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For as long as public education has existed, those with secular motives have attempted to insert their anti-God agenda into the hearts and minds of students who attend America’s schools. The most recent attempt to use our students to take America to the next step toward socialism will occur on May 1.
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The first day of May, traditionally known as a day to celebrate Spring, is being renamed May Strong Day as prominent strike organizers work to institute large-scale strikes that include school walkouts. While the causes range from wage increases for union workers to anti-Trump, the aim is not only to increase the number of youth participants who will become a force multiplier for causes they may not fully understand.
Who is the instigator behind using children to strike?
The brainchild behind the recent utilization of children in strikes is Mike Elk, a man known for his success in activism and strike organizing. Mr. Elk is the editor of Payday Report: Covering Labor in News Deserts. In January 2026, he created two successful General Strikes (strikes that occur across multiple industries and causes). In Minnesota, Mr. Elk organized a general strike. Over 300 strikes occurred across Minneapolis, involving multiple industries and causes. Over 700 businesses closed because of the strikes, and thousands of people poured into the streets in -10-degree weather. The success in Minnesota helped propel the idea of organizing thousands of May Day Strong strikes.
Also, in January 2026, Georgia students walked out at more than 100 schools across the state, joining a protest.
In April 2026, Elk delivered a strong warning to the LAUSD as he gathered over 70,000 educators willing to strike and students willing to walk out in solidarity with the teachers. The LAUSD administration, early in the day before the strike, delivered a favorable contract to the teachers’ union, narrowly averting the school district’s shutdown.
It’s not surprising that blue states and education labor unions, the National Education Association (NEA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), fall in line with strikes. In North Carolina, after 2,622 teachers requested the day off to join the May Day Strong protests in Raleigh, several of the state’s larger school districts canceled classes on May 1, while others gave teachers a “work at home day” on May 1.
The presence of young people enhances a strike’s chance of success.
It’s no surprise that strike organizers want young people, especially public-school students, to join their strikes. The presence of young people on strike is a huge benefit to a strike’s cause. Organizers often encourage student walkouts during labor actions because visible school disruption broadens public attention, signals community‑wide support, and increases pressure on decision-makers.
- While students are not workers, their participation can expand the social impact of a strike beyond one employer, framing the dispute as a public concern rather than a narrow labor issue.
- The purpose of the strike is to be noticed. When students leave classrooms during a school day, it visibly signals a newsworthy disruption, drawing media attention and often a favorable community reaction.
- Research on mass and general strikes emphasizes that multi-generational participation strengthens bargaining leverage.
- Labor also knows that if children are present, the community perception is that whatever the cause of the strike, the outcome of the social action must be a good cause to support.
- If a strike involves an educational issue, the focus can be centered around what is for the public good, not just about teacher pay raises or better conditions for school administrators.
Payday Reports Successes Incentivize Strike Numbers
When Mike Elk says he will organize successful strikes and deliver student walkouts to increase the number of strikers needed for a successful strike, he can and does. His statements carry weight and enable him to implement change.
America’s students have been taught social activism for 60 years.
Mike Elke is reaping the benefits of 60 years of programming America’s youth to embrace activism as a part of their education. The use of children to help social activists make a political statement should not come as a shock. Our public schools have trained our students to be Change Agents for social issues for decades. The foundation for student activism began in 1967 when Ronald G. and Mary C. Havelock decided not to use the money they received from a congressional grant to conduct research on training new teachers, but rather to use it to develop training for teachers as Change Agents in America’s public schools. Their work, A Change Agent’s Guide to Innovation in Education, exceeded their expectations and is still used in college classes for future teachers. Many liberal educators followed in Havelock’s footsteps, expanding the methods used to train America’s public-school children to consider social activism as part of their overall education.
Student Activism is often harmful to the student.
Because schools are central to family life, even limited disruptions—such as a one-day walkout, a rally during school hours, or canceled classes during a campus strike—can quickly affect childcare, meals, transportation, and academic achievement. Student activism exists in our schools at the expense of academics. When school time is disrupted, children lose learning time and stability, often pulling them into adult conflicts before they understand a social cause.
Student participation functions as a “force multiplier” because it is highly visible and quickly shared online, especially among young people, who share their “strike” experiences in real time. But visibility can come at a cost: missed instruction time, disrupted routines, and increased stress for children who may not fully understand the dispute they are being asked to represent.
Civics and Social Concerns Without Replacing Academics
Many families support teaching students about history, government, and the responsibilities of citizenship. Concern arises when activism, especially during school hours, begins to displace core instruction and persuades children that public pressure matters more than patient learning and character formation.
Conclusion
When strikes and demonstrations draw students out of classrooms, the people most affected are often the least powerful: children who need stability, consistent teaching, and safe routines. Prayers are needed for students to be protected from harm and confusion, for families to be supported, and for leaders on every side to pursue solutions that keep children learning. In a divided time, caring for children’s education and well-being is common ground.
How are you praying about May Day? Share your prayers and scriptures below.
Nancy Huff is an educator with a mission to equip believers to pray strategically for the Cultural Mountain of Education. She has authored Taking the Mountain of Education: A Strategic Prayer Guide to Transform America’s Schools. She leads prayer groups to pray at key educational locations across the US. For additional information, go to: https://takingthemountainofeducation.com/author/nancyahuff/. Photo Credit: Rubén Rodriguez on Unsplash.
