The Nation - News from Jan. 1, 1989

On any given day, an average of 6,540 Chicago high school and elementary students attend classes that have no instructors, the Chicago Tribune reported. The leaderless class sessions were due to teacher absenteeism and a shortage of substitutes. Chicago teachers take an average 11 sick days a year, one more than is provided under their labor contract without losing pay, nearly double the national average, the Tribune said. Chicago Teachers Union spokesman Chuck Burdeen disputed those figures, but acknowledged: “There is a high level of sick leave. . . . “ Officials say the problem is aggravated by substitutes’ ability to refuse assignments to specific schools. The newspaper said its investigation found that about 6% of the district’s approximately 28,000 teachers missed school on a typical day last fall.