“Yesterday afternoon, we received a counter-proposal from the CTU leadership and responded with our latest, best and final offer,” Mayor Lightfoot said in a statement. “We expect a response from the CTU leadership today. We will make further statements about school on Monday later today.”
At a press conference Thursday morning, Lightfoot demanded an immediate deadline, saying, “We need to close a deal today.”
WATCH: Mayor Lightfoot discusses CPS and CTU negotiations Thursday morning
Earlier in the day, Lightfoot rebuked CTU leaders for not sending the proposal earlier, reiterating the steps the city has taken to ensure safety. She said the CTU has created chaos and the ball is in their field.
“There’s no reason we shouldn’t have done it yesterday, Tuesday, or Monday,” Lightfoot said. “But today is the day, I have run out of patience.”
In an open letter sent Thursday morning, the CTU said, “ We cannot return to personal instruction until we have made more progress with the district on health statistics based on the CDC, enabling educators with medically vulnerable family members to teach remotely. can continue to give, and address real equality needs for the vast majority of our students – particularly black and Latinx students who continue to learn from a distance. “
Lightfoot said the negotiations took a “series of steps backwards” on Wednesday after taking several steps on teacher testing and vaccinations.
She said the city “waited for hours” for a proposal on other issues from the CTU that never materialized.
CPS has invested $ 100 million in reducing school safety, and Jackson accused the CTU of ignoring the experts.
“It bothers me that we keep seeing people ignoring what the scientists, like Dr. Fauci, Dr. Arwady, say, and even yesterday, the head of the CDC,” Jackson said.
The district has committed to vaccinating 1,500 CTU members per week. But CTU is asking the number to increase as more vaccines become available.
“We are committed to getting this group vaccinated, but I want to emphasize that vaccination is not required for the safe reopening of schools,” said Dr. Allison Arwady of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Lightfoot said the city’s positivity has declined; children must go back to school, and parents must have that option. The mayor and city health commissioner said that, with necessary safety precautions, the school can be run safely.
Dr. Arwady said that when measures are in place – masks, distance, pods – personal learning can be a safe environment.
Some CPS parents expressed suspicion of the district on Thursday morning at a CTU press conference about returning in person safely.
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“I don’t think CPS has been completely transparent about how their reopening plan is going; they’ve been constantly changing it,” said CPS parent Dulce Jimenez.
Lightfoot said she expects teachers to be back in school as soon as possible, but she hasn’t set a date.
Friday is a day off for students, so the earliest they can be back is Monday.
In a document that ABC 7 obtained from sources close to the negotiating table, it was found that CPS and the CTU had reached a preliminary agreement on testing and were close to an agreement on vaccines.
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The two sides have not agreed on health statistics that would lead to the closure of classrooms and accommodations for those caring for people with underlying health conditions.
CPS and the CTU both still hope to avoid a strike.
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