Teachers union leader pushes to keep schools closed as she vacations

A Chicago Teacher’s Union leader is under fire for pushing for remote schooling as she vacations in the Caribbean. 

Sarah Chambers, who is on the CTU’s executive board and serves as an area vice president, has been claiming it is not safe for Chicago public schools to reopen next Monday amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

But that hasn’t stopped her from jetting off on holiday to Puerto Rico – an island that has clocked more than 110,000 cases of the coronavirus. 

Chambers reportedly took to Instagram on Thursday to share a snap that showed her reclining poolside, accompanied by a caption which read: ‘We have the whole pool to ourselves. Then, we are going to old San Juan to get some yummy seafood mofongo.’

An image purportedly posted by Chambers to the same account the previous day showed the union leader soaking up the sun as tropical palm trees blew in the background. 

The snaps subsequently began being shared on social media, with many calling Chambers a ‘hypocrite’ for taking a tropical holiday whilst claiming it was ‘unsafe’ to return to the classroom. 

Her Instagram account is now private.  

However, the educator has doubled down on Twitter:, writing ‘I got 4 covid tests (2 rapid, 2 PCR) b4 coming here & wore 2 masks (N95). Scientists said airplanes are safer than grocery stores bc airplanes have ICU level filtration & everyone wears masks. ‘

She added: ‘My doc said it’s extremely unlikely for me to get Covid again since I had it so badly.’

However, the CDC states that Americans should ‘avoid all travel to Puerto Rico’ due to the island’s ‘very high levels of COVID’.  

Chambers is continuing putting pressure on officials to delay the reopening of public schools. 

On the same day she was in Puerto Rico she wrote: ‘Hearing of an educator revolution happening. Tons of members are emailing their admin: I’ll be asserting my right to continue to work in a safe remote environment on January 4th, 2021. I have signed the pledge, along with over 8,000+ union educators to continue to work remotely.’

The CTU is threatening strike action if schools do reopen on Monday. 

That has angered many parents of Chicago public school students who are eager for their children to return to in-person classes. 

Several social media users are now calling on the CTU to fire Chambers for her jet-setting vacation. 

‘Sarah Chambers went on vacation to Puerto Rico while saying schools aren’t safe and advocating for remote learning. Hypocrisy at its finest! I hope her district sees this and fires her,’ one wrote. 

Another chimed in: ‘Sarah Chambers should be forced to resign or be fired. She celebrates our children’s suffering.’

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