Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Teachers Union reached a tentative deal Sunday to reopen city schools for families seeking in-person instruction, narrowly avoiding a strike but contingent on broader union approval.

With a big smile on her face, Lightfoot kicked off a noon news conference by announcing “the very good news that our children will be returning to in-person learning this week.”

Under the tentative framework, the first group of students and staff — pre-K and special education cluster programs — would return Feb. 11. When schools briefly opened to those groups in January, fewer than 1 in 5 eligible students attended.

Subsequent groups would be staggered, with staff returning ahead of students: Kindergarten through fifth grade staff would go back Feb. 22, followed by their students on March 1. Sixth through eighth grade staff would go back March 1, followed by their students on March 8

We understand the (members have) the right to say yes or say no, but in fairness to parents who’ve really weathered an incredible storm, particularly over the course of this week and the ups and the downs ... given that we have a written document back from them, we felt this was an appropriate time for us to give parents a preview with the caveat that it’s subject to ratification,” Lightfoot said

During a members meeting Sunday afternoon, union officials presented the framework and explained how they got to this point.