Chicago Teachers Union, CPS agree to "day of civic action" on May Day

The Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools have agreed to use May Day for a "day of civic action" for students and teachers.

CTU has been asking the school district for the day off on May 1, which falls on a Friday this year, for months without a firm answer. The union argued that teachers and students should be able to use that day to learn important lessons outside the classroom.

May Day, also called International Workers Day in the U.S., is a celebration of laborers and labor unions observed on May 1 every year. It dates back to the campaign to establish an eight-hour work day by May 1, 1886, and has roots in the city of Chicago as the Haymarket Riots were a catalytic moment for the labor movement and the holiday.

New CPS CEO Dr. Maquline King had said she personally opposed canceling classes on May Day, but said the Chicago Board of Education had to make the final call. In a statement, CTU said the district has agreed to "transform the school day to one focused on civic engagement, student voice, and standing up to the White House's attacks targeting our school community."

According to the union, CTU and CPS signed an agreement that includes the district providing buses for field trips so students and teachers can attend a 1 p.m. May Day rally in Union Park. The union said the agreement also include a pledge from CPS that there will be no retaliation against any staff or students who participate in May Day, lobby for school funding in Springfield, and said the district agreed that future May Days that fall during the work week be teacher-directed professional development days "so that we all have clarity for the years to come."

"We have the opportunity to make it something special, to organize across the city, and to engage our students in civic action and solidarity," the union's statement said.

CPS said in a statement that that Friday, May 1, will be a "full instructional day, as originally scheduled" and that the agreement with the union ensures the school day goes on as scheduled but also allows schools to offer lesson plans on civic engagement and action, or to join local May Day events.

"This agreement preserves the classroom time students deserve and respects our staff and families who must be able to trust CPS to uphold the academic school year calendar," said King in a statement. "At the same time, the agreement honors the proud history of civic action in Chicago and beyond."

With schools set to be open for May Day, King got her way in that regard, but potentially hundreds of students will now be able to take a field trip to a May Day rally in Union Park in the middle of that school day.

Last year's May Day rally in Union Park brought together thousands of people speaking out in opposition to the policies of the Trump administration.

"Participation in May 1 local events is completely voluntary and is at the discretion of school leaders," CPS said in a statement. "No student is obligated to participate; they can opt to stay in school.  No staff member is obligated to participate, nor are staff excused from normal duty for the purposes of their own participation."

Principals will get to decide if their schools participate, but if a 6th through 12th grader wants to participate but attends a school that is not taking part the district said they are allowed "one (1) excused absence per school year to participate in a 'civic event.'"

However, those students would first have to get permission from their parents or guardians.

Hall Woods, chief of policy for Kids First Chicago, a CPS parents' group, said two thirds of the parents in their network wanted school to remain open, based on a recent survey they conducted.

"If there's a lot of teachers that are taking off that day, are there going to be enough substitute teachers' coverage?" she said. "Parents, in terms of the reason why they wanted children to be in school, the number one by far reason was student learning and student instruction. And so, to your point about what's that day going to look like, if it's a substitute teacher, if it's putting on a movie in the classroom, that's not really a day of learning. "

Mayor Brandon Johnson, who did not take questions at a groundbreaking event this morning in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, issued a statement saying in part, "We look forward to a day of meaningful solidarity and community resistance to the forces trying to tear us apart."

This also means that all planned activities, such as advanced placement testing, proms, senior nights, and field trips will go on.

CPS said all staff are expected at work on May Day and using benefit days must follow each school's normal protocols for day off approval. The district is allowing individual principals to provide students with an opportunity to participate in events and field trips, including civic engagement activities, on May 1 during the school day. Schools will have follow normal field trip procedures for these events.

CPS emphasized that any participation in local May Day events is completely voluntary and that no student is obligated to participate and can instead opt to stay in school, as can staff. 

If students from grades 6 to 12 choose not to participate in any May Day civic events, they will still be allowed one excused absence per school year to participate in a "civic event" with parental permission provided to the school in advance, as per Illinois law.