Teachers in Chicago have voted to suspend their week-long strike over reform and return to classrooms Wednesday.

Chicago Teachers Union voted Tuesday to end the strike of some 29,000 teachers and support staff that has kept some 350,000 kindergarten, elementary and high school students out of class.

The decision was reached after about two hours of deliberation.

Public school teachers in Chicago walked off the job last Monday in a dispute with the city school board over several issues, including plans for a longer school day and how to evaluate job performance.

Parents across the city have scrambled to find day care for their children or had to take time off work to take care of them.

Union leaders on Sunday extended the strike by two more days to review the detail of the proposed new contract.