Chicago – April 21, 2026
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) will consider May 1 a “day of civil action” for students despite classes still being in session.
The CTU pushed a resolution last month to designate May 1, otherwise known as May Day or International Workers’ Day, as the day of “Civic Action and Defense of Public Education” and a day off for teachers and students.
“If we still want to have democracy in the midterms this November, public schools that provide our students with quality education, and unions to defend workers’ rights, then it is up to every Chicagoan to stand up for what we believe in and show the authoritarian billionaire in Washington that when he breaks every rule, we will not go along with business as usual,” CTU Vice President Jackson Potter said in a statement at the time.
In a statement on Friday, CPS confirmed that May 1 would still be considered a full instructional day with students and staff still expected to attend.
