Historically students have always been left out of discussions about how their schools are managed, meanwhile both teachers and school district leadership suggest that they are acting in the students’ best interests during negotiations.
“The position every other stakeholder has in this is from an observant view. Teachers are with us at school. Parents are with us at home. Administrators aren’t even really with us, they just control us,” Judai Smith, a junior at Kenwood Academy who is a member of the student organization Chi-Rads, told The TRiiBE this week. “None of them can feel the full impact that the failures of this system are having on our lives the way that students do. We are the ones living it.”
Chi-Rads — alongside countless other students — have been vocal about their dissatisfaction with CPS’ response to COVID-19.
“We stand with ourselves, our own safety, our own health,” the Twitter posts stated. “We keep us safe, we keep us loved. Please stay in tune with our social medias for more updates!”
You can read more about students’ experience learning in CPS schools throughout the pandemic here.
Here is a list of the demands that Chi-Rads sent to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Department Public Health (CDPH) Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez: