachers voted in favor of a return to class, according to the CTU’s own figures.
The mass walkout by thousands of student youth takes place as Chicago teachers are mobilizing to oppose an effort to reopen schools to in-person learning.