>> NOW, CHICAGO PUBLIC STUDENTS
ARE BACK IN THE CLASSROOMS
FULL-TIME.
IT WAS ALMOST A YEAR-AND-A-HALF
AGO THAT STUDENTS ATTENDED
IN-PERSON LEARNING FIVE DAYS A
WEEK AND IT LOOKED DIFFERENT
THAN TODAY.
BRANDIS HAS BEEN COVERING THE
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
AND A LOT DIFFERENT THIS YEAR
THAN LAST YEAR?
>> THAT IS RIGHT.
A LOT.
THIS TIME LAST YEAR STUDENTS
WERE STARTING REMOTE LEARNING
AND TODAY PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS
AND STAFF WELCOMED STUDENTS BACK
INTO THE CLASSROOM FOR FULL-TIME
IN-PERSON LEARNING.
AND CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF
CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN
IMPLEMENTED SINCE THE LAST TIME
ALL STUDENTS WERE IN CLASSROOMS
FULL-TIME, IT'S OBVIOUSLY A DAY
OF NERVES AS WELL.
SCHOOLS REOPENED TO SOCIAL
DISTANCING, MASK WEARING, AIR
FILTERS AND LOTS OF HAND
SANITIZER.
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT VISITED SOME
SCHOOLS TODAY WELCOMING STUDENTS
AND TEACHERS AND SAYS SHE IS
CONFIDENT IN THE PLAN THAT
SCHOOLS HAVE FOR KEEPING
STUDENTS SAFE.
>> WE HAVE A SPECIFIC PROTOCOL
THAT WE REALLY MUTT IN PLACE
LAST SPRING WHEN WE OPENED THE
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND THROUGH
THE HIGH SCHOOLS IT CONTINUES
THIS YEAR.
THERE IS I WON'T GET INTO THE
DETAILS BUT WE START WITH THE
CLASSROOM AND IF NECESSARY THE
SCHOOL AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE
SYSTEM.
BUT THESE ARE ALL THINGS WE
WORKED OUT IN THE VARIOUS
AGREEMENTS WITH THE CHICAGO
TEACHERS' UNION THAT WERE
SUBSEQUENTLY RADFIED BY THE
HOUSE OF DELEGATES.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR
WHERE WE ARE IN THE PANDEMIC.
>> AND WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING
THIS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF
WEEKS, THE TEACHERS' UNION AND
C.P.S. ARE AT ODDS ARE THEY
STILL NEGOTIATING THE SAFETY
MEASURES?
>> YES THEY ARE EVEN THOUGH
SCHOOLS RESUMED THEY ARE WORKING
ON A MEN RANDOM OF UNDERSTANDING
AND IN RATHER WHAT WE HEARD,
C.T.U. ARGUES THAT THE CITY IS
ROLLING BACK SOME OF THE LAYERED
SAFETY MITIGATIONS THAT THEY
AGREED TO WHEN SCHOOLS REOPENED
IN PHASES.
C.T.U. SAYS THE PREVIOUS MOU
CALLED FOR A MINIMUM SIX FEET OF
SOCIAL DISTANCING AND THE NEW
GUIDANCE CALLS FOR THREE FEET.
TEMPERATURE CHECKS WERE
MANDATORY FOR ANYONE ENTERING
THE BUILDING NOW ONLY FOR SICK
STUDENTS AND PARENTS ARE ASKED
TO KEEP KIDS HOME WITH SYMPTOMS.
AND WHILE THE DISTRICT DID
SURVEILLANCE TESTING FOR
EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS THE
DISTRICT IS OFFERING TESTS IF
STUDENTS OR STAFF REPORT
SYMPTOMS AND ONLY REQUIRING IT
FOR UNVACCINATED STUDENTS IN
SPORTS.
>> YOU KNOW WE HEAR THE MAYOR
TALK ABOUT HOW SAFE SCHOOL WAS
IN THE WINTER AND THE SPRING OF
LAST YEAR WHEN THEY RETURNED.
BUT WE'RE DEALING WITH HER
NEGOTIATING TEAM THAT DOESN'T
ACKNOWLEDGE IT BECAUSE THEIR
PROPOSALS RUN COUNTER TO WHAT
SHE CLAIMS IS SUCCESS.
IT'S FRUSTRATING AND COGNITIVE
DISTANCE THERE AS WELL BUT WE
ARE STILL THERE.
>> WHILE THOUSANDS OF PARENTS
SENT THEIR KIDS BACK IN THE
CLASSROOM TODAY, THERE ARE SOME
FAMILIES WHO OPTED OUT OF THE
DISTRICT ENTIRELY.
WE SPOKE WITH ONE SUCH FAMILY A
HOUSE OF THREE C.P.S. STUDENTS
FORMER C.P.S. STUDENTS BECAUSE
THEY ELECTED TO REMOVE ALL THREE
IN FAVOR OF HOME SCHOOLING.
AND THE YOUNGEST IS NOT
VACCINATED AND HE IS
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED.
CASSANDRA KACZOCHA SAID THEY
COULDN'T TAKE THE RISK.
>> PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, ARE
DOING WHAT THEY CAN.
BUT WE DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S
SAFE.
Dr. ALLISON ARWADY SAID
THERE'S GOING TO BE TRANSMISSION
IN SCHOOLS.
AND AT RISK FAMILIES THAT IS
UNACCEPTABLE PROPOSITION.
WE ARE BACK IN OUR BUBBLE AND
DOING WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE
THAT OUR FAMILY DOES NOT CATCH
COVID.
>> AND I KNOW THAT SCHOOL
DISTRICTS LOST ABOUT 14,000
STUDENTS OUT OF SOMETHING LIKE
350,000.
>> 3500
>> OF COURSE LAST YEAR DURING
THE PANDEMIC LOSING 14,000
STUDENTS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
PANDEMIC THAT IS A LOT EVEN
THEN.
TYPICALLY THE DISTRICT LOSES
6-7,000 STUDENTS PER YEAR.
THERE ARE CONCERNS THAT THIS
YEAR COULD BE WORSE.
THE DISTRICT REPORTS SOME
100,000 STUDENTS ARE IN A RISK
CATEGORY AT RISK OF DROPPING
OUT.
JOSE TORRES EXPLAINS HOW THE
DISTRICT ARRIVED AT THAT FIGURE
BASED ON ATTENDANCE, GRADES,
DISCIPLINE AND TRUANCY.
>> THE WAY WE BROKE 100,000 WAS
AROUND 80% THAT WERE LOWER RISK
BUT STILL IN THAT COUNT.
AND ABOUT 18,000 THAT WERE IN
THE HIGHEST RISK.
AND SO IT REALLY DEPENDS WHICH
ONES WERE THOSE 25,000 STUDENTS
MIGHT BE.
AND I DON'T THINK IT WOULD HAVE
REACHED UP TO 25,000.
BUT IT WOULD BE --
WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO THE WORK.
>> AND WE SHOULD BE CLEAR THAT
NUMBER DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN
100,000 STUDENT ALSO DROPOUT.
BUT ONE LOCAL ORGANIZATION IS
SOUNDING AN ALARM BELL NOTING
THE DISTRICT COULD LOSE A LOT OF
MONEY IF ENROLLMENT FALLS
SUBSTANTIAL THERE ARE LONG-TERM
ECONOMIC IMPACTS AS WELL.
THE BEST WAY TO FIND OUT WHY
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE DISENGAGED
SECOND TO ASK THE STUDENTS
THEMSELVES.
>> I THINK OUR PRIORITIZATION ON
STUDENTS THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN
LOOKING AT WHAT ARE THEY MISSING
WHAT ARE THEY LOSING WHICH IS
REALLY IMPORTANT.
BUT I WORRY THAT BY PRIORITIZING
THAT FIRST WE'RE MISSING
SOMETHING REALLY APPARENT WHICH
IS HOW DO WE MAKE SCHOOL AN
ENGAGING SPACE FOR STUDENTS.
WHICH I DO THINK THAT IF YOU
DON'T ASK THEM DIRECTLY WHY THEY
ARE DISENGAGED WE WILL NOT GET
THE RIGHT ANSWER.
>> THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS OVER
THE SUMMER IT BEGAN WORK TO
REENGAGE THE 100% OF THE
STUDENTS AND HAVE HAD CONTACT
WITH 75% OF THEM.
SCHOOL YEAR AHEAD.
>> 100,000 STUDENTS THAT IS A
LOT.
>> AND NO ONE IS SAYING THAT IS
DEFINITELY GOING TO HAPPEN BUT A
FRACTION OF THAT IS A LOT.