After a long holiday weekend, Chicago Public Schools students logged in Tuesday for their first week of remote learning to open the 2020 school year amid the pandemic. According to CPS, first-day attendance was down but ticked up on Wednesday and Thursday when about 90% of students logged in for instruction.

But attendance isn’t the only measure of success. 

Chicago Board of Education President Miguel del Valle says that while CPS was able to distribute thousands of devices and secure internet access for CPS students, “We still have some students that we haven’t made a connection, and those students are our top priority.”  

Cristina Pacione-Zayas, associate vice president of policy at the Erikson Institute, acknowledges the hard work put in by CPS administration and teachers, but grades CPS’ approach “a work in progress” after week one, especially in Latino communities where many parents are essential workers.