The Chicago Teachers Union National Day of Resistance Protests call for remote schooling days before the CPS announces a remote start this fall.

Protester holds up a sign outside of City Hall as part of the protest organized by the Chicago Teachers Union to make all CPS schools remote and equitable this fall.

Member of the car caravan from the CTU headquarters drives in front of city hall with signs and fake student on their roof

Signs calling for the defending of CPD hang on a lamp post outside of City Hall

Tara Stamps addresses the crowd outside of City Hall at the National Day of Resistance protest.

Crowd marching to the doors of City Hall to give the list of demands to Mayor Lori Lightfoot

A protester in the car caravan honks its horn as speakers at City Hall demand remote schools in Fall

	By Cameron Van Hare, Reporter, The Real Chi

On August 3 teachers, parents, and students gathered at City Hall as part of The National Day of Resistance. The National Day of Resistance’s aim was to keep schools closed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country. 

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) was the organizing body behind the Chicago National Day of Resistance. The CTU’s list of demands were as followed: 

1. No reopening until the scientific data supports it

2. Police-free schools

3. All schools must be supported to function as community schools with adequate numbers of counselors and nurses and community/parent outreach workers

4. Safe conditions including lower class sizes, PPE, cleaning, testing, and other key protocols

5. Equitable access to online learning

6. Support for our communities and families, including

moratorium on evictions/foreclosures, providing direct cash assistance to those not able to work or who are unemployed, and other critical social needs

7. Moratorium on new charter or voucher programs and standardized testing

8. Massive infusion of federal money to support the

reopening funded by taxing the billionaires and Wall

Street 

Prior to the protest, the city of Chicago proposed that students can either work entirely remotely or partake in the optional hybrid model in which students would return to in person classes twice a week in “pods.” 

“We want safety for our students, that should be the priority right now. We are in a pandemic, we are in a crisis. We do not want our children to be experimented on by forcing them to go back to school. Even in a hybrid model. Remote learning is the safest way for our students to learn,” said Andrea Parker, a long standing CTU representative and Chicago Public Schools teacher.

Parker was one of the teachers leading the car caravan that began at 11 A.M. at the Chicago Teachers Union headquarters in the West Loop. Teachers, parents, and students arrived at the CTU headquarters in droves, as CTU organizers like Parker directed them to the long line of cars. 

Downtown, protesters from Equity Or Else gathered across the street from City Hall. At the protest members from various organizations spoke including Moms Against Violence Everywhere, Action Now, The Socialit Alternative and others. Along with community organizers, politicians proposed legislation and pleaded with protesters to vote on upcoming legislation to keep students out of school and at home. Doctors discussed the potential ramifications of returning to school amid the pandemic, and CTU representatives discussed the complications they anticipate with returning to school. 

“I feel like the talk of remote learning, and hybrid models is a smoke screen for what we really need to be talking about, which is the issue of properly funding our schools. Regardless if it is remote or a hybrid model, we cannot do any of it without proper funding,” said Melissa Vozar, a CPS teacher at Suder Elementary school in the near west side. “However, the safest thing to do right now is a remote start.”

Parents and students are equally concerned with the proposition of returning to in person classes. 

“We don’t feel like going back to in person classes is worth it. We won’t feel safe, and we do not want to bring the virus home to our parents and communities,” said an anonymous CPS student at the protest. “Obviously I wish I could go back to class and see my friends, but that just isn’t an option right now. “

On the morning of  August 5, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the City of Chicago announced that the first quarter of schooling in Chicago will be fully remote. Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Dr. Janice Jackson shared her views on the remote plan.

"As a district, we value parent feedback and we cannot overlook that a large percentage of parents have indicated they do not feel comfortable sending their students to school under a hybrid model for the start of the school year," said Jackson.

While this decision was a major victory for the Chicago Teachers Union and other protesting organizations, there are still many concerns among CPS teachers, students, and parents. 

“There are a lot of things that are inequitable about the remote start. Our children need to have reliable technology in their hands including free internet for all students and teachers. Even teachers don’t have sufficient technology,” said Vozar. 

The inequitable technology is also one of CTU’s biggest issues with the current remote learning planning. 

“This is an opportunity to make sure we have the most robust remote learning possible to make sure our students have access to education opportunities and courses,” said Parker. 

Along with technology concerns, the role of the parents in remote learning is very important as well. Both Vozar and Parker agreed that parents need financial assistance and training to help their students through school during the pandemic.