Chicago Public Schools releases a May Day plan
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After weeks of confusion over Chicago Public Schools' May Day plans, district officials reached a compromise Friday with the Chicago Teachers Union that will keep schools open while allowing some students and teachers excused absences.
Why it matters: The standoff left hundreds of thousands of parents and students unsure about child care, instruction and school activities that day.
- It also highlights ongoing tension between Mayor Brandon Johnson, the school board, CPS CEO Macquline King and the union.
The big picture: CPS is calling May 1 a Civic Day of Action, but also a full instructional day, one that could look like a regular day at most of the district's 630 schools.
Zoom in: CPS anticipates that some schools will provide buses and an option for students who get parental permission to attend afternoon May Day events, much like a field trip, although none have asked for buses yet.
- Other schools may "offer lesson plans on civic engagement and action," CPS says, with principals to determine what activities each school offers.
- If a student's school is not offering the field trip option, under Illinois law, students in grades 6 through 12 can take one excused absence per school year to participate in a "civic event," but they have to get parental sign-off.
Yes, but: "All staff are expected to report to work as scheduled [in the morning] and work a full day," the district said in a statement.
- When it comes to May Day events, CPS notes: "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."
What they're saying: "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," King said in a statement Friday.
- "At the same time, the agreement honors the proud history of civic action in Chicago and beyond."
The other side: "We're grateful to have a Mayor who puts working people front and center in his agenda who brought all parties together to find agreement," the CTU said in a Friday statement.
- "And we're proud to be part of a school district that recognizes the responsibility of educators to stand up for our students, support them in finding their voice, and to not sit on the sidelines of history when the people of this country finally say 'enough' to the abuses from the White House."
- "Encouraging participating allows Chicagoans to honor our history while advocating for our future. We look forward to a day of meaningful solidarity and community resistance to the forces trying to tear us apart," Johnson said in a Friday statement.
What's next: The district and individual schools will continue to roll out details of the plan, including during a CTU webinar on April 21.
What we're watching: How many schools will be able to meet the transportation and permission requirements needed to organize a field trip in just 15 days.
- We're also monitoring the results of an Axios survey about where readers stand on the issue.