Chicago ‘radical’ students plan school walkout, demand COVID ‘stipends’ and two weeks remote learning

A group of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) high school students are planning a walkout on Friday, demanding that the Chicago Public Schools issue coronavirus “relief stipends” to students and shift to a remote learning format for two weeks.

The “district-wide” walkout was announced on Tuesday in a tweet by the “Chi-RADS,” stating that “we demand that our voices are not only listened to or heard but the voice of our concerns are implemented within structures.”

The organization describes itself as an “organization of allied, radical CPS high schoolers from every corner of the city to organize to create an education system that best serves us.”

On Monday, the group issued their list of 39 demands on Twitter, stating that the CPS “neglects” to address “subpar conditions.”

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A sign is displayed on the front of the headquarters for Chicago Public Schools on January 05, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.  (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
(Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The students are demanding that all classes shift to a remote format for two weeks while individual schools work on a plan to involve parents, students, parents, teachers, and administrators in their decision-making on coronavirus policies. Once a plan is finalized, the students are demanding that the plan be put up for a vote by the school body.

According to the tweet, the group is demanding that the CPS provide funding for students outside of school and “not directly related to stop the spread of Covid,” adding that students receive education from “inequitable structures and oppressive systems.”

In this set of demands, the group states that the CPS should “fully” fund public transportation for students, “reload EBT cards,” and provide “covid relief stipends” to students.

Students at the Mt. Greenwood Elementary School in Chicago depart after a full day of classes Monday, Jan. 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) 
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

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The students also demanded that the CPS provide them with a personal laptop and access to high-speed WiFi, adding that the laptops are “at least 4GB RAM & 512GB storage, and at least 8 hours of battery life.”

Additionally, the group is demanding that the CPS increases the “remote workforce” for staff members and “students whose presence isn’t necessary in the building.” The group of students also demands that CPS staff members are given more time to prepare for students’ return to school.

Among the demands is also a proposed vaccine requirement for anyone participating in extracurricular activities, such as sports.

FILE PHOTO: Chicago’s Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a science initiative event at the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. July 23, 2020. REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski/File Photo

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The demands placed by the group of students comes after the CPS came to an agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union on a resumption of in-person learning.

“After a productive day at the bargaining table, I am pleased to report, CTU will end their work stoppage,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tweeted on Sunday night. “CPS [Chicago Public Schools] put a great proposal on the table that both bargaining teams discussed in detail today.”

Fox News’ Edmund DeMarche contributed to this report