The Chicago Teachers Union rejected President Biden’s plan to reopen schools, claiming that they are not safe due to Covid-19 (“Chicago Teachers Union vs. Biden,” The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 26). As readers of this column know, I support teachers’ unions. But in this case, the union is making a big mistake.
I say that because more than 130 private and religious schools and more than 2,000 early learning centers across Chicago have been safely open since the fall. If they can do so, why can’t the city’s public schools do the same? It looks like teachers are stalling in order to have all their demands met, no matter how unreasonable they are. There is going to be a backlash that the union brought upon itself.
When the pandemic first appeared, teachers were largely seen as heroes. But their refusal to return to school now increasingly brands them as villains. Goodwill is crucial, and teachers’ unions are undermining it by their intransigence.
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