Staff at public high schools across the city stayed home Wednesday, protesting Chicago Public Schools’ reopening plan.
Even so, Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey said Wednesday morning that a “fairly limited set of issues” remain and he described bargaining between the union and administration as “fairly productive.”
“It’s our feeling CTU is making very reasonable demands,” Sharkey said, talking to reporters in an online news conference.
CPS plans to have high schoolers return to classrooms Monday, although teachers and other staff were told to return April 12 to prepare for the reopening.
Key unresolved issues for CTU include scheduling so that high schools, particularly those with larger populations, are less crowded during the day, as well as allowing for tele-working for staff who have family members vulnerable to COVID-19. The union also wants the city to make vaccines available to returning high school students.
“We believe there is a pathway forward. We just need partnership to walk down that path,” said Stacy Davis Gates, CTU’s vice president.
