The Local School Council (LSC) for the Velma Thomas Early Childhood Center in the McKinley Park neighborhood of Chicago has unanimously voted to oppose school district plans to open the preschool to in-person learning due to the dangers of the COVID-19 pandemic. With teachers ordered back by Chicago Public Schools, many Velma Thomas educators have been teaching outside in freezing temperatures to limit exposure.
"COVID cases are on the rise," the LSC wrote in a January 8, 2021, letter to the school district and 12th Ward Alderman George Cardenas. "The citywide positivity rate is 10.8 percent, with our neighboring zip code in Brighton Park having a positivity rate of 17.1 percent."
"This is much higher than it was in the spring when schools closed and decided to switch to remote learning," the letter stated.
Old Building, Open Windows
The play hut at Velma Thomas Early Childhood Center shelters teacher Giselle Sanchez-Santiago as she conducts remote learning from outside the preschool.The letter notes the age of the preschool building and how its reopening plan is to keep windows open all day, even through the Chicago winter.
The letter also criticizes the "ill-conceived model of simultaneous instruction" that requires teachers to juggle in-classroom students, remotely connected students and pandemic safety concerns all at the same time.
"It will divide students, with a few being at school but the majority remaining at home," the letter stated, adding that this will also harm instruction.
CPS Take
Chicago Public Schools has published its Online Reopening Guide as a website and series of documents offering information about the reopening plan. In it, the district outlines the details of its phased reopening, which starts with preschoolers in January and Kindergartners through 8th graders on February 1, 2021.
The plan calls for high schoolers to continue learning remotely, and CPS parents can choose whether or not their child is to return or remain 100 percent remote learning.
"We have been working tirelessly to prepare our buildings to welcome students and staff back to school," the district wrote in its reopening letter to parents. "Following the guidance of our public health officials, we are planning to begin opening our school buildings."
LSC Opposition
The Velma Thomas LSC disagrees in its letter. "We know our school, we know our families, and we know about the latest research in early childhood education," they wrote.
"We reject CPS’ current plan because it is unsafe, inequitable and detrimental to both students and teachers," the letter stated.
Teacher Adriana Guerrero waves from her remote-learning perch outside Velma Thomas preschool.
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