Read the tentative agreement that could govern Chicago’s high school reopening

School buses and an American flag are at the front of North-Grand High School in Chicago, with school buses lined up in front of the campus.
Chicago Public Schools and its union reached a tentative agreement to reopen high schools after weeks of tense negotiations. (Stacey Rupolo for Chalkbeat)

Students will return one, two, or four days a week to campuses, depending on the size of the school. Wednesdays will be for remote instruction only. Invitations will be issued for students age 18 and older for vaccination clinics at schools. 

The tentative agreement currently being weighed by teachers will dictate some important parts of campus life when Chicago high schools reopen. If teachers vote to adopt the agreement, that student return would start Monday.

The agreement also leaves questions open: How teachers will lead classrooms simultaneously with remote and in-person learners. Plans for vaccinating a wider age range of students and their families. Exactly how safety committees will work.

Read the tentative agreement in its entirety below or at this link. For full coverage and analysis of the deal, including next steps, click here.

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Several existing programs didn’t make it into the mayor’s preliminary budget, including restorative justice, a program for students with sensory needs, and an initiative for those at risk of dropping out.

The current collective bargaining agreement is set to end June 30. Negotiations will likely start in the coming weeks.

The final vote on the closure plan will come from the school board but City Council members said Tuesday they want their input to be considered.

A new study shows that the effectiveness of top teachers declined sharply when they took bonuses to teach in struggling schools. This suggests teacher skill is not a fixed characteristic.

With schools closed for winter break, health officials couldn’t get critical information to identify and warn those exposed to measles of the need to quarantine.

For six years, city officials propped up school budgets despite steep enrollment declines. It’s now up to Mayor Zohran Mamdani to decide whether to keep the policy or wind it down.