Feb 17, 2021
The back to school debate rages on amidst the pandemic. While some large school districts reopen for in-person learning, some say we’re not ready. Will new guidance from the CDC change the conversation?
Matt Barnum, national reporter covering education policy and research for Chalkbeat. (@matt barnum)
Benjamin P. Linas, infectious disease physician and associate professor of epidemiology at the Boston University School of Medicine. (@BenjaminLinas)
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. (@rweingarten)
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Christine Kratt, third grade teacher in the San Diego Unified School District.
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What The Science Says About How To Reopen Schools
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Mayor Lori Lightfoot blames Chicago Teachers Union for lack of CPS reopening deal: We are out of runway We need to get a deal today
chicagotribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chicagotribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
CHICAGO â Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot sought to blame the Chicago Teachers Union for the lack of an agreement to reopen Chicago Public Schools and said âtime is running out.â
âWe are deeply disappointed to announce that we still have not reached a deal,â the mayor said at a Thursday news conference. âThe ball is in CTUâs court.â
She asserted that the city waited for hours Thursday night for an updated CTU proposal and âwe are still waiting this morning, to be clear, not patiently. . My patience with delays from the CTU leadership is over.â
She also said: âWe are out of runway. . Time is running out.â
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Staff members returning to McCutcheon Elementary last week instantly noticed problems just days before students were expected to return to the classroom.
“Two of the classrooms set to receive students had not passed the ventilation assessment by CPS’ standards, teachers found rooms that had not been fully cleaned since March and there was no all-staff meeting or clear instruction on how to receive the students,” social studies teacher Jenny Delessio–Parson said at a news conference hosted by the Chicago Teachers Union Tuesday.
Then a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, which has forced the school’s principal, assistant principal and four others into quarantine in a hectic return to in-person teaching for the first time during the pandemic.