More than 300,000 children were out of schools in the Chicago area for 11 days according to Foxbuisness.com. The CTU (Chicago Teachers Union) are striking besides seeking the basics of higher wages, smaller size classrooms, and better conditions. They are striking for a librarian, a nurse, and a psychologist in every school according to USATODAY. But how does a city that spends 7.7 billion on education, not include the basics in each school?  

Schools have always enforced the idea of students reading and how they should utilize the library as much as they can, not just to check out books, but to use the computers. According to Aixa Arredondo, a kindergarten teacher at Curtis school of excellence, some of her students have never checked out a book in their lives because they weren’t taught how to in school. If there is not a librarian to show them the basic elements of a school and how to utilize something that is essential towards their academic future, how will they succeed?  

Safety is also a top priority in school. There needs to be at least one full time nurse in every school. What happens if a child is playing in the playground and he falls and breaks his leg? Who will know how to properly care for him? Or also if a child throws up or has a headache, they need someone to go to help them feel better.  

In worse case scenarios, what about those students who need medical attention consistently due to having conditions such as asthma or diabetes? According to WBEZ news, a child enrolled in a Chicago public school who had only part time nurses, has spina bifida, a congenital spinal defect.  According to the website “He needs special accommodations, including a school nurse to help him three times a day with a catheter.” These special cases are the major reasons why a full–time nurse needs to be placed in every school in order to diminish the worry of the health of students.  

Children in Chicago suffer through many mental issues due to the trauma and uncontrollable issues they go through at such a young age. According to Chicago Suntimes, “School may be the safest place they are all day. In many neighborhoods they cannot play outside or in the parks”. Every public school in Chicago needs to have a full time psychologists to help these children in any way possible whether it’s them going through something at home or just needing someone to talk to because a lot of times, they are going through a lot on their own, and at that age they need support and someone who they can trust with their issues.  

Overall, these should not be issues that need to be fought for in a strike; these 3 positions should be automatically provided for the safety of the students and for their academic success.