Teachers unions in Chicago are organizing student participation in socialist May Day demonstrations taking place across the city’s school districts and the country.
Across the United States, an estimated 600 groups are supporting about 6,000 events as part of coordinated “May Day Strong” demonstrations.
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Organizers are promoting actions including walkouts, marches, and other gatherings under the slogan “no school, no work, no shopping.” Large turnouts are expected in other major cities, including Washington, D.C, New York City, and Los Angeles.
In Chicago, the Chicago Teachers Union has framed participation in the socialist holiday as an opportunity for students to learn about “civic engagement.”
“Teaching our students what civic action looks like requires more than textbooks when the President sends federal agents to occupy our cities and the Governor chooses to continue giving tax breaks to billionaires instead of giving our students the school day they deserve,” said CTU Vice President Jackson Potter.
Potter also emphasized the need for public schools to provide students a “quality education” and stand up for what they believe: “show[ing] the authoritarian billionaire in Washington that when he breaks every rule, we will not go along with business as usual.”
In early April, the CTU and the National Education Association held an online seminar focused on developing curriculum centered on social justice themes ahead of May Day activities.
“There’s probably gonna be a lot worse things that Trump does, and so May Day is a dress rehearsal for maybe there’s a random day in, you know, June that we all are, like, no work, no school, no shopping, because of something Pete just did, right?” Chicago history teacher Dave Stieber said during the lesson.
Chicago Public Schools declined a request to suspend classes for participation in Friday’s political rallies. However, the district and the teachers union later reached an agreement that included providing food and transportation for students from at least 100 schools to attend events, with thousands of students expected to take part.
The CTU also pointed to a recently enacted state provision allowing students one excused day per year to participate in a “civic event.”
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Future scheduling discussions have included the possibility of using May Day-related activities for teacher professional development days, during which educators could engage students in civic-focused programming.
Illinois has expanded civics education requirements over the past decade, including earlier mandates emphasizing “action civics,” which incorporate student participation in civic activities such as advocacy or public engagement as part of coursework.
