CHICAGO (AP) – Students in Chicago Public Schools have returned to class after winter break, but a COVID-19 surge has escalated a fight between district leaders and the teachers union over safety protocols that could disrupt classes later this week. District leaders have rejected a district-wide return to online learning, saying safety protocols are robust and that remote instruction last year was devastating for students. The union says the nation’s third-largest district isn’t doing enough to protect students and teachers, and plans Tuesday votes in support of remote teaching that could essentially shut down classes as early as Wednesday. Last year, during a similar debate, the district punished teachers who didn’t show up to work by locking them out of computer systems.
