I am a parent of students in CPS schools. Once again I am watching as the Chicago Teachers Union and CPS square off over reopening schools. CPS is concerned about making sure our children continue to get in-person learning as the priority. The CTU is pushing for schools to go virtual in January due to the increasing number of COVID cases.
This decision is something that will have a significant impact on me and my children. It is also a decision that parents should have some say in.
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I am personally an advocate for in-person learning. Many children suffered as a result of online learning a year ago, including my own. This was particularly true for families without a lot of resources. I know a number of parents who lost their jobs when they had to stay home with their children during school hours. Many others who wanted to keep working were forced to pay for child care out of their own pockets, while some found that local child care centers were unable to accommodate more children.
Schools were designed to provide students with a proper environment to learn and be productive. Most students of lower-income families do not have a proper space to do remote learning at home. Many parents relied on friends and family to assist with their children, but unfortunately, some were led into unsafe environments. Many parents did not have the resources to manage keeping people properly protected from the disease.
I believe CPS has done a good job making the necessary adjustments this year to keep our children safe. For me, the worst thing we can do is go back to remote learning, even for a short amount of time, given the harm it has caused our children and in many cases, entire families.
Karonda Locust, Garfield Park
COVID and politics
Interesting strategy by Republican leaders and various Fox News personalities, telling their supporters it’s OK if they don’t get vaccinated when a majority of those dying of COVID are unvaccinated.
Kudos to everyone involved — including Donald Trump — for getting the vaccines ready so quickly during 2020. Since vaccines became widely available, the death rate from COVID by county has been directly related to how that county voted in 2020. Of course, it shouldn’t be that way. The more people who get vaccinated, the more lives are saved, no matter one’s political beliefs.
Considering the last election was so close, one would think Republicans would push a little harder to convince their supporters to stay alive. And now that we’re seeing the same analysis applying to children, one would think Republicans would want to keep their future supporters alive as well.
Kevin Coughlin, Evanston
