In the United States, over 800,000 people have died of Covid-19. Over 1 million people were reported to be infected with the virus just yesterday, in large part because of the highly contagious Omicron variant.
Yet, even in the face of rising infections, the Biden administration is hell bent on keeping schools open to keep the economy running.
But the truth is that there simply aren’t enough safety measures in place to keep schools open. As a result, 73% of Chicago teachers voted for remote learning.
In the face of this vote, instead of addressing the real fears and concerns teachers have for themselves and for the children they teach, Chicago’s Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot locked teachers out of their remote classrooms and chose to shut down Chicago schools completely. Lightfoot also claimed that teachers who don’t go to work on Wednesday will be placed on “no pay” status.
We must be clear: By shutting down Chicago schools and locking out teachers, Lightfoot is denying students education. The Lightfoot lockout is barring teachers to submit college recommendations and nurses from meeting with families.
Teachers and students have the right to safe schools.
Solidarity with Chicago teachers!
