Top Education Stories You Don’t Want to Miss: August 27 – September 2, 2022
CPS sees 1st week spike in COVID cases, doctors worry lax guidelines contributing
By Sarah Schulte for WLS
“Week one is over for thousands of Chicago Public Schools students as they head home for the weekend, but a few students and staff never made it to their buildings this week. CPS data shows 311 adults and 296 students self-reported positive COVID cases. The number is much higher compared to last year’s first week of school, which had 65 adult and 139 student cases.”
COVID cases at Chicago schools jump in first week back
By Mauricio Peña for Chalkbeat
“Chicago Public Schools reported more than 400 new COVID-19 cases among students and hundreds more among staff during its first week of the school year, three times the number recorded during the same period last year, data shows. The first-week numbers come as students returned to the classroom with looser COVID-19 restrictions and a highly contagious BA.5 variant — a sign that the coronavirus will continue to present challenges for yet another school year. Dr. Allison Arwady, the city’s health commissioner who recently recovered from COVID-19, said she anticipated an increase in cases when students returned to schools. “There is nothing about those case numbers that are at all surprising to me,” Arwady said during an online segment Tuesday afternoon. The numbers will likely go up, she added.”
Over 1400 Local School Council seats remain vacant in Chicago
By Char Daston for WBEZ
“A total of 1408 seats on Local School Councils (LSCs) remain vacant this fall, even after voter turnout for LSC elections more than tripled this past spring. Vacancies are mostly concentrated in South and West Side schools, and some advocates say school administrators could do a better job telling parents about how to find their LSCs. Reset learns the details from an education reporter and an advocate for participation on Local School Councils.