Chicago City Wire

Chicago’s more than 340,000 public school students may be forced to move back to remote learning if the teachers union goes forward with a “remote-work action.”

The Chicago Teachers Union polled its members prior to its scheduled Jan. 3 return and an overwhelming majority of the system’s more than 21,000 teachers polled favored such an action.

“BREAKING: 91% of Chicago Teachers Union members who responded to their internal poll tonight said they would participate in a ‘remote-work action’ after winter break,” Corey DeAngelis, national director of research for School Choice Now, posted on Twitter.

The question was on a poll titled "Possible Actions for Safety January 2022.” The poll began with an introduction:

  “Cases of the new omicron variant are spiking in Chicago and around the country. It is imperative that we return from our winter break with a plan to ensure school communities’ and our own safety. Please answer the following very short survey to help guide the CTU’s response to CPS’s inadequate pandemic response.”

The poll then asked the teachers' feelings on remote learning.

“If COVID continues to dangerously accelerate or should staffing levels in our schools drop to unsafe levels, would you support a... District-wide pause and temporary shift to remote learning?” the online survey asked, telling members to check either “yes” or “no."

The teachers union praised educators who in January taught students outside in the cold rather than teach in classrooms they deemed “unsafe.”

“Courageous educators across the city braved frigid temperatures — and potential disciplinary action — teaching outside as the mayor tried to force students, educators and staff back into unsafe school buildings. The vast majority of families refused and stuck with remote learning for the rest of the school year,” CTU wrote on its website.

CTU slowed the return to in-person teaching, leaving students out of classrooms for 13 months. Over that time students across the system have recorded diminishing student achievement scores.

CTU also recently accused CPS of lax testing measures over the Christmas break.

Over 150,000 tests were distributed to the school system itself which has been unable to provide the tests to students.  

CTU members blamed parents and students, asking them to pick up and return tests over the break.

“We need more tests to be distributed. We need it to be easy for these parents to return these tests,” Christel Williams-Hayes, CTU recording secretary, told CBS 2.

In mid-December Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said it was unlikely the school district would move back to remote to combat the omicron variant of COVID-19.

Chicago Public Schools is the third largest school district in the country. It is comprised of 638 schools.