Chicago Teachers Strike: CPS cancels classes Monday as Chicago Teachers Union strike drags on
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Schools are closed Monday after Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union failed to reach an agreement over the weekend.
The city's school district said both classes and after-school activities are canceled Monday as the Chicago teachers strike heads into its fifth day. Monday will mark the third day that schools have been closed over the strike.
Twenty-six thousand CPS teachers and 8,000 support staff workers including custodians, special education assistants and bus aides remain on strike. It is the first CPS teacher strike since 2012.
After meeting behind closed doors for most of Sunday, negotiators for the teachers' union and the school board said they're making progress on a deal.
Union leaders said they've seen "considerable movement" on issues such as homeless students, class sizes and staffing. The union said they reached a tentative agreement Sunday for specific staff positions to support students who qualify as homeless.
Sticking points in negotiations remain over a number of issues, including hiring of support staff and the length of the contract.
The threat of the Illinois High School Association kicking nearly 100 CPS schools out of Tuesday's Class 2A and 3A state playoffs looms.
CPS high school student athletes gathered Sunday at Whitney Young High School's Michelle Obama Sports Complex to express their concern about their seasons ending prematurely due to the strike.
Students like Whitney Young High School senior Esme McCarthy said they've been looking forward to this year's season.
WATCH: CPS student athlete expresses concern about Whitney Young High School's soccer seasons ending prematurely
"We have 14 seniors on our team. We see this as an opportunity to finally, hopefully win something in state, and we want to be given that chance to compete for a regional title," McCarthy said.
Joe Trost, the founder of Pepsico Showdown, said IHSA has an opportunity to be a hero for thousands of student-athletes and give them a chance to compete.
"You're impacting families, you're impacting life long memories, and you're impacting opportunities to be seen by college scouts," Trost said. "There's a massive impact. It's not just a game, it's an impact on the game of life."
According to the IHSA strike policy, "If a school is on strike and not in legal session, as defined by the State Board of Education, on the date of the beginning competition in any IHSA state series, students from that school may not participate in the state series. However, when students from any member school first participate in the beginning level of competition in a given state series that state series is considered to have begun for all entered schools."
The IHSA is expected to announce a decision Monday afternoon.
The Chicago Teachers Union will return to the picket lines outside schools beginning Monday at 6:30 a.m.
It's unclear how quickly the teachers could go back to work once a deal is reached.
