Threat of strike forces Chicago to cancel school re-opening plan

CHICAGO—The Chicago Public Schools have backed down from their plan to reopen school buildings in August despite the coronavirus pandemic.

City Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the reversal in a morning press conference on August 5, citing health recommendations and parent and teacher concern as her reasons.

City schools will hold remote-only classes for the first quarter of the year, through November 8, she said.

The city had planned on forcing teachers to return four days a week, and students twice weekly. That led the Chicago Teachers Union, AFT Local 1, to schedule a potential strike authorization vote during the week of August 10. Now the union won’t have to do so.

“Congratulations to the mayor for being willing to listen to the concerns of families, educators, community groups and health professionals,” union President Jesse Sharkey said. “Now that she has stepped away from a dangerous Trump/DeVos scheme to force in-person learning this fall, we hope she will embrace guidelines set forth by real public health experts....

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