With less than a month before some Chicago teachers could return to school buildings, the teachers union has said it rejects the district’s plan for “simultaneous instruction.”

The union also is calling for the city to set a 3% positivity threshold for reopening decisions. Above that rate, Chicago Public Schools would return to all-remote instruction.

The union released its list of demands Thursday, and it’s the most detailed look yet at what it would take to get union leaders to support reopening schools. The list heralds a looming clash between the district and union ahead of Jan. 4, when the first round of teachers are expected to return to buildings.

Despite months of negotiations, the two sides have failed to reach a written agreement. The union has accused the district of not bargaining in good faith, while the district has said the union hasn’t brought forward concrete proposals. The intensity of the conflict is reminiscent of last fall, when teachers walked out on an 11-day strike after weeks of stalled negotiations.

Some of the Chicago union’s demands — like a rejection of “simultaneous instruction,” during which teachers instruct in-person students and remote students at the same time — are likely to be more contentious than others. The approach has fast become a fixture of the return to school buildings nationally, but educators say it can be difficult, and that teachers need significant support to do it successfully.

Even as the district and union continue to meet regularly, district leaders said they don’t expect to have a written agreement with the union ahead of January’s reopening, and they plan to press ahead without it.

Read the full article about Chicago teachers during COVID-19 by Yana Kunichoff at Chalkbeat Chicago.