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CPS was decisive about closing schools onTuesda, a sharp contrast to what happened on Sunday.
Not only did Barbara Byrd Bennett and the mayor attend Tuesday's briefing, the CPS CEO wasted no time announcing that the district's over 600 schools would be closed for a second day.
''We've made a determination that in the best interests of our students, their safety and their security that all of our district schools will remain closed tomorrow,'' said Byrd-Bennett.
It took Byrd-Bennett until 5 p.m. Sunday to issue a statement closing CPS schools for today. The decision coming after the Chicago Teachers Union questioned whether holding classes would endanger over 400,000 students.
On Tuesday, she said neither the CTU statement nor union member tweets influenced her change of heart. She said the weather forecast - which had not changed since Friday - made the difference.
''We had been in consultation with our cross functional team from Friday on and we thought it was best to make a decision based on those changes in the weather," she said.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel - who appointed Byrd-Bennett - returned today from a two week family vacation in Asia. He said he was in constant contact with city agencies during his time away.
''Given the severity of weather that we have no seen like this in decades, it was the right decision to do for the welfare of our children,'' Emanuel said.
Emanuel also said that he knew his children's private school was canceled hours before the CPS decision was made. He did not say whether one decision influenced the other.
Click here for a list of emergency closings.
