CHICAGO (AP) — With Chicago teachers poised to go on strike for the first time in a quarter century, parents spent Sunday worrying about how much their children’s education might suffer and where their kids will go while they’re at work.

Teachers said they would walk off the job Monday if no deal was reached with the nation’s third-largest district by midnight on issues such as pay, job security and evaluations. Parents have been waiting nervously for word of progress as city and union officials send messages that are discouraging one day and encouraging the next.