You'd think everyone involved in education—parents, teachers, administrators, everyone—would be invested in getting kids out of masks as quickly as possible.

Like pronto, now, right away.

You would be wrong:

Chicago Public Schools announced Monday masks will be optional for staff and students at schools and on school buses beginning March 14, setting up another showdown with the Chicago Teachers Union over COVID-19 safety protocols.

The union filed an unfair labor practice charge with the state labor board Monday, asking for the CPS mask mandate to continue until CTU's complaint is resolved. Universal masking is one of the tenets of the COVID-19 safety agreement the teachers union forged with CPS in January after an acrimonious battle led to five days of canceled classes during the omicron surge. In a letter Friday to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, CTU President Jesse Sharkey warned that moving to a mask-optional policy would be a "clear violation" of the agreement.

Ahh, you've got to love the modern education establishment.

It's just really something to witness: Chicago teachers were so scared of their own students that they demanded—as part of a contract—that the students be wrapped up in cloth masks before coming to school in January; now they're so devoted to that same contract that they won't allow the students to be unmasked without the full approval of the teachers' union!

In the meantime, nobody seems to care about the kids suffering under sweaty, constricting layers wrapped around their faces.

Must be nice to be a teacher in Chicago. A student, not so much.

P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇