Public school leaders in Chicago canceled classes effective Wednesday and voted to switch to remote learning in response to COVID-19 surges across the country.
The City of Chicago rejected a districtwide return to remote learning and said that it was detrimental to learning and mental health of children. The teachers union won the argument,however, calling the safety protocols lax and creating risk for teachers and students. This places over 350,000 students back in their Chicago homes for virtual instruction.
The teachers union was certain to threaten a virtual strike if the school district did not agree to move to virtual learning. This is the first major school district to shift to virtual learning across the country. This could lead to massive shutdowns of school districts around the country.
Lockdowns from 2020 have left many Americans nervous about any sign that the world will close again. President Joe Biden stressed that he would help guide the American public back to work and school safely, but has failed to do so. The vaccines that have been pushed by the left have not been effective in mitigating the spread of COVID-19.