An organization of principals in Chicago has submitted a phased reopening plan for the schools in the city which they say will put an end to the divisive deadlock between district officials and [the] Chicago Teachers Union. ‘
The idea comes as Chicago Public Schools (CPS) – for the second day in a row – instructs parents not to send their children to their facilities for personal learning, as the fight against the union continues.
The two parties have not yet reached an agreement on reopening conditions during the coronavirus pandemic – and the strike puts the district’s expected date on February 1 to bring back K-8 students for personal classes.
“We are the ones to whom they hand over the plans, aren’t we? There is no more important group of people to get involved in the process than we are,” Troy LaRaviere, president of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, said Wednesday. said. in announcing his organization’s plan. “And for some inexplicable reason, the district has not done so and we still continue not to consult.”
Kindergarten learners listen on January 11 while their teacher reads a story at Dawes Elementary in Chicago. Chicago Public Schools wanted thousands of K-8 teachers and staff to return to classrooms Monday to prepare for the resumption of personal learning, but now the deadline has been delayed. (AP / Chicago Sun-Times)
CHICAGO PARENTS ARE ORDERED NOT TO BRING CHILDREN TO SCHOOL AFTER IMPASSES CONTINUE
“Even the NBA made enough sense to help the players’ union design the process that led to the successful resumption of their season,” he added.
According to the organization’s plan, Chicago should return to school with their students by opening only about 75 facilities and then sharpening them every three to four weeks, if possible.
“Open a small group of schools in a representative sample of Chicago communities where the administrative staff and a sufficient number of teachers and paraprofessionals believe they have the need for a safe return. Make these staff a priority for vaccinations before the launch begins, “it says. “Consider allowing some schools in the pilot to open in person for specific grade levels to offset staff or space shortages, and expand them as readiness issues are addressed.”
The plan says as an example that by April 15, Chicago could have more than 400 of its 642 schools available for personal learning if it follows a safe and successful phase-in approach.
“A pilot approach will allow the necessary stress testing for the district to assess individual school needs versus the ‘one size fits all’ approach of the current plan,” it says.
‘Schools introduced for the subsequent phases of the pilot do not have to endure the constant and confusing updates and changes to policies we are currently experiencing, as the pilot period will give CPS time and space to develop a coherent package of guidance material and to refine. and support based on the questions, concerns and experiences of the schools in the initial launch, “the plan adds.
CHICAGO’S PLAN TO REOPEN SCHOOLS CLOSES ANOTHER STUPPER THAT UNION THREATENS
The Chicago Principals and Administrators Association’s plan was drawn up following a survey of 377 local principals and assistant principals – less than 17 percent of whom, according to them, were prepared to open schools on Feb. 1.
“We salute the district goals,” LaRaviere said in a statement. “However, their plans are not realistic or safe for most of our schools.”
According to LaRaviere, the poll revealed that members do not believe there will be enough staff at schools to reopen safely, or that there are enough security supplies to protect against the spread of COVID-19. And according to him, the members have not received sufficient guidance from the district on how to reopen the schools that have been closed since March.
LaRaviere added that the organization submitted its plan to CPS on Tuesday.
However, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says the plan is still to welcome K-8 students on Monday, and the union said its members will continue to teach at a distance without making an agreement, but they will hold the picket when they are outside the teaching systems.
Chicago CEO Janice Jackson said the district has implemented the kind of phased-in approach that principals are pushing for when it opens schools for preschool and special education students this month.
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“They have been back to school for three weeks and the plan is working,” she said during a meeting of the school board on Wednesday.
However, statistics provided by CPS to Fox News the same day indicated that only 485 – or about 28 percent of its teachers before the K and special education – attended on Wednesday, compared to 66 percent (1,126 teachers) the previous day.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.