Students participating in remote learning get shortchanged in their education, Chris Cleveland said. | By Chicago-2016
Students participating in remote learning get shortchanged in their education, Chris Cleveland said. | By Chicago-2016
Chris Cleveland, former chair of the Chicago GOP, thinks keeping schools closed will shortchange students.
Illinois schools will remain closed to in-school instruction for the rest of this academic year under Gov. J.B. Pritzker's latest executive order. School systems had already been told to switch to remote learning after his initial closure order went into effect.
“I’ve said time and time again, our decisions are hard ones, but they follow the science — and the science says our students can’t go back to their normal routine,” Pritzker posted on his Facebook page. “Therefore, I am suspending in-person learning in schools for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year."
Cleveland ended his term as head of the party organization to make time for the software company he owns, Dieselpoint Inc. He transferred the reins to Steve Boulton just a day before Pritzker ended any chance of a return to in-school instruction for this academic year.
“As a CPS [Chicago Public Schools] parent, I can tell you that remote learning is not as effective as face-to-face. The kids do not put in the same number of hours,” Cleveland told Chicago City Wire.
“Nor do the CPS teachers," he said. "They are taking every bit of vacation they are due under their contract, and now have minimal contact with the kids. One teacher even failed to show up for a scheduled video conference this week."
Cleveland said it is bad for students.
“This, on top of wildly excessive salaries and the 16% pay raise in the last contract, means that taxpayers are paying a lot for little work, and the kids are getting shortchanged."
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