Chicago school system locks out some teachers, withholds pay for not returning to in-person instruction - The Washington Post

Chicago-The school district said that since the spring, Chicago opened a public school classroom for the first time this week since the spring, but 18% of teachers and staff who asked to return on Monday did not do so.

On Monday night, Chicago Public Schools notified 145 employees that they had been asked for leave instead of leave, and their salaries would stop on Tuesday. According to regional emails received by many teachers, some teachers who spent time on virtual teaching on Monday instead of returning to teaching in person were also locked out of their Google Classroom account at night.

Regional spokesperson James Gherardi said in a statement: "The vast majority of educators needed to return to school have returned to work, and we ensure that we are responsible for those who choose not to support returning students. ."

Thad Goodchild, an attorney for the Chicago Teachers Union, said the area violated the contract (which the city government debated) and violated state law by withholding the salaries of educators who worked remotely and provided remote guidance during the pandemic.

Goodchild said the union will file a class action lawsuit based on the labor contract with the area, “on behalf of any paid Chicago public school member who stops while working remotely because it relentlessly threatens to do so.” He said that under state law, the The region faces responsibility for theft of wages.

Kirstin Roberts, a 52-year-old preschool teacher in Chicago, was one of the district teachers considered absent without asking for leave. She spent Monday teaching her 22 students from home.

Soon after the teaching, Roberts received an email informing her that she was considered absent without leaving until she reported on the job. Two hours later, she was locked out of her Google Classroom account and other regional tools for virtual teaching.

Roberts called the situation "frustrating" because she wanted to continue teaching her students online-she said all of these people chose to stay at home instead of returning in person.

Roberts said: "I live with my elderly mother." Roberts teaches at an elementary school in the Brentano School of Mathematics and Science. Her health is very serious. She has a brain disease. She does not have a bladder, and she suffered from lung cancer last year. I can't bring this to her. "

The region said it will start the AWOL process among 145 of the approximately 210 employees, and will issue a final notice if it does not appear in person on Monday.

"I'm not AWOL," Roberts said. "I teach every day. My principal knows this, and all my parents know."

According to official regulations, the region’s policy is to be absent for 10 consecutive days to be considered AWOL.

Jesse Sharkey, president of the Chicago Federation of Teachers, accused the area of ​​bullying and threatening employees and demanding that they return to work. Sharkey said that better procedures are needed, but there is no clear guidance on what educators should do if there is an outbreak in the school; if a school riot occurs, what conditions will cause the school to close.

Infection or outbreak.

Sharkey said: "We feel as if no one is listening." "We raised reasonable concerns."

Linda Perales, a special education teacher at Corkery Elementary, did not go to work, her Google Classroom account was also suspended, and said she no longer received her salary. She said at a press conference hosted by the union: "I don't think it is safe to do this because we know that our cluster students cannot wear masks all day." "Someone told us that we need to improve their awareness of wearing masks all day. Tolerance, which means they can’t wear masks all day long. This is an airborne virus, and not wearing a mask puts everyone at risk.”

The district said that more than 6,000 pre-kindergarten and diverse learners of all ages who need “moderate to in-depth support” have chosen the city’s tiered plan. It did not provide the number of students who eventually returned to study in person on Monday.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) stated that although distance learning works well for some students, “it cannot provide the same or good service for all students.” She believes that the school will be reopened. It is part of a larger plan to get Chicagoans back to work.

"If we don't have a strong and vibrant healthy public, then we can't accomplish anything else necessary-whether it's economic development, whether it's addressing violence, mental health, and trauma in our communities-Lightfoot said." core. It is an ecosystem. It is the foundation on which we build everything else. "

Parent Sue Wojcik said that her 4-year-old daughter was happy to go to preschool in person and couldn't stop talking about it. When she returns home on Monday, she wants to go to bed early so that she can go to school again. Vosick said the hardest part is to train daughters not to hug friends or teachers.

Wojcik said: "She is very happy to finally meet all the friends she saw on Google in distance learning." "I'm glad she is very happy. Going back is the right thing for her because she is super social."

Wojcik is a part-time veterinary technician at an animal hospital and married to the Chicago police. She said that although she didn't want anyone to get sick, letting her daughter participate in face-to-face learning helped her and her husband. Continue to work and interact with the public frequently during the pandemic. She said: "You have to go to work." "The school is doing what it can, and distance learning is not for everyone."

Catherine Henchek's son, who suffers from epilepsy and cognitive impairment, is a member of a group of diverse learners of all ages who were invited to return to study in person. She chose not to let his son return to school.

Hencek said that when her son saw some classmates attending classes remotely at school, some of his classmates were studying in school, and some of them were wearing masks. She had to have "hard conversations" with her son.

Hencek said of his son: “At first he wanted to go because he wanted to participate in sports.” Her son usually arrives at school at 6:45 in the morning so that he can have more time to play basketball before school. Henchek said that after explaining that the exercise was not going on and how she worried that the virus was still spreading, she had to assure her son that none of his friends would die because of school.

Hencek said: "It's very difficult, but I don't think it is safe to go back in person."

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