Chicago Public Schools parents are pushing back after a deal was reached declaring May 1 a “day of civic action” in a recent agreement.
May 1 is known as May Day, or as International Workers’ Day, and the Chicago Teachers Union had pursued a resolution to designate the day as a “day of civic action” to allow students and faculty to participate in various actions on the date.
Under the terms of the agreement, schools will offer lesson plans to “educate students on the importance of civic engagement, and will be given the option to participate in local civic engagement events,” according to CPS officials.
“Participation in local civic engagement events will be completely voluntary. As always, student participation in any field trip is optional; families and students have the right to opt out of participation and remain in school,” CPS said in a statement.
May 1 will be a full instructional day, and all staff are expected to report to work, according to the agreement.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson expressed support for the compromise plan.
“(We should) use May 1st as an opportunity to elevate the consciousness of our civic responsibility and let’s challenge those with means to put more skin in the game so that our schools can be fully funded, can have access to health care, that we can have strong, reliable, safe, accessible public transportation, good paying jobs, and of course affordable housing,” he said.
Under Illinois law, students in grades 6-12 are permitted one excused absence per school year to attend a civic engagement event, so long as they have parental permission.
Still, the deal is coming under scrutiny from some parents and attorneys, who held a press conference Monday arguing their children should not be used as political pawns.
While the schools will technically be open May 1, some parents say the plan curriculum includes politically charged content. NBC Chicago obtained a copy of that curriculum, which includes teachers talking to students as young as preschool about social justice, transgender rights and protest.
Bill Quinlan, an attorney representing the patients, echoed the parents’ concerns.
“Children can make the choice with their parents to take an absence for civic action,” he said. “Again, those are a choice that parents make with respect to their children. And I don’t think anyone’s disputing that. The question is when those choices get made for them.”
Juan Rangel of The Urban Center said the proposal was about politics, not education.
“This is not about education. This is about politics,” he said. “And we all know that very clearly, right? While we may not be lawyers up here, we are not naive. And we know exactly what CTU and CPS are doing with their children. And that is unacceptable and is completely irresponsible.”
The parents involved with Monday’s press conference are circulating an online petition asking CPS parents to also weigh in. The group also plans to attend this week’s school board meeting and say they want to see the full vote on the proposal.
From there, they will weigh whether or not to take legal action, according to representatives for the group.
Hence then, the article about parents attorneys weigh legal action after cps ctu s may day deal was published today ( ) and is available on NBC Chicago ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Parents, attorneys weigh legal action after CPS, CTU's ‘May Day' deal )
Also on site :