The best way I can think of to celebrate May Day and honor International Workers’ Day is by attending school, teaching my students and placing education above politics. As a Chicago Public Schools civics teacher and a Chicago Teachers Union member, I stand in strong support of keeping schools open May 1 and providing instruction throughout the district as scheduled.
Contrary to what some may say or what may have been rumored, the CTU is not on strike. Our union leadership is demanding classes be canceled in support of no school for a “Civic Day of Action.” There are many teachers and CTU members who see that decision as an extreme political request that is not in the best interest of the people we serve: CPS students and families.
I have taught civics in the district for many years. Every school year, we teach about democracy, accountability, transparency, free and fair elections, tolerance, separation of powers, activism and protest. Not once have our civics classes required a special day off from school so students could learn or put into practice these key principles.
Our civics classes involve raising awareness through community projects, which often take weeks to plan. The goal is to offer fulfillment and satisfaction to students, who research, take action and reflect on how their work makes a difference. Students don’t need to take days off from instruction to complete these projects. If anything, it is the time they spend participating in civics class and collaborating with their peers and civic organizations that leads to successful action in the community.
Earlier this school year, in preparation for the primary election in March, students in our civics classes researched the function of several government offices, including governor, U.S. senator, Illinois comptroller, Cook County Board president, Cook County assessor and Cook County Board of Review, among others. Students also did research on various candidates and prepared their own voter guides, which featured key issues, platforms and points of similarity and contrast.
Finally, for the students who were eligible, they used their own voter guides to vote for the first time. Their work was based on independent research and peer group discussion and guided on taking civic action by being aware of the key issues affecting their communities and the people looking to represent them. Once again attending class was instrumental and something that was ultimately a rewarding experience grounded in their own research and their own decisions. Students did not need to be told what to think or who to support.
Attending class was a basic requirement and proof that CPS students can be civically engaged without the need for canceling class or for platforms to be selected for protest. Civics education involves celebrating participation in our democracy, including protest, on a daily basis.
Keeping CPS schools open on May 1 is not a contract violation; it is not in any way opposing workers’ rights. It is perfectly acceptable to honor this labor holiday by having children attend classes and having labor and civic actions on the same day. There is nothing that is stopping any teacher, parent or student from attending regular classes that day and then going out to exercise their First Amendment right to protest later that afternoon.
As she should, CPS CEO Macquline King recently reaffirmed that every minute in the classroom is vital for students and that May 1 should remain an instruction day in CPS. The president of the Chicago Principals & Administrators Association also expressed concerns with canceling classes that day. These leaders have the best interest of students and their families in mind, centered around education, not politics.
As a civics teacher, I urge the Chicago Board of Education and other elected officials to support keeping students in school on May 1.
The learning of civics makes a huge difference in our society, knowledge and action are necessary for it to flourish. We can’t reduce it to a day of mandatory protest. We teachers need to prioritize education and depoliticize the way we teach. We need our youths to be civic-minded and open-minded.
School attendance and civic action are not mutually exclusive.
Froylan Jimenez is a Chicago Public Schools civics teacher and a Chicago Teachers Union member.
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