SHAREChicago Public Schools students will start the new school year at home next month as officials plan to announce as soon as Wednesday that they’ll back off a proposal that would have put children in classrooms two days a week, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.The decision to keep kids at home is an abrupt about-face from city officials who have faced heavy pressure from teachers and parents to go fully remote over health concerns during a pandemic, and who only four days ago asked families to decide whether their children would take part in the district’s in-person plan.La Voz AARPLea...…SHAREChicago Public Schools students will start the new school year at home next month as officials plan to announce as soon as Wednesday that they’ll back off a proposal that would have put children in classrooms two days a week, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.The decision to keep kids at home is an abrupt about-face from city officials who have faced heavy pressure from teachers and parents to go fully remote over health concerns during a pandemic, and who only four days ago asked families to decide whether their children would take part in the district’s in-person plan.La Voz AARPLea...WW…

SHAREA little less than half of Chicago Public Schools students are anticipated to return to classrooms Monday for the start of the fourth academic quarter, when for the first time in 13 months all 515 non-charter schools — including high schools — will be open for in-person learning.With 36% of high schoolers and nearly half of elementary school students planning to return, CPS could have up to 44% of its 279,000 students at non-charter schools back in classrooms this week. Those 122,000 students would be by far the most since the start of the pandemic, although the 157,000 continuing...…SHAREA little less than half of Chicago Public Schools students are anticipated to return to classrooms Monday for the start of the fourth academic quarter, when for the first time in 13 months all 515 non-charter schools — including high schools — will be open for in-person learning.With 36% of high schoolers and nearly half of elementary school students planning to return, CPS could have up to 44% of its 279,000 students at non-charter schools back in classrooms this week. Those 122,000 students would be by far the most since the start of the pandemic, although the 157,000 continuing...WW…

SHAREIn three weeks, up to 121,000 Chicago Public Schools students could be learning in classrooms at the start of the fourth academic quarter, doubling the number of students who returned this month.More kids — including potentially tens of thousands of high schoolers for the first time — means a need for more adults. And bringing back more educators would require more vaccinations, per a district agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union.As CPS races to get shots in arms by the mid-April expansion of in-person learning, how exactly is that progress coming along?La Voz AARPLea este...…SHAREIn three weeks, up to 121,000 Chicago Public Schools students could be learning in classrooms at the start of the fourth academic quarter, doubling the number of students who returned this month.More kids — including potentially tens of thousands of high schoolers for the first time — means a need for more adults. And bringing back more educators would require more vaccinations, per a district agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union.As CPS races to get shots in arms by the mid-April expansion of in-person learning, how exactly is that progress coming along?La Voz AARPLea este...WW…

SHAREChicago Public Schools officials will aim to reopen high schools at the start of the fourth academic quarter on April 19, the district announced Tuesday, even as ongoing negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union leave that target date unsettled.A mid-April reopening would resume in-person high school classes for the first time in over a year and would match plans several suburban districts have set out over the past few weeks.“Providing high school students the option to safely return on April 19 is a top priority for the district, and we will continue meeting regularly with CTU...…SHAREChicago Public Schools officials will aim to reopen high schools at the start of the fourth academic quarter on April 19, the district announced Tuesday, even as ongoing negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union leave that target date unsettled.A mid-April reopening would resume in-person high school classes for the first time in over a year and would match plans several suburban districts have set out over the past few weeks.“Providing high school students the option to safely return on April 19 is a top priority for the district, and we will continue meeting regularly with CTU...WW…

SHAREThe family of every Chicago Public Schools student, regardless of income or citizenship status, is set to receive more than $450 in the mail this month — plus hundreds more next month — to support food expenses.The benefits, which can be twice that amount or more for families with two or more kids in school, are funded through a federal pandemic relief program. In total, one million students throughout the state will qualify for similar benefits.The program — Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer, an offshoot of the EBT system — is intended to help students who usually receive free or...…SHAREThe family of every Chicago Public Schools student, regardless of income or citizenship status, is set to receive more than $450 in the mail this month — plus hundreds more next month — to support food expenses.The benefits, which can be twice that amount or more for families with two or more kids in school, are funded through a federal pandemic relief program. In total, one million students throughout the state will qualify for similar benefits.The program — Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer, an offshoot of the EBT system — is intended to help students who usually receive free or...WW…

SHAREAs students continue to ask for more leniency and support in remote learning, Chicago schools chief Janice Jackson reiterated her stance Wednesday that the school district would not reduce screen time — but she suggested officials would be willing to revisit how that time is spent.Those students’ pleas come as new data released Wednesday shows failing grades are up and attendance is down across Chicago Public Schools, largely along racial and socioeconomic lines.The district’s year-to-date attendance has dropped 1.9% this school year compared to last —92.5% to 90.6% — with the most...…SHAREAs students continue to ask for more leniency and support in remote learning, Chicago schools chief Janice Jackson reiterated her stance Wednesday that the school district would not reduce screen time — but she suggested officials would be willing to revisit how that time is spent.Those students’ pleas come as new data released Wednesday shows failing grades are up and attendance is down across Chicago Public Schools, largely along racial and socioeconomic lines.The district’s year-to-date attendance has dropped 1.9% this school year compared to last —92.5% to 90.6% — with the most...WW…

SHAREThe Chicago Teachers Union is reviewing a potential agreement with Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration to reopen schools for in-person learning and avert the city’s second teachers strike in 15 months.Under the city’s latest proposal, which grants the union many of its requests, no teacher or staff member would be required to return to work before being offered a vaccine, and the reopening of schools would be pushed back to March for elementary and middle school students.At a late morning news conference, an upbeat mayor said she was “tremendously pleased” to announce that at “long...…SHAREThe Chicago Teachers Union is reviewing a potential agreement with Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration to reopen schools for in-person learning and avert the city’s second teachers strike in 15 months.Under the city’s latest proposal, which grants the union many of its requests, no teacher or staff member would be required to return to work before being offered a vaccine, and the reopening of schools would be pushed back to March for elementary and middle school students.At a late morning news conference, an upbeat mayor said she was “tremendously pleased” to announce that at “long...WW…

SHAREMayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools officials say they will lock out preschool teachers and staff who work with disabled children from remote work if they don’t return to schools Monday, reigniting the potential for the city’s second teachers strike in 15 months.If the mayor and school district follow through with a threat they’ve made then backed off from several times the past two weeks, a Chicago Teachers Union walkout would likely be triggered, plunging the school system into deeper turmoil during a pandemic that has upended education for the past year.“Despite making...…SHAREMayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools officials say they will lock out preschool teachers and staff who work with disabled children from remote work if they don’t return to schools Monday, reigniting the potential for the city’s second teachers strike in 15 months.If the mayor and school district follow through with a threat they’ve made then backed off from several times the past two weeks, a Chicago Teachers Union walkout would likely be triggered, plunging the school system into deeper turmoil during a pandemic that has upended education for the past year.“Despite making...WW…

SHAREChicago Teachers Union members have voted to defy Chicago Public Schools’ reopening plans and continue working from home Monday because of health and safety concerns.City officials had said in recent days they , but in response to Sunday’s vote results said they will delay the scheduled return of thousands of teachers and staff until Wednesday “to ensure we have the time needed to resolve our discussions without risking disruption to student learning.”The CTU’s move to reject in-person work marks the culmination of a months-long fight between the union and the nation’s third-largest...…SHAREChicago Teachers Union members have voted to defy Chicago Public Schools’ reopening plans and continue working from home Monday because of health and safety concerns.City officials had said in recent days they , but in response to Sunday’s vote results said they will delay the scheduled return of thousands of teachers and staff until Wednesday “to ensure we have the time needed to resolve our discussions without risking disruption to student learning.”The CTU’s move to reject in-person work marks the culmination of a months-long fight between the union and the nation’s third-largest...WW…

SHAREPublicly funded charter schools in Chicago and elsewhere in Illinois received a total of between $31.2 million and $74.7 million in federal loans intended to bolster small businesses and non-profits during the coronavirus pandemic, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis has found.Thirty operators of 56 schools got the federal money even though, unlike many other employers that sought Paycheck Protection Program loans, they hadn’t lost any of their normal funding from Illinois taxpayers.That prompted Chicago Public Schools officials to call Wednesday for an investigation of why the privately...…SHAREPublicly funded charter schools in Chicago and elsewhere in Illinois received a total of between $31.2 million and $74.7 million in federal loans intended to bolster small businesses and non-profits during the coronavirus pandemic, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis has found.Thirty operators of 56 schools got the federal money even though, unlike many other employers that sought Paycheck Protection Program loans, they hadn’t lost any of their normal funding from Illinois taxpayers.That prompted Chicago Public Schools officials to call Wednesday for an investigation of why the privately...WW…