“Yesterday afternoon, we received a counter-proposal from the CTU leadership and responded with our last, best and last offer,” said Mayor Lightfoot in a statement. “We expect a response from the CTU leadership today. We will make more statements later today about the school on Monday”
At a news conference on Thursday morning, Lightfoot demanded an immediate deadline, saying, “We need to close a deal today.”
WATCH: Mayor Lightfoot discusses CPS and CTU negotiations on Thursday morning
Earlier in the day, Lightfoot criticized CTU leaders for not submitting the proposal earlier, and reiterated what steps the city took to ensure security. She said that CTU created chaos and that the ball is in her side.
“There is no reason why we didn’t do it yesterday, or Tuesday or Monday,” said Lightfoot. “But today is the day, my patience is over.”
In an open letter sent on Thursday morning, CTU said: “We cannot go back to face-to-face education until we have made further progress with the district on CDC-based health metrics, allowing educators with clinically vulnerable family members to continue teaching remotely, and addressing the real needs of equity for the vast majority of our students – particularly black and Latino students who continue to learn remotely. “
Lightfoot said the talks took a “series of steps backwards” on Wednesday, after taking several steps on issues such as testing and vaccinating teachers.
She said the city “waited hours” for a proposal on other CTU issues that never came.
The CPS invested $ 100 million in school security mitigation measures, and Jackson accused CTU of ignoring the experts.
“It bothers me that we continue to see people disregarding what scientists, like Dr. Fauci, Dr. Arwady, are saying, and even yesterday, the head of the CDC,” said Jackson.
The district agreed to vaccinate 1,500 CTU members a week. But CTU calls for the number to increase as more vaccine becomes available.
“We are committed to vaccinating this group, but I want to stress that vaccination is not necessary for the safe reopening of the school,” said Dr. Allison Arwady of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Lightfoot said the city’s positivity rate is low; children need to go back to school and parents need to have that option. The mayor and the city health commissioner said that, with safety measures in place, the school can be conducted safely.
Dr. Arwady said that when mitigations are in place – masks, distance, pods – personal learning can be a safe environment.
Some CPS parents on Thursday morning expressed distrust of the district at a CTU news conference on safe return in person.
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“I don’t think the CPS has been completely transparent about how its reopening plan is working; they have changed it constantly before,” said Dulce Jimenez, CPS’s father.
Lightfoot said she expects teachers to get back to school as soon as possible, but she hasn’t given a date.
Friday is a day off for students, so the earliest they can be back is Monday.
In a document obtained by ABC 7 from sources close to the negotiating table, it appeared that the CPS and CTU had reached an interim agreement on the tests and were close to an agreement on vaccines.
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The two sides have not reached an agreement on health measures that would trigger the closure of classrooms and accommodation for those who care for people with underlying health problems.
The CPS and CTU still hope to avoid a strike.
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