Illinois Federation of Teachers

Understanding how the past informs the present - and recognizing our responsibility to carry that history forward with honesty, respect, and action - is fundamental. Especially now.

Black history is the history of organizing for fair wages, fighting for democratic rights, building culture under constraint, and imagining freedom in the face of violence. It lives in classrooms & courtrooms, on picket lines and in neighborhoods, in art, science, care work, and everyday resistance.

Black History Month honors the people, movements, labor, culture, and care that have shaped our collective past & continue to shape our present.

It’s a reminder that Black history is not separate from workers’ rights, racial justice, creativity, resistance, or joy. It’s foundational to all of them.

Governor Pritzker, Put People Over Profits! Urge Governor JB Pritzker to stand up to MAGA billionaires and Trump's threats to public schools and universities, occupations of our cities, cuts to vital healthcare, state services, transit, and more. Illinois must lead the way for students and families by putting people over profits!

Tag us on social media on Friday and add your name to the letter today!

Join us in solidarity on Friday and sign this letter asking Governor Pritzker to ensure our schools our resourced, our state can grow and our communities can thrive.

Making the ultra-wealthy, who most certainly benefit from tax-funded systems, pay a larger share will allow our state to raise the needed revenue to fully invest in schools and services for everyone.

📣 Are you ready for another Full Funding Friday? 

We need all of our members to use their voices and collective power to make sure lawmakers break this cycle of underfunding our schools, higher education, and communities.

CTU and IFT President Davis Gates on Trump’s School Voucher Tax Scheme

“State’s Educators Urge Pritzker Not to Move Backwards on School Vouchers and to Properly Invest in Neighborhood Public Schools”

Improv group helps pay rent for families impacted by ICE raids MINNEAPOLIS — When she heard Minneapolis immigrants say they feared going to work because of frequent ICE raids, Emily LaJoy saw it as a ticking clock.

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After learning that immigrant families in Minnesota were struggling to make rent due to ICE raids, they helped mobilize their community to raise over $200,000 to keep families housed.

This is what union values look like in action: solidarity, compassion, and using our skills to meet urgent needs.

When our members see a need, they step up.

We’re incredibly proud of AICE (IFT Local 6612) member Katie Wilson whose improv troupe turned creativity into community care. ❤️

Rockford Education Association votes to authorize strike The strike won't immediately happen.

REA members are demanding a fair contract now that supports a school system that nurtures teachers and students. We stand with them. 

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REA's issues sound familiar: unfilled positions, overflowing workloads, working without a contract. 

This vote is about standing up for what's needed - resources, staffing, respect - to make sure every student gets the high-quality education they deserve.

We stand with you, Rockford Education Association! ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻
REA members just took the difficult step of voting to authorize a strike - an action that reflects their commitment to fair working conditions and dedication to to the students and families they serve.

‘He’s a connector of people’: Palatine High Bilingual Biology teacher impacts both students and colleagues Palatine High School’s Mauricio Orozco is that rare teacher whose excellence can be measured not only by his impact on his students but also his influence on colleagues as an instructional coach. No...

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This is what meaningful education looks like: connection, compassion, and the power of truly believing in students.

So proud to share this story about teacher and Local 1211 member Mauricio Orozco and the work he's doing for his students in Palatine.

When our students are too terrified to come to school, we don't just teach—we march. From the art build tables to the frozen streets of St. Paul, watch how educators, students, and families turned anxiety into action. ✊❄️ #IceOutMN #ProtectOurStudents

Governor Pritzker, Put People Over Profits! Urge Governor JB Pritzker to stand up to MAGA billionaires and Trump's threats to public schools and universities, occupations of our cities, cuts to vital healthcare, state services, transit, and more. Illinois must lead the way for students and families by putting people over profits!

Sign our letter to Governor Pritzker to show your support, and join us on 2/6!

It's not right that someone making $30,000 a year pays the same rate as someone who makes $3 million. And by taxing the rich, all communities will benefit from fully funded schools, higher education, and public services.

It's time to hold the highest earners - millionaires and billionaires - to a higher standard when it comes to paying their fair share.

Next week, plan to join us once again for Full Funding Friday!

IFT members will join together to use their voices and collective power to make sure lawmakers break this cycle of underfunding our schools and communities.

Governor Pritzker, Put People Over Profits! Urge Governor JB Pritzker to stand up to MAGA billionaires and Trump's threats to public schools and universities, occupations of our cities, cuts to vital healthcare, state services, transit, and more. Illinois must lead the way for students and families by putting people over profits!

That's why we're asking Governor Pritzker to make higher education funding priority. Our students can't wait. And we have the solution: taxing the ultra-wealthy to generate the needed revenue.

Tell him yourself:

New revenue for higher education would:
🛠️ Repair and modernize campus infrastructure
🏫 Restore programs and student services cut during the past budget crises
💸 Keep tuition affordable
🧑‍🏫 Attract/retain faculty and staff
🎓 Make our universities a destination of choice once again

Governor Pritzker, Put People Over Profits! Urge Governor JB Pritzker to stand up to MAGA billionaires and Trump's threats to public schools and universities, occupations of our cities, cuts to vital healthcare, state services, transit, and more. Illinois must lead the way for students and families by putting people over profits!

Keep the momentum going. Take action now:

Thanks to everyone who wore their union gear, took selfies, gathered w/colleagues, & took action to tell Gov. Pritzker that it's time to defend IL from federal cuts, protect students' futures, & invest in our schools & communities w/revenue we can raise by taxing the ultra-rich.

Earlier this month, members in dozens of unions made our message clear. It's time to put people over profits and start finding real solutions to give our kids and communities what they need and deserve.

IFT Lobby Day · IFT Join IFT officers President Stacy Davis Gates, Executive Vice President Cyndi Oberle-Dahm, Secretary-Treasurer Pankaj Sharma, Membership Secretary John Miller, and IFT members from across the state for a major day of action in Springfield. We are calling on the Governor and General Assembly to stand up to MAGA billionaires and Trump‑proof Illinois against looming federal cuts to: * Public education * Healthcare * Transit * Essential state services We will also demand fair, sustainable revenue to secure Illinois’ future. What to Expect * Meet at the Capitol Visitors Center for a brief orientation * A delegation of IFT leaders and members will head to the Capitol to deliver a letter to Governor JB Pritzker * Opportunities to speak directly with your state legislators ahead of the Governor’s budget address on February 18 Lunch will be provided for registered attendees. Why This Matters Federal cuts and an outdated tax system are squeezing working families while starving our schools, colleges, and communities. Real revenue means: * Smaller class sizes * Affordable higher education * Safe, thriving communities * Dignity for every worker who keeps Illinois running When we invest in people, Illinois leads. When we demand fairness, we secure our future. Be Part of the Movement Join us in Springfield on February 17 and help fight for a fair, sustainable Illinois.

We're demanding that Illinois be a leader among states, stand up to MAGA billionaires, and Trump‑proof Illinois against looming federal cuts. And Governor Pritzker and state lawmakers have the power to make that happen. 

RSVP here to stand with us:

Real revenue means smaller class sizes, well-resourced community colleges, affordable higher education, safe, thriving communities, and dignity for every worker who keeps Illinois running.

Join us 2/17 for a Lobby Day in Springfield!

Federal cuts and an outdated tax system are squeezing working families while starving our schools, colleges, and communities.

Forget About Hamsters. Make Bugs Your Classroom Pet Beetles, spiders, and millipedes? These nontraditional class pets may ease students' stress.

"He collaborated with entomologists at the University of Illinois on an insect collection project and helped launch a nature club at his school."

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