Chicago teachers agree to end COVID walkout

The system's 340,000 students are due back to school on Wednesday after the Chicago Teachers Union's House of Delegates voted on Monday night to end a weeklong walkout over COVID-19 fears. The walkout began with a union vote to reinstate virtual instruction and a push for more rigorous safety protocols, including wider testing, as the Omicron variant spread.

"Someone asked who won and who lost," said Lightfoot. "No one wins when our students are out of a place where they can learn the best and where they're safest. After being out of school for four days in a row, I'm sure many students will be excited to get back into the classroom with their teachers and peers and their parents and guardians can now breathe a much-deserved sigh of relief."