Chicago Teachers Union Presses to Cancel May 1 Classes for Anti‑Trump May Day Protests
Chicago is facing a late‑breaking showdown over whether its public schools will hold classes on May 1, as the Chicago Teachers Union pushes to scrap school for more than 315,000 students so educators and students can join May Day protests against the Trump administration’s agenda. Newly appointed CPS CEO Macquline King has rejected canceling school, saying “every minute in the classroom is vital,” but acknowledged the elected school board could override her at its April 23 meeting. The union says it will treat May 1 as a professional development day, swapping it with June 5, and has filed a grievance, while national labor groups are calling for boycotts of work, shopping, and school that day to demand more school funding, higher taxes on the wealthy, and an end to immigration crackdowns. Internal CPS data show about one‑fifth of schools already scheduled field trips, AP makeup testing and other events on May 1, with another 100 planning proms and senior nights, raising fears that any late closure would disrupt key milestones for graduating seniors and 8th graders and create childcare and test‑prep headaches for families. The fight, playing out in a historically union‑friendly city where May Day demonstrations are typically robust, tests the alliance between the powerful CTU and Mayor Brandon Johnson and highlights how classrooms are becoming a front line in national political battles.
📌 Key Facts
- CPS serves more than 315,000 students across over 500 schools; about 70% are low‑income and most are Black or Latino.
- CTU is demanding no school on May 1, 2026 so teachers and students can join May Day protests aimed at resisting the Trump administration agenda, including immigration crackdowns.
- CPS CEO Macquline King has refused to cancel classes but the school board, which meets April 23, has authority to override her.
- The union wants to convert May 1 into a professional development day and swap it with June 5, the first day of summer break, and has filed a grievance.
- A district memo says roughly 113 schools had planned May 1 activities such as field trips and AP makeup tests, while about 100 more scheduled events like prom and senior night, making a late closure highly disruptive.
📊 Relevant Data
In the 2024-2025 school year, Chicago Public Schools students were 47% Hispanic/Latino, 35% Black, 11.1% White, 4.6% Asian, 0.3% American Indian/Alaska Native, 0.1% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and 1.8% two or more races.
Chicago Public Schools - Education — U.S. News & World Report
In 2023, four-year high school graduation rates in Chicago Public Schools were 90% for White students, 85% for Hispanic students, 78% for Black students, and 92% for Asian students.
The educational attainment of Chicago Public Schools students — University of Chicago Consortium on School Research
Missing school is negatively associated with academic performance, with higher absenteeism linked to lower test scores, particularly in math and for low-income students.
Student absenteeism: Who misses school and how missing school matters for performance — Economic Policy Institute
Chicago's immigrant population grew to nearly 600,000 in 2024, its highest since 2006, with almost 40% from Mexico.
Immigrant population reaches its highest point in nearly two decades — WBEZ Chicago
In Chicago Public Schools, teachers are 44.4% White, 25.7% Hispanic/Latinx, 20.7% Black/African-American, 5.2% Asian, and 3.9% other, compared to students who are predominantly Black and Latino.
Stats and Facts — Chicago Public Schools
Immigration enforcement actions, such as those under the Trump administration, have been associated with decreased student performance and increased absences in affected school districts.
US immigration crackdown 2025: Consequences for K-12 students — The Journalist's Resource
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