The Chicago Pubic Schools district intends to reopen kindergarten through 8th grade for in-class schooling and in-person teaching on 1 February. To that end, the teachers were required to show up for work last Monday to prepare for the reopening.
The Chicago Teachers Union refused.
The union’s excuse was their holding of
the clear and present danger that [in-person classes and teaching] poses to the health of our families and school communities.
This, of course, is nothing more than an exercise in power for power’s sake and a preliminary round leading to demands for more money. The “clear and present danger” has long since been debunked. Children are the least likely to get sick from the Wuhan Virus, both in relative terms and in absolute, and those that do carry the virus are extremely unlikely to spread it, either among themselves or to adults.
The CTU badly wants decertification and the rebellious teachers fired for cause.
The only question is whether Chicago’s management has the moral courage to do so. Sadly for the kids, that’s doubtful.