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Good morning and happy Friday.

May 1 is here after weeks of public discussion and dissent over the Chicago Teachers Union’s push for a day of "no work, no school, no shopping” to commemorate the labor movement and protest the Trump administration.

My colleague Mila pushed CPS to give us an idea of how many teachers will be out for the day. But officials would only say they are on track to fill in any absences by leaning on their bench of nearly 10,000 substitutes.

Meanwhile, I spoke with a couple of parents who like the idea of teaching labor history in the classroom but disagree on whether kids should be in school. And a music teacher and active union member told me about how she’s incorporated lessons about labor into her classes this week.

Local News

Chicago Public Schools gears up for May Day protest

District officials said this week that schools will be fully staffed Friday, even as they did not share the number of teachers and other employees that have requested the day off. CPS also said the district is reviewing about 45 student field trip requests for that day.

An Illinois governor-backed bill to restrict school cell phone use gains momentum

The proposed legislation would ban cell phones in elementary and middle schools throughout the school day. At the high school level, school districts will have discretion to allow cell phones during non-instructional time.

Around Chalkbeat

Colorado lawmakers won’t pursue bill to place state limits on Trump-backed education tax credit program

Colorado lawmakers filed the bill to place limitations on Colorado’s use of the President Donald Trump-backed federal education tax credit.

New York City Council passes plan to step up education on vaccines

From left, New York City Council Members Shekar Krishnan, Lynn Schulman, and Eric Dinowitz speak to the media outside the Tweed Courthouse in Lower Manhattan on Thursday after holding a news conference on improving vaccine education.Trenton Daniel / Healthbeat