On CPS' survey sent out to parents on July 31st, 2020

    Yesterday, on July 31st, Chicago Public Schools sent out a message via email and text telling parents to respond in a week whether they intend to opt in or out of the hybrid learning model in September. This announcement has not been published on their FB page, twitter, nor website, therefore, if you do not have CPS students, you may not be aware of what parents of forty thousands CPS students are forced to choose with extremely limited information on extremely short notice. In a nutshell, CPS does not have a substantial plan for the remote learning (=opt out of the hybrid) because they are going to plan it *after* they know how many students will choose that option. Moreover, CPS emphasizes that if you choose to start with the hybrid, you can later switch to the remote, but that is not the case if you choose to start with the remote. Namely, *choices* presented to us parents is either the hybrid model on an ill-conceived, unpractical, and unsafe plan, or the remote model which we have to commit for 10 weeks without knowing its details.

    When CPS published their first draft of hybrid learning model on July 17th, at first I was trying to acknowledge that they came up with an idea under medical advice and expected that it would be developed into a better solution later. Not that I ever fully trusted CPS, (if you know me, you would never doubt that given what I, as #WeAreNTA parent had to undergo with them), but I understand we are in an unprecedented situation with so many unknowns. I also found some reasons in AAP's recommendation in which they had to evaluate the uncertain, yet so far seemingly a limited impact of virus on students' physical health vs clearly negative effect of remote learning environment on students' academic and social well-beings proven by data, especially for those who are unprivileged. CPS' setting up meetings during which they took a poll and shared its result appeared to be, if not perfect, better than their usual operation in terms of parents engagement, so I was trying to be a good partner before rejecting the plan all together.

    But what has become obvious is that while the hybrid plan may sound good in theory, as we think through each concrete cases and scenarios, the plan is by no means feasible. Tons of questions parents asked are not mere hypothetical questions, but are about real possibilities that are very likely to affect our children. Instead of using those questions and criticism toward the so-called plan as valuable inputs to improve it, CPS deliberately chose to ignore them, push the plan as is, and force us to stick to it by giving us false choices. And CEO Jackson's being so defensive to attack parents for asking questions and a journalist for making a minor mistake which was corrected immediately? It is now clear that despite a little change in their facade, CPS and Jackson is same old, same old. Their interest is not in listening to parents, but is in protecting the plan that they spent *so much time and energy* to put together. (And I have to add that this is exactly like CPS proposal to close NTA and turn it into a high school, which the court ruled to halt because it violates IL Civil Rights Act -how the proposal is half- or even quarter- baked, how they fabricate community inputs, how they move the goalpost, how they boast their commitment in equity while their proposal was amplifying the structural racism. These few weeks have been like deja vu to me.)

    While they are forcing us to answer that garbage survey, the virus is picking up the pace to reach the point that the reopening is likely to be reversed. I am convinced that the hybrid is not gonna happen. Shame on CPS for wasting everybody's time and mind. Just decide to go remote already and prepare. Immediately cancel the CPD contract to *protect* a half empty buildings, and use that $33M for families who need childcare, technology, social emotional support, academic support, and so on and on, so that remote learning experience will be improved for EVERYONE. I do not expect a perfect solution, but do a logical plan that is practical and better. I will definitely choose the remote as a statement of protest

(originally posted on Facebook)