May Day boycott sparks clash over closing Chicago Public Schools
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Demonstrators from labor groups, including the Chicago Teachers Union, rally downtown against President Trump's immigration policies in Sept. Photo: Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images
A planned May Day boycott is putting Chicago Public Schools at the center of a growing political and educational fight.
The latest: Labor leaders are calling for a boycott and demonstration on May Day (May 1), asking Chicagoans to avoid shopping, working and attending school.
- The Chicago Teachers Union is one of the movement's organizers and lobbied new CPS CEO Macquline King to close public schools that day so teachers and students could join their planned downtown demonstration.
- On Wednesday, King said she would not cancel school. But by Thursday, multiple outlets reported that she reversed course after speaking with Mayor Brandon Johnson.
- Late Thursday evening, she again changed direction, saying the kids would be in class.
What they're saying: "We are not living through ordinary times," CTU leaders wrote in an email to members last night. "Nothing in the news in the past 24 hours changes that."
- "Our students have something to say, and we as educators have a responsibility to speak up and support them in finding their voice, their vision, their agency, and their place in the community."
Why it matters: The move is fueling debate over whether schools should close for civic or political demonstrations.
Between the lines: The day of civic action is already on the CPS calendar — but not as a day off. According to CTU, it was negotiated in their latest contract and they've been urging CPS to cancel classes for a May Day protest for over a year.
- CPS wants the kids in school for labor history lessons and other learning opportunities.
Zoom in: CTU is reportedly lobbying CPS to move a "Professional Development Day," already on the books for June, to May 1.
- The switch would make May 1 a no-attendance day without reducing total instructional time.
Friction point: Critics are raising concerns about tying a day off to a political protest.
- "Anyone not part of some ideological bunker can plainly see the CTU for what it is: A radical political movement intent on using Chicago schools to further its agenda," the Trib's editorial board wrote Wednesday.
- CTU president Stacy Davis Gates appeared on WGN-TV, saying, "Our political activity is to ensure that Black students have a success plan in order to undo the harm of years of marginal educational opportunities."
The intrigue: In an earlier memo, King expressed skepticism about closing school for the day while acknowledging arguments in its favor.
- King, who was selected by the school board to run CPS, was also hand-picked by Johnson to run the district after Pedro Martinez left last summer.
- Johnson is a former teacher and CTU organizer who received support from the union in his 2023 mayoral campaign.
Zoom out: Student walkouts tied to national political issues — including immigration — have become more common across Illinois, with schools often excusing absences.
What's next: King's decision to keep students in school could be overruled by the Chicago Board of Education, which has already voted to support switching the professional development day.
The bottom line: CPS' decision could set a new precedent for how districts handle organized civic action.