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Chicago Teachers Union, CPS Agree to "Day of Civic Action" on May Day
The compromise lets students and staff join civic events voluntarily while keeping instruction intact and giving 65 educators paid release time for Springfield lobbying.
- On Friday, Chicago Public Schools CEO Macquline King announced that May 1 will remain a full instructional day while designating it an official 'day of civic action' following an agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union.
- The Chicago Teachers Union initially pushed to cancel classes for a national 'no school, no work, no shopping' protest, but King balked at the demand, asserting that 'every minute in the classroom is vital for students.'
- Under the compromise, CPS will provide at least 100 schools with transportation and bagged lunches for a Union Park rally, though participation remains 'completely voluntary' and students may opt to stay in class.
- The district pledged 'no retaliation' against participating staff and students, while also designating May 1, 2028, as a teacher-directed professional development day for future clarity on the academic calendar.
- Mayor Brandon Johnson championed the agreement as honoring Chicago's civic history, though Kids First Chicago reported that many parents preferred prioritizing uninterrupted student learning over potential classroom disruptions.
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15 Articles
Chicago Public Schools will stay open May 1 – kind of. – Illinois Policy
The school district rejected the teachers union’s demand to close school that day. Instead, 100 schools will be provided with buses so that students have the option to “field trip” to a massive pro-labor, anti-President Donald Trump rally in the afternoon. After May Day 2025, the union set a new year’s resolution to “raise the bar” by organizing the “largest May Day action yet” in 2026.
CPS parent reacts to May 1 drama
After a lot of back and forth, Chicago Public School leaders and the teachers union have agreed school will be in session on May 1. But there's a catch. Starting at 1 p.m. CPS will provide about 100 buses and students will have an excused absence for the afternoon if they want to be chaperoned and attend the May Day protests. They have to get a permission slip. No student will be retaliated against if they choose to stay in school and not atte…
Chicago Public Schools to remain open May 1, but agreement allows staff and students to attend rallies
CHICAGO — Chicago Public Schools will not cancel classes on May 1, though the district has agreed to provide buses for students and teachers who choose to attend an afternoon rally and other civic engagement events.
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