A strike in Chicago would provoke similar opposition across the US and join a global upsurge of educators striking against school reopenings in over a dozen countries.
Updated on February 8, 2021 at 9:24 am
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Philadelphia’s public teachers union is instructing members to work remotely Monday, setting up a showdown with the school district, which has instructed them to show up to begin preparing for in-person classes, but is no longer requiring it.
Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry Jordan told members Friday via email that they should ignore the School District of Philadelphia’s order to show up to class on Monday, as concerns continue over possible coronavirus infections. PFT spokeswoman Hillary Linardopoulos confirmed the email to NBC10 via phone call.
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Eleven months.
That’s how long it has been since students enrolled in the School District of Philadelphia have stepped into a classroom, chatted face-to-face with a teacher after the bell rings or gossiped with friends by the lockers.
For some young children, that’s set to change soon. District officials announced a plan last week to bring some K-2 students back to class twice a week, starting in late-February.
It’s the district’s third attempt to reopen schools since the pandemic hit last March. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers opposes any return to the classroom until all members that are required to be in school buildings are fully vaccinated, which city officials have said isn’t likely to occur for months.