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Hi! It’s Mila Koumpilova, one of Chalkbeat’s education reporters in Chicago, here with our top stories.

I have a dispatch from last Friday’s May Day in Chicago Public Schools, where district officials, teachers union leaders, and the city’s mayor had debated whether to cancel classes so students and educators could participate in a national “no school, no work, no shopping” protest.

Friday remained a full instructional day, though CPS agreed to sponsor some field trips to a downtown pro-labor rally and other events, and many schools embraced activities to spur student civic engagement. Burbank Elementary, where I spent part of the morning, had its middle schoolers write to elected officials about any issue important to them.

I also got some numbers on teacher, staff, and student attendance and an update on May Day field trips districtwide. As always, if you have story ideas or feedback on our coverage, write us at [email protected].

Local News

Chicago Public Schools marks May Day after tense debate over canceling school

After balking at a teachers union demand to cancel classes, Chicago Public Schools embraced a day of student civic engagement in honor of May Day Friday. One school, Burbank Elementary on the Northwest Side, encouraged middle grade students to write letters to elected officials.