Using taxpayer money to send students and teachers to a May Day political protest is “dereliction of duty,” U.S. Department of Education (DOE) Secretary Linda McMahon said Friday as Chicago Public Schools (CPS) was preparing to just that later.
“There’s never an excuse for diverting taxpayer dollars away from students and into political agendas,” Sec. McMahon wrote in a X.com post responding to a CBS news report about how CPS would be transporting students and staff to a rally to protest the Trump Administration.
Diverting money intended for education to political activism is especially heinous, given the dire state of public school education in Chicago, Sec. McMahon explained:
“But when chronic absenteeism is so high and only 1 in 3 students can read at grade level @ChiPubSchools, this is a dereliction of duty.”
McMahon’s comments were made in reply to education advocate Erika Donalds, the wife of Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), who posted a clip from a CBS News Chicago news report:
“Chicago Public Schools will be transporting students to ANTI-TRUMP May Day rallies on Friday. 40% of CPS students are chronically absent, missing at least 18 days of school per year. Kids belong in classrooms, NOT at taxpayer funded political rallies!”
CBS News Chicago reports, per an agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union, CPS will transport hundreds of school children on a “field trip” to a May Day rally “speaking out in opposition to the policies of the Trump Administration”:
“According to the agreement between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union, CPS will provide buses for field trips for students and educators to attend the 1:00 p.m. May Day rally in Union Park this year.”
There’s never an excuse for diverting taxpayer dollars away from students and into political agendas.
— Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) May 1, 2026
But when chronic absenteeism is so high and only 1 in 3 students can read at grade level @ChiPubSchools, this is a dereliction of duty. https://t.co/mKBiIL7BSV
The agreement was a compromise struck after Chicago Public Schools refused to accommodate the original “semi-insane plans of the socialist-friendly 30,000-strong Chicago Teachers Union,” which included the cancellation of classes so students could skip school to protest, National Review explains – noting that the compromise was actually a win for the teachers union:
“In truth, however, after tough negotiations, the teachers’ union has won. Technically, classes will be held on May 1. But the agreement struck by the CTU and CPS requires CPS to provide food and transportation for students from at least 100 schools to attend anti-Trump rallies on May 1. Many thousands of students are expected.
“What’s more, future May Days are to be set aside for ‘teacher professional development’ — meaning classes will be out, and teachers will be able to lead students in leftist political demonstrations, as CTU plans to do.”
