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Christopher Vondracek

cvondracek@washingtontimes.com

Christopher Vondracek was a reporter on The Washington Times' National desk.

Articles by Christopher Vondracek

Chicago Public Schools CEO Dr. Janice Jackson, right, speaks as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, second from left, listens during a press conference at the CPS headquarters announcing a preliminary reopening framework for public schools, Friday, July 17, 2020, in Chicago. (Pat Nabong/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) **FILE**

Most California students will stay home this fall, while Chicago looks to reopen school buildings

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday released strict new rules that mean most students in the state will start the year learning remotely, but halfway across the country in Chicago, city leaders are looking to a "hybrid" model that includes in-class instructions, illustrating how the country's largest school districts are apparently heading to dramatically different conclusions about how to resume teaching this fall.

July 17, 2020
Tom Alexander holds a cross as he prays prior to rulings outside the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 8, 2020. The Supreme Court is siding with two Catholic schools in a ruling that underscores that certain employees of religious schools, hospitals and social service centers can't sue for employment discrimination. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) **FILE**

Catholic schools prepare to reopen

Catholic dioceses are moving toward reopening their schools amid the coronavirus, with some adhering to state and federal health guidelines but others advocating a more bullish approach for in-person learning.

July 13, 2020
The Supreme Court building is photographed early Thursday, July 9, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Supreme Court: Eastern Oklahoma is American Indian territory

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that 3 million acres of eastern Oklahoma, including the state's second-largest city, is part of a reservation of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, effectively ending the state's prosecution of American Indians on that land.

July 9, 2020
School Resource Officer Donald Lee locks the gates of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School for Science and Technology, after all the students left, in New Orleans, Friday, March 13, 2020. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Friday closed K-12 public schools across the state for roughly a month and banned gatherings of more than 250 people in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some it can cause more severe illness. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Schools cancel police contracts over ‘traumatic presence’

Armed police officers could become relics in many schools as local education officials cancel long-standing contracts with law enforcement amid calls for defunding police forces. But some members of the community wonder who will keep students safe.

July 6, 2020
This Monday, May 4, 2020, file photo shows Willow Creek School in Willow Creek, Mont. The school with its 56 students will be among the first in the U.S. to reopen after being shut down due to the coronavirus concerns. Desks will be spaced 6 feet apart, temperatures will be checked upon arrival and any child not following social-distancing guidelines will be sent home, officials said. (AP Photo/Matt Volz)

U.S. schools to reopen with dizzying array of new rules

Temperature checks at bus stops, plexiglass walls between desks and no field trips are a few of the rules school districts are planning to implement as a pandemic-weary nation lurches toward reopening schools this fall.

June 25, 2020