Chicago Teachers Union shafts students; Doug Ducey defines leadership in AZ

Just when you hoped the teachers unions would stand with parents, another union decides to play the selfish card. Last night, the Chicago Teachers Union voted to refuse to show for work this morning. On another front, Doug Ducey, Arizona's Republican governor, took proactive action to ensure the continuation of in-person learning.

Lori Lightfoot, Chicago's Democrat mayor, said "I have to tell you, it feels like 'Groundhog Day,' that we are here again. There is no basis in the data, the science or common sense for us to shut an entire system down when we can surgically do this at a school level."

By comparison, here's what Ducey said in his statement:

"In Arizona, we’re going to ensure continued access to in-person learning," said Governor Ducey. "Everyone agrees that schools should stay open and kids need to be in the classroom. With this announcement, we are making sure parents and families have options if a school closes its doors. Parents are best suited to make decisions about their child’s education. In-person learning is vital for the development, well-being and educational needs of K-12 students. We will continue to work with families, public health experts and school leaders to ensure our kids can stay in the classroom and parents have a choice — always."

This offers quite the contrast. In Chicago, the CTU essentially told parents that the parents' children's health and academic achievement mean nothing to CTU. In Arizona, the Republican governor took a Youngkin-like stand, saying that he's "always" stand with parents for their children. In his statement, Gov. Ducey quoted Joe Biden:

"Today, we know more and we have more resources to keep schools open… we don’t have to shut down schools because of a case of COVID-19. Now, if a student tests positive, other students can take the test and stay in the classroom if they’re not infected rather than closing the whole school or having to quarantine. We can keep our K-12 schools open, and that’s exactly what we should be doing."

There never has been a legitimate reason for shutting schools. For students with diabetes or who struggle with obesity, schools might be required to handle special situations. That's entirely different than implementing policies that affect entire schools. One-size-fits-all policies aren't effective policies.

This is how CTU views things:

This is how CPS is responding to this crisis:

It's a terrible day for CTU when the Lightfoot administration handles a crisis better than the Chicago Teachers Union.