Chicago

CPS Mother Says School Told Her to Pick Up Kids Due to Staffing Issues

The Chicago mother says she signed her children up on the CPS website, as the district requested

A single mother who dropped three of her children off at an elementary school during the Chicago Teachers Union strike says she was told to pick her children up, and not to bring them back until the strike ends.

More than 25,000 CTU members went on strike Oct. 17, resulting in canceled classes for the more than 300,000 students in Chicago Public Schools.

As part of its contigency plan, CPS said school buildings have remained open despite the strike, and staff members are on hand to help supervise children during normal school hours.

Tacara Nash, a mother of seven who works part-time, said she followed the proper steps, and signed all of her children up using the online CPS Contingency Site Student Registration Tool.

Nash said, on Tuesday, hours after she sent her 9, 12 and 13 year olds to Alex Haley Elementary on the city's Far South Side, she received a call from the assistant principal, and was told to pick up the children because there weren't enough staff members in the building, and her children were the only ones there.

The single mother said she was working at the time, and does not have a car.

"I am furious," Nash said. "I'm upset cause these kids does not deserve this. It's no telling how many other families, and kids that they turned around at the door."

After texting with an administrator, Nash's children were allowed to stay at the school, but she hasn't sent them back since.

A spokesperson for CPS told NBC 5 there may have been a miscommunication, and that one of the kids may have wanted to go home, but Nash insisted that wasn't the case.

The spokesperson added that all schools remain open and staffed during the CTU strike.

Nash said Friday she is hoping for classes to resume on Monday, and her kids "are ready to get back to school."

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