Reports: Chicago schools to announce all-remote learning

CHICAGO (AP) - Chicago Public Schools is expected to announce Wednesday that it will start the school year with all-remote learning in response to coronavirus concerns, according to published reports.

The Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune, citing unnamed sources, said the announcement will be made ahead of a deadline Friday when parents were to decide on whether they wanted to start the year learning from home or a hybrid plan of remote and classroom learning.

The newspapers earlier Tuesday reported that the Chicago Teachers Union may convene its House of Delegates next week to consider a plan of action that could lead to a strike if the public schools do not institute an all-remote learning plan for the start of the school year.

Chicago teachers walked off the job for 11 days in October, winning a 16% raise during a five-year contract and funding to add social workers and nurses to the city's schools.

Messages left by The Associated Press with Chicago school officials were not immediately returned.

The decision would come as school districts around the country are deciding how to teach children during the pandemic.

The Los Angeles Unified School District has decided against reopening later this month for in-person learning. School officials say it would not be safe for students to do so while the coronavirus continues to spread.

New York City has announced a plan to do hybrid instruction, where students would be in school buildings in small groups on some days of the week but would learn remotely from home on other days. The state's governor hasn't said yet whether he will approve the city's plan.

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This story was first published on Aug. 4. It was updated on Aug. 5 to correct that New York City did announce a school reopening plan in which students would get a mix of in-person and online instruction.