Chicago schools criticized the delayed schedule, encouraging student participation in the DNC

The Chicago school district is facing criticism for delaying the start of the school year by a week — with detractors saying it’s a politically motivated move. Students were regularly scheduled to return to school on Monday.

The School Year 2025 (SY25) calendar published by the district described 176 days of student attendance beginning Monday and ending June 12, 2025. In its reasoning for the delay, the district cited the Democratic National Convention (DNC) and its estimate. 75,000 visitors attracted to the city.

The school district said the break will give students time to “attend, volunteer and participate in the civic process of hosting the convention.”

That angered some education experts and lawmakers, who also pointed out that American Federation of Teachers (AFT) union chief Randi Weingarten was a keynote speaker at a DNC Climate Council panel on Monday.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Democratic vice presidential nominee, takes the stage Wednesday on Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. (Reuters/Mike Segar/Pool)

“Join us for an electrifying meeting with Biden-Harris climate wins, new polling data, panels and presentations!” reads the ad for the breakout session.

Doug Mayer, a spokesman for the Public Sector Union Accountability Committee, said Thursday that the Chicago district’s decision to postpone the school year for the DNC is “a clear example of what happens when public sector unions gain too much power “.

“Instead of prioritizing student education, decisions are driven by political agendas,” Mayer said. “This overreach hurts our children and underscores the dangers of allowing unions to dictate what is best for our students.”

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Critics also pointed to the education-related claims being made right from the DNC platform.

Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn of South Carolina was criticized on X for saying, “Thanks to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we’ve reopened our schools.”

Mayer’s group went further, releasing a new TV spot called “pets” that labeled the Democratic ticket “champions” for the agenda of teacher unions and “locking kids out of school” during the pandemic.

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Rep. Darin LaHood, an Illinois Republican who represents Chicago’s western exurbs, said the city and teachers unions are putting their political interests ahead of students.

This, he added, justifies even more school choice programs in the Land of Lincoln and nationally.

“The hypocrisy of Chicago politicians and teachers unions to keep students out of class to appease their friends at the DNC is astounding,” LaHood said. “Illinois students still being left behind by Gov. JB Pritzker’s 2020 COVID shutdowns.” The governor characterized such restrictions as protecting students and the public.

Corey DeAngelis of the American Federation for Children, which focuses on school choice and education issues, criticized the Windy City district over the situation:

“Chicago Democrats, owned by teacher union control freaks, continue to allow children to be denied an education. They always put politics before the needs of children and their families,” said DeAngelis, who also works with the Cato Institute.

DeAngelis argued that the delayed schedule, along with suggestions that children are drawn into partisan politics at the DNC, is why school choice is such an important issue.

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“Parents should be able to take their children’s education money to schools that care about them. Only then will the school system have an incentive to do the right thing and respond to the needs of families, as opposed to the other way around,” he. said.

A source familiar with Chicago and its school system pointed out that the district is currently facing a reported $500 million deficit and called attention to media claims that teachers unions “rule” Chicago — because Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson was formerly a local teacher union organizer.

In that regard, DeAngelis condemned Chicago politicians for allowing “power-hungry teacher unions” to “lock kids out of school for years starting in 2020.”

“Now they’re prioritizing their friends at the DNC over the kids. They’ll find any excuse to put the kids last, and it’s a shame,” he said.

Johnson declined to comment for the purpose of this story.

Fox News Digital reached out to Weingarten, via the AFT, but did not hear back.

Chicago Public Schools representatives also did not respond to a request for comment.