Dear Colleagues, Families, and Supporters,
Nothing makes us happier than getting your children back in school full time, and we are working closely with our schools this summer to make sure they have everything they need to fully welcome students back to classrooms beginning Monday, August 30. This week we shared several important updates on the steps we will take to ensure the health and safety of our school communities, and today the CDC made more specific recommendations on how to fully open schools in the fall. We are encouraged by the CDC’s flexibility in recognizing the importance of providing in-person learning five days a week in the fall.
We are working with our partners at the Chicago Department of Public Health to evaluate the CDC’s additional updated guidance and determine what it will mean for Chicago’s schools. As we have since the beginning of the pandemic, we will follow the science and ensure health, safety, and equity guide our decision-making. We will follow up with you as soon as we have more information.
CPS will continue implementing evidence-based health and safety protocols next school year, including:
- Enhanced cleaning protocols
- Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes for students and staff
- Rigorous air quality and ventilation standards, including a HEPA air purifier in all occupied classrooms and staff spaces
- Expanded contact tracing
- Ongoing school and district-wide safety committees with our CTU partners
Ensuring our CPS family has convenient access to COVID-19 vaccines is also a top priority of ours, as vaccination is one of the best ways to keep our communities safe from the virus. Starting next week, three of our school-based staff vaccination sites will serve our students and families. We will also have vaccinations available at our upcoming Back-to-School Bashes and through school-based summer programs happening in several high-need communities. For complete details on the vaccine opportunities offered by CPS this summer, please visit cps.edu/vaccinations. For additional questions, families can reach out to vaccines@cps.edu or call 773-553-5437.
We have both been vaccinated, and we hope that many in our CPS community will also take this important step before the new school year. Vaccines are free, and no proof of health insurance or citizenship is needed. A parent or guardian is required to be present for anyone under 18 to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
We thank you for your partnership and promise to provide you with more updates over the summer as we receive further guidance from the state of Illinois and our trusted public health officials. We wish you all the best as the summer continues.
Sincerely,
José M. Torres, PhD Maurice Swinney, EdD
Interim Chief Executive Officer Interim Chief Education Officer
Chicago Public Schools Chicago Public Schools
