Chicago Politics

The Chicago Teachers Union is pressing to cancel classes across Chicago Public Schools on May 1 — May Day — as part of a citywide "Day of Civic Action" to protest federal policy and mobilize unions and immigrant-rights supporters. The push has put the union at odds with city leaders at times, but reporting now shows Mayor Brandon Johnson signaling support for the idea, heightening a public dispute over whether schools should be closed for political demonstrations that would affect students, staff and families across the district of 316,224 pupils. The union frames the action as a response to what it calls an assault on public education, including a proposed $12 billion cut to federal education funding in the 2026 budget that it says threatens K-12 resources.