Jensen Tragedy

Shut it Down! Shut it Down!

By Jim Vail

Jasyma Johnson is organizing a fundraiser to 
pay for funeral costs of her sister and parent 
at Jensen Elementary School who died of Covid.

In a very emotional press conference, the Jensen Elementary School on the West Side said it loud and clear:  Shut it down!

They want the Chicago Public Schools to shut down their school after two parents died of Covid that their children brought home after 11 out of 17 classrooms at the school were in quarantine due to the virus. One was a 47-year-old mother last Thursday, and second 32-year-old mother on Friday. The West Side is one of the lowest vaccinated areas in the city where many African-American people suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes.

"We do not want to lose another member of our community," the Chicago Teachers Union told members of the press and the community at Jensen Elementary School at Sacramento and Harrison Avenues on Tuesday, September 28.

"This is devastating," said Chantella Bland, the president of Jenson's local school council and a parent at the school. "Shut down Jensen!"

Her cry was echoed by many in the crowd who were pumped up and mad that CPS is not providing the necessary safety measures such as contact tracing, weekly testing, temperature checks in the morning, deep cleaning of the school, etc.

"I call on the Mayor to do the right thing," CTU President Jesse Sharkey said. "It shouldn't take deaths to do the right thing. We demand that they shut it down!"

Another member of Jensen's LSC noted that CPS wants the kids back in school because of crime, "but they're killing us." He reiterated like all the others that it is time for CPS to close the school down so no more tragedies happen.

The balloon toss in honor of 2 fallen parents from
Covid at Jensen Elementary School.

Jasyma Johnson, the sister of one of the parents who died of Covid, gave a heart-felt speech in which she deplored CPS and the system for allowing another school district to the west in Naperville to do all the right things during a pandemic to save their children - deep cleaning, small class sizes to follow social distance rules, contact tracing, temperature checks, while the City of Chicago does little to nothing.

"This is an issue of the haves and the have-nots," said the sister of Shenitha Curry who died from Covid. "If the teachers are liable if a kid goes missing, then CPS should be liable for these deaths on their watch!"

State Rep. Lakeesha Collins who represents the district where Jensen is located told the crowd that this is the reason why the Chicago public schools need an elected school board. 

"They put pressure on teachers everyday, it's time to put pressure on the mayor," said Jensen 2nd grade teacher Arielle Chestleigh. "We're sick and tired of being sick and tired!"

The school nurse told everyone that it is not difficult to do the simple steps to be safe. She said after the deaths of the two parents CPS came to only do some contact tracing and social emotional support.

When the families of the deceased parents stepped in front of the corporate media who lined up the street with cameras and microphones, tears and emotions overwhelmed them, and a minister came in to say a prayer. They then had their middle school students release scores of black balloons in memory of a tragedy that many there believe could have been avoided had CPS taken the proper safety measures.

The CTU asked fellow teachers, community members and good souls to donate to GoFundMe for Shenitha Curry's funeral.