Chicago Teachers Union

This is what solidarity looks like! From powerful speeches to unwavering energy, our rally showcased the strength of educators and allies united for justice. 💪🏽 We’re building a brighter future for our students, schools, and communities.

107 years young and still organizing. Chicago recently made it official: August 3rd is Bea Lumpkin Day. But let’s be real, her impact isn’t confined to one day. It’s a lifetime of fighting for working people, organizing across generations, and teaching us what it means to stay in the fight. From organizing workers as a teenager to teaching CPS students to standing shoulder-to-shoulder in movements for labor, civil rights, and Black liberation, Bea has never let up. And at 107, she’s still showing up, still building, still pushing us forward. We were proud to celebrate her at our last House of Delegates meeting and even prouder to carry her legacy into the fight ahead. Honor Bea by doing what she’s done for over a century: organize, teach, and build power. See you in the streets this May Day.

Tony Johnston, President of @ccctu_1600, laid out how schools, workers, and immigrant communities are all being targeted. And as Trump escalates those attacks, educators are organizing in response. That’s what solidarity looks like across sectors. Find a May Day event near you: chicagomayday.org #MayDay2026

Ricardo Navarrete, a standout at Mather High School, was detained by ICE with his mother at what they thought was a routine check-in. And inside the school, educators didn’t stand still. We have sanctuary teams supporting the families we serve, working to make sure Ricardo can still graduate and build his future. We organized for and won the infrastructure needed to make sanctuary teams possible. This is why educators organize and why this May Day matters. We’re taking that lesson beyond the classroom and standing together for the schools and communities our students deserve. On May Day, join us as we stand up to defend our communities. Read more: wbez.org/education/2026…

BREAKING: Durham Public Schools will make May 1 an optional teacher workday. This is the power of our organizing. Chicago is showing the nation what it looks like to take a unified stand against billionaires and the Trump Administration’s attacks on our communities. This is our May Day. Learn more about our day of civic action and how to get plugged in at ChicagoMayDay.org

The loudest voice at yesterday’s press conference opposing May Day as a day of civic action for our schools wasn’t even a CPS parent — it was Juan Rangel, a longtime charter operator with a documented record of mismanagement and misconduct. He is a fraudster. Meanwhile, here are the actual facts about May Day: Schools remain OPEN on May 1. Students and families have the option to participate in a day of civic engagement lessons and rally at Union Park with CPS-provided buses. There will be no retaliation against students or staff who participate What’s truly irresponsible is elevating a non-parent with a track record of financial and ethical violations to speak over real CPS families and educators. Learn more about what we’re building at ChicagoMayDay.org nbcchicago.com/news/local/par…

CPS has agreed to move forward with a May 1Day of Civic Action — keeping schools open while making space for student and educator participation. This is what organizing looks like. Read more: nytimes.com/2026/04/17/us/…

Patriotism means fighting for the people. When Linda McMahon questions educators, she exposes exactly why we teach what we teach. Real patriotism lives in critical thinking, truth-telling, and the courage to demand better. Shoutout to @saribethrosenberg for saying the quiet part out loud. You can’t wrap injustice in a flag and call it love of country. Educators build democracy every day. Don’t get it twisted. This May Day, CTU members will lead civic engagement lessons in the morning, then we take it to the streets for real civic action at Union Park starting at 1PM. Join us.

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📢Calling all Chicago community members, organizers, block leaders, parents, elders, and young people! If you care about what is happening in your neighborhood and want to be part of real solutions around housing, schools, safety, youth opportunities, and health, you need to be in this space. Kenwood Oakland Community Organization is hosting its 2026 Annual Convention, a full day where residents come together to connect, learn, share resources, and build plans for the future of our communities. IFT and CTU President Stacy Davis Gates will speak on the state of our schools and what it takes to fight for students and families. Join us: 🗓 Saturday, May 2 | 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM 📍 King College Prep High School Register at kocoonline.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/event/…

NEW: Mayor Brandon Johnson statement on May 1 being designated a Day of Civic Action:

The facts: CPS and CTU jointly declared May 1 a day of civic action. @ChicagosMayor's leadership created a MORE meaningful day for students, families, and educators, rooted in Chicago's Haymarket legacy. "Standoff" and "blink" aren't reporting. They're Inflammatory, inaccurate, and irresponsible frames.

CPS has agreed to declare May Day a Day of Civic Action, with buses to the Union Park rally, no retaliation for participants, joint lobbying in Springfield, and future May Days protected as teacher-directed PD days. When we stay steady, we win. Swipe for the full schedule and how to plug in. Learn more at ChicagoMayDay.org

May Day is necessary because working people, students, and our communities are under attack. CTU Executive Board Member Bridget Doherty says May 1 is International Workers Day and in 2026, it’s global day of action. This is an opportunity to open up the classroom and take to the streets, a real demonstration of civic education in action. Get involved at ChicagoMayDay.org

Public education is under attack across the Americas, and policies from the Trump Administration are shaping those threats in the U.S. and beyond. This virtual event brings together education workers from Mexico, Cuba, and the U.S. to break down these impacts and share how they are organizing in response. Hosted by the Trinational Coalition to Defend Public Education, panelists will examine how political decisions are affecting schools, students, and communities, and what it looks like to defend public education across borders. Join us: 🗓Thursday, April 16, 2026 ⏰ 4 PM PT, 6 PM CT, 7PM ET 📍 Online via Zoom You will hear from Maria de la Luz Arriaga of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Nayda Elisa Diaz of the National Union of Education, Science and Sports Workers of Cuba, and Jackson Potter of the Chicago Teachers Union. Register at bit.ly/4dZvfb2

We mourn the heartbreaking loss of Barbara Deer and her son, Kaleb. Barbara was a dedicated CPS speech-language pathologist, a community builder, and a champion for Black history and healing. Her impact lives on in the students, families, and communities she served. We hold the Deer family and all who loved her in our hearts. 🕯️

Elementary sports liaisons did the work. CPS hasn’t paid them. Wendy Weingarten, CTU Sports Committee Liaison, breaks down how elementary athletic liaisons worked an entire school year and have been waiting months to be paid what they were already owed. There has been no communication or accountability. Just delay after delay for these educators. We must pay educators on time. Every time.

In a decisive vote, the Board rejected Trump’s voucher scheme disguised as a tax credit program, drawing a clear line in the sand: public dollars belong in public schools. These programs drain resources, dodge accountability, and harm Black, Brown, and working-class students. Now it’s on Governor Pritzker. Protect our schools. No public money for private interests. Read more: chalkbeat.org/chicago/2026/0…

Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch is stepping up and saying what working people across this state already know: It’s time to tax the ultra-wealthy. Welch is backing a proposal to tax incomes over $1 million, potentially generating billions in new revenue each year. While others debate how to divide the revenue, we’re clear on what’s at stake: fully funded public education, smaller class sizes, and the resources our Black, brown, and immigrant communities have been denied for far too long. Read more: wbez.org/springfield/20…

Our regional meeting at Pierce Elementary brought together educators, families, and community members to organize toward May Day and align on the fights ahead—protecting Black, Brown, and immigrant communities from ICE, and winning a millionaire's tax to fully fund our schools. This is how we build power across schools and neighborhoods. Head to actionnetwork.org/event_campaign… to RSVP and get plugged in.