March 30--More than 100 Chicago schools along with Park District buildings and city libraries will be open to students shut out of the classroom Friday by the Chicago Teachers Union's one-day strike, Chicago Public Schools said Tuesday.
The district encouraged parents interested in using one of the sites to register online in advance, though CPS said that is not required and that no students will be turned away. More information for parents is available at www.cps.edu/april1.
In addition to 107 schools, the district said it would use 80 Park District buildings and 80 Chicago Public Library sites to accommodate students.
The contingency plan is not enough to accommodate the more than 300,000 students affected by the walkout, and CPS is asking parents to employ other available options.
The district has encouraged teachers to cross union picket lines and show up to work at their classrooms or the district's alternate sites for the April 1 action, and it said all schools will be staffed by a principal and an engineer.
The district has said striking teachers won't be paid for April 1, but officials have not answered whether CPS will pursue disciplinary action against teachers who don't come to work.
jjperez@tribpub.com
