The Chicago Public Schools canceled all in-person and remote classes for a second day Thursday because of a stalemate between city officials and the teachers' union over whether to keep schools open during a Covid-19 surge.
A sign is displayed at the entrance of the headquarters for Chicago Public Schools.
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The school district sent a letter to families on Wednesday saying there was a lack of teachers.
Chicago Public Schools shut down again on Wednesday, less than a day after the majority of the Chicago Teachers Union voted to stay at home and only teach remotely until January 18.
The school district has failed to roll out testing and safety measures needed to stave off Covid-19, but the union's actions are disruptive to parents, unfair.
The city argues that this is an inadequate solution because it is disruptive to individual parents who have to work and can't afford to stay home.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Lightfoot said that she would not allow them to take our children hostage. Why are we here again when we know that our children are safe in school?
Michael Smith, a Chicago teacher and union representative, told CNN that the resources that were available were not being utilized.
What to watch for.
Some teachers and staff still reported to work despite the union vote, according to the letter. Some schools have enough staff to reopen as early as Friday, and other schools may send out remote learning materials.
The coronaviruses infections in Chicago have more than doubled in the last month, part of a nationwide surge driven by the new omicron variant. This wave of cases has led to calls for schools to be temporarily closed in places like New York City and Philadelphia. Local and federal government officials argued that a return to the remote learning policies that dominated many districts in 2020 and 2021 would hurt children's prospects.
