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Chicago Public Schools officials late Tuesday canceled classes for Wednesday, citing a vote by the Chicago Teachers Union to switch to remote learning amid a surge of COVID-19 cases tied to

the Omicron variant. The union said 73 percent of its members approved the motion to switch to remote learning until COVID-19 "cases substantially subside" or union leaders and the

school district approve an agreement for safety protocols. "This decision was made with a heavy heart and a singular focus on student and community safety," the Chicago Teachers

Union said. The school district characterized the move as a "walkout" and "illegal work stoppage," and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot suggested teachers who did not show up

to work would be placed on "no pay status," _The Associated Press_ reports. SUBSCRIBE TO THE WEEK Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from

multiple perspectives. SUBSCRIBE & SAVE SIGN UP FOR THE WEEK'S FREE NEWSLETTERS From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered

directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. Most schools are reopening as planned

after the winter break, but some districts have postponed the return to school due to the Omicron surge or icy weather. President Biden urged schools to stay open earlier on Tuesday, and

_New York Times_ columnist David Leonhardt dedicated his Tuesday morning newsletter to all the reasons pandemic-tied school closures have been really bad for children. In Chicago, the

teachers union and school district have been sparring over the proper protocols to put in place to keep students, staff, and teachers safe. Chicago Public Schools said it offered teachers

200,000 KN95 masks, a return to daily screen questionnaires, and metrics for closing individual schools. The teachers union said it is reviewing the offer but received it only

"minutes" before its news conference on the remote learning vote. It isn't clear yet what will happen with the school schedule after Wednesday. Explore More Speed Reads