As the fall season approaches, we are getting to see how American schools are adapting to a COVID-19 era school year. Taking a look across state lines to Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s third-largest school district decided on Wednesday, Aug. 5, to go entirely virtual for the fall school year. The school year will start on Sep. 8, moving ahead virtually for students. However, the Chicago Teachers Union, CTU,  has now filed a grievance about the proposed plan.

The Chicago teachers have brought up their concerns regarding specific procedures taken or lack thereof. Selected staff is still required to be on campus at the start of the school year, including clinicians, clerks, and tech coordinators.  

The CTU’s Vice President, Stacey Davis Gates, outlined the concerns they had about staff returning to campus. She voiced that clerks are having no gloves provided to them despite having to deal directly with the public and the school building not being equipped to promote social distancing.  According to Gates, no face guards were being implemented, and no six feet social distancing markers. Other concerns included ventilation issues in small office spaces and how temperatures would be monitored. 

Additionally, it comes into question why these staffers even need to be on campus at all. Back in March, when closures due to the pandemic began, these positions were being done entirely from home. Gates also expressed that there is no reason a specific staff’s presence is even necessary. 

With Chicago public schools being one of the nation’s largest districts, districts across the states are looking upon them for ideas on how to plan out the quickly approaching school year. Unfortunately, they have fallen short due to their lack of awareness. For them to fail to implement some of the most basic protocols known for Coronavirus planning is dangerous and not helping in the fight to lower the case numbers for the virus. 

This is not the first time we have seen the Chicago Teachers Union in the spotlight. Questions have arisen concerning racism within their practices. “Policies and practices had a disparate racial impact on African-American teachers and paraprofessionals. This impact was the natural result of the fact that CPS was and remains segregated by race”. Time and time again, we have seen Chicago public schools come under fire for their lack of action on serious issues within their schools with little progress made.

While the idea of children returning happily to school this year is excellent in theory, the nation’s current state does not allow for the public’s ensured safety –  should schools reopen. The day students can return to their classrooms is one we can all look forward to, but it should not come at the cost of putting more lives at risk. The Chicago public school system needs to look at all the ways they are undeserving their students, not only in dealing with the pandemic but also the education itself compromised as racism has been allowed to fill the halls without consequence.