Daywatch: First day for CPS brings challenges
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Good morning, Chicago.
As Chicago Public Schools begins the 2023-24 school year today, the district has been preparing to accommodate new English learner students — the category for most migrant children — with about 1,000 of them enrolling through the summer. And officials said they anticipate about 1,000 more will enroll this year from the families who are living in temporary shelters and police stations, where asylum-seekers stay as they await housing.
Despite additional resources for newcomers, many argue there should be a greater emphasis on addressing the children’s mental health as migrant children have faced unique traumas through their journey but also while living in temporary shelters.
And with temperatures forecast to hit the 90s during the first week of school, some wonder if schools be cool enough for learning.
CPS facilities assessment data show cooling breakdowns occur regularly across the district. Meanwhile, the number of school days requiring cooling is on the rise, as climate change increases the frequency and duration of extreme heat.
The district also fixes cooling units regularly, expenditure reports show. But any amount of overexposure to heat can have far-reaching impacts on students’ health and learning, research shows. District expense reports also don’t appear to encompass fixes at all schools with failed cooling units, according to a review by the Tribune.
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