Chicago Mayor, K–12 School Leaders at Odds Over May 1 Anti-Trump Protest Plan

In the Windy City, the public school system and its teachers union are sending mixed messages to families now that Mayor Brandon Johnson has announced his support to cancel classes on May 1 for a national day of protest despite the superintendent’s opposition.

Last month, the Chicago Teachers Union passed a resolution affirming that members will participate in the planned “May Day” events to protest “an unprecedented national assault on education driven by [Make America Great Again] politicians, billionaire donors, and corporate interests who seek to privatize our schools, censor educators, ban books, dismantle civil rights protections, criminalize and separate immigrant families, and weaken workers’ unions.”

The union resolution also states that under a state law, middle and high school students are allowed one absence per year to attend this type of “civic event” sponsored by nonprofit or governmental entities.

Nationally, event organizers are calling on employers, schools, and businesses to shut down for the day to protest President Donald Trump.

During an April 10 news conference, Johnson said, “May Day is going to happen,” noting that conversations are taking place with school officials to cancel classes.

“Parents have advance notice, and the city of Chicago has advance notice, so we can continue to make those necessary adjustments for May Day,” he said.

Chicago Public Schools are scheduled to remain open on May 1, and faculty and students are not excused from a regular full day of instruction, according to the most recent announcement from Superintendent Macquline King.

“As a career educator, I believe that every minute in the classroom is vital for students,” she said in the announcement posted on the district website. “My position has been consistent and has not changed.”

“I understand and empathize with our families’ frustration and confusion around this issue,” she said.

The next Chicago Board of Education meeting is scheduled for April 23, but an agenda has not yet been posted to the district website.

The Chicago Teachers Union remains steadfast on members’ plans not to be in the classroom on May 1, according to its website. It said its current contract, ratified last year, stipulates that May Day is recognized as a day of civic action, and that it has already filed a grievance against the district to ensure that the contract item is honored.

The union has also publicized a May 1 itinerary that instructs children to arrive at school by 8 a.m., participate in “regional civics lessons and actions” until noon, and then gather for a rally at Union Park at 1 p.m.

“A beautiful coalition of racial and economic justice organizations, unions, and community groups is working alongside the city, its libraries, parks, and others to carry forward the legacy of the movements that won the rights now threatened,” the union announcement states.

On social media, parents and organizations expressed frustration with the conflicting May Day information.

“Families still don’t have a clear answer,” reads an April 12 post from Chicago Flips Red, a group of black conservatives. “Kids could miss test prep, graduation events, field trips, and real learning time.”

“Chicago could stand alone as the ONLY major city shutting down schools for this,” it states.

Susana Mendoza, Illinois comptroller and parent of a Chicago Public Schools student, said closing school for another day on short notice sends parents scrambling for day care, not to mention leading to potential learning loss, lost wages, and questions about who will provide lunch to their children on May 1.

“As a [Chicago Public Schools] mom, I have skin in the game and expect my son to be in school where he belongs on May 1,” she said. “Keep Chicago’s students in the classrooms, parents at work, and focus on the city’s test scores, not its politics.”