As a member of the Chicago Teachers Union and an educator in Chicago Public Schools, I urge you to reject “School Vouchers” and declare May 1, 2026 a Day of Civic Action.

Public education in the United States is under coordinated national attack, driven by right-wing politicians, billionaire donors, and corporate interests seeking to dismantle public schools through privatization, vouchers, school closures, and the erosion of civil and labor rights. These attacks are part of a broader assault on democracy itself — including efforts to weaken unions, suppress voters, criminalize and detain immigrant families, roll back civil rights protections, censor curriculum, and use federal power to intimidate educators, students, and local school communities.

Students and families — particularly Black, brown, immigrant, LGBTQ+, disabled, and working-class communities — are disproportionately harmed by these policies. They destabilize neighborhoods, threaten student safety, and strip schools of the resources needed to meet students’ academic, social, and emotional needs.

Public schools are among the most trusted and stabilizing institutions in our communities. They serve not only as centers of learning, but as spaces of safety, nourishment, care, civic education, and democratic participation. Local boards of education have a moral and civic responsibility to defend students, staff, and families from massive federal interference that threatens civil liberties, educational equity, and the autonomy of locally governed public schools.

Whereas public schools were previously considered to be "sensitive locations" for immigration enforcement purposes, and we've seen the federal government remove such protections for school communities. It is no coincidence that most schools are also election locations. As Mayor Johnson and Governor Pritzker have already stated, attempts to dismantle free and fair elections are already underway. Therefore as we approach Spring Break, it is more imperative than ever that we equip our communities with the tools they need to protect their rights before the end of the school year."

I am calling on Chicago’s city and school leadership to:

- Unequivocally condemn national attacks on public education, civil rights, voting rights, immigrant families, and organized labor, and reject any federal policies that undermine the safety, dignity, and well-being of our students and school communities.

- Formally declare May 1 a Day of Civic Action for the City and Chicago Public Schools, centered on political education, civic engagement, labor history, mutual aid, immigrant justice, and civil rights. This would mean schools will close for the day but students and families will be encouraged to participate in city-wide events and no attendance penalty would be issued. All planned student activities (decision day, field trips, etc. should be rescheduled).

- Encourage age-appropriate civic learning, know-your-rights education, election protection preparation, and community safety trainings that equip students, educators, and families with tools to protect themselves and one another.

- Partner with the City of Chicago and sister agencies to host citywide trainings and activities that prepare school communities for renewed efforts by ICE, Border Patrol, or other federal agencies to disrupt schools or target students and families with aggressive, inhumane and unconstitutional actions.

- Call on other Boards of Education, labor unions, and community organizations nationwide to join in collective action on May Day to defend public schools as democratic institutions that serve the common good.

- Recognize the thousands of Chicago students, families and educators planning to participate in the national movement on May 1 by utilizing flexibility built into the Chicago Public Schools calendar to preserve student instructional time.

May Day is rooted in Chicago history and represents a global tradition of collective action for dignity, safety, and justice for working class communities. In recent years, it has re-emerged as a powerful national moment of resistance uniting educators, students, parents, and community organizations to demand the public good over private profits and democracy over authoritarianism.

Civic action and political education — especially for young people — are essential tools for strengthening democracy and preparing students to shape their futures. Illinois state law recognizes this principle by allowing public middle and high school students an excused absence to attend a civic event, acknowledging that learning also happens through democratic participation.

Finally, I urge the Board to reaffirm that public funds belong in public schools. The push for so-called “voucher programs” aims to hand tax breaks to the ultra-rich while diverting scarce public school resources to private institutions that are not held to the same standards of transparency, accountability, or civil rights protections. Illinois made the right decision in ending its previous voucher experiment, and Chicago must stand firm against any attempt to reintroduce such programs.

The future of public education must be shaped by students, families, and educators — not by billionaires, private interests, racists or authoritarian federal agendas.

Chicago can lead. I urge you to pass this resolution and stand in solidarity with all who are organizing for safe, fully funded, inclusive, and democratic public schools.