CHICAGO (AP) — A tangled political fight over whether Chicago’s public schools will hold classes on May Day is coming down to the wire, confusing tens of thousands of students and parents.
The influential teachers union, an ally of Mayor Brandon Johnson, wants educators to participate in protests in the nation’s third-largest city on May 1, coinciding with workers’ rights rallies worldwide. But the newly named leader of Chicago Public Schools has rejected the pitch to cancel classes.
The standoff has created uncertainty for the families of more than 315,000 students.
Here is what to know about Chicago’s battle over having school on May Day.
Teachers union wants day off to boost May Day rallies
May Day demonstrations are typically robust in union-friendly Chicago. The roots of the day, also celebrated as International Workers Day, go back over a century to a turbulent and pivotal time in labor history.
This year U.S. labor groups are planning for a boycott of work, shopping and school to fight the Trump administration’s agenda. In some places, including North Carolina, unions are encouraging teachers to call off work on May 1.
The Chicago Teachers Union wants the nation’s fourth-largest school district to scrap classes for all, arguing it lets teachers and students protest at a time when education is under threat. Unions are demanding more school funding, raising taxes on the wealthy and ending immigration crackdowns.
More than 70% of the district’s students are low-income; most are Black or Latino.
“What our students need, and what history teaches us is the only thing that works, is educators, labor unions, and community groups standing together to defend each other and our democracy and demand that the government put our families over their fortunes,” the CTU said in a statement.
This week, Macquline King, the newly-named district CEO, said she had no plans to cancel class.
“As a career educator, I believe every minute in the classroom is vital for our students,” she said in a statement, adding that the district’s school board could override her with a vote. Their next regular meeting is April 23.
The union says it will use May 1 as a professional development day for teachers, swapping for one scheduled on for June 5, the first day of students’ summer break. The union has filed a grievance over the matter.
Canceled classes could also scrap test prep and proms
The uncertainty over the closure of more than 500 schools is creating headaches for parents concerned about finding child care or scrapping test prep.
A district survey showed 113 schools, approximately one-fifth of the district, had planned activities on May 1 including field trips, sporting events and makeup testing for Advanced Placement classes. Another 100 said they had other activities including prom and senior night that day, according to a memo from King to school board members obtained by The Associated Press.
“Disruptions would directly affect academic testing and key student milestones, particularly for graduating seniors and 8th graders with limited ability to recover or reschedule these experiences,” King wrote in the memo.
Mariam Hafezi, parent of a middle school student on Chicago’s northwest side, said she supports learning about civics and wouldn’t be opposed to student-led walkouts. But she noted that these demonstrations were driven by adults.
“It is a teachable moment without them being outside of school,” she said. “It would be wiser to spend time in class explaining about the strike in general.”
Fight over schools puts mayor in tight spot
The fight over the a single day off school showcases a difficult dynamic for first-term Mayor Johnson and a potential 2027 reelection bid.
Johnson supports the May 1 demonstrations. But he has been less clear publicly about whether classes should be canceled. His office didn’t respond to an email Friday.
A former CTU organizer, Johnson was elected in 2023 with the union’s support. That relationship has created tensions, particularly last year amid contract negotiations and the ouster of then-CEO Pedro Martinez.
After a rocky search for a replacement, the board named King, a district insider who served as interim CEO. Last week, the board approved her 3-year contract.
School board members grumble about logistics
The disagreement has also offered a preview of politics on the city’s newest Democratic body. Chicago is phasing out a mayor-appointed school board for a fully-elected one in November.
Currently, the 21-member body is a mix of elected and appointed members who clash often.
“Calls to keep students out of school are reckless,” elected board member Jennifer Custer wrote on Facebook. “They hurt parents who work, disrupt classrooms, and set our kids back — all for politics.”
But Emma Lozano, a longtime immigrant rights activist appointed by Johnson, disagreed.
She thinks it’s important for students to take part in May 1 marches, which in Chicago have drawn hundreds of thousands of people in years past.
“We don’t just get educated in the classroom,” she said. “We get educated in the world and have to learn how to fight for our rights.”
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