- eSchool News - https://www.eschoolnews.com -

Parents mull private, charter schools amid teachers strike

With a Chicago Public School teachers strike in its fourth day on Thursday, some parents are looking into possible alternatives including charter or private schools, Reuters reports.
“We’re seeing some uptick in inquiries,” said Sister Mary Paul McCaughey, superintendent of Catholic Schools at the Archdiocese of Chicago.
UNO Charter School Network, which runs non-union, publicly-funded schools, has taken in 30 new students since the strike by 29,000 public school teachers was announced, according to CEO Juan Rangel of the United Neighborhood Organization, a Latino community group.
“I assume that number is going to increase,” said Rangel, who was co-chair of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s election campaign. “They (parents) want their kids in school. They don’t want to have them out on the street.”
The head of the Chicago Teachers Union said Thursday they were close to reaching a deal to end the strike in the nation’s third-largest school district over education reforms sought by Emanuel. But it was unlikely students would be back in school before Monday, even if an agreement is reached Thursday…

Click here for the full story [1]