Chicago father of six slams teacher union
Willie Preston tells 'America Reports' COVID-related closures are 'all politics'
A Chicago father of six school-age children told Fox News on Friday that it has been a "balancing act" to essentially homeschool his children while the Windy City's powerful teachers union continues demanding that schools stay closed due to the pandemic.
Willie Preston told "America Reports" that while the pandemic is indeed something to take heed of, watching his local schools remain closed while other cities' institutions are opening up with precautions is unfair to parents.
The Chicago teachers union recently threatened to strike if schools try to force teacher back to the classroom.
"Short of some late-breaking change, *all* CTU members will begin working remotely tomorrow, Wednesday, January 27. And if CPS retaliates against members for exercising their right to a safe workplace, *all* CTU members will stop working on Thursday and set up picket lines at their schools," the union said, according to WGN.
Preston said his wife has done most of the homeschooling while both work their regular jobs to support the family.
"The short of it is, it’s political. It’s all politics. And that is really, really frustrating and angering for so many parents like my wife and I who just simply want to put our kids first, and have a chance at a great future," he said.
"[W]e have to go out and work ... It’s been a balancing act and if anything we would just ask our mayor and the leadership of CTU, the teachers union, to give us some type of stability so we can actually plan our lives out accordingly, because every day it seems like we are on pins and needles for an email to come through to decide if we have a public school system in Chicago or not."
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Preston said he agrees with a wide swath of other parents who believe online learning isn't close to as effective as in-person learning, adding that his six children are losing out on the important social aspect of being in the classroom with their peers at a young age.
"I think that’s important and it’s largely been missed here," he said.
"But the fact is we have to carry on with our lives in a safe and productive way. Our kids will never, ever get these years back -- and we want to make sure we get our kids back to school because their futures are at stake. And we are very, very concerned about that."
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