“We love this community and our students. The last thing we want to do is be out on a picket line instead of in our schools with our students. But we are willing to do whatever it takes to get the best contract in place for our students. We are still hoping we can come to an agreement,” MSEA spokesperson and high school teacher Cam Zindars said.

MSEA has been bargaining a new contract with the BOE since March and entered mediation on Aug. 10. The current MSEA contract expired on June 30, and MSEA members are now working without a contract.

There are still several issues that need to be resolved at the bargaining table, including:

• Teacher-directed, collaborative plan time: The district administration wants to make changes to teachers’ planning time by creating district-directed, collaborative time. MSEA is pushing to keep their plan time as it is, so they can determine how to best meet their students’ needs. Teachers use their plan time to put together lessons, meet with parents and grade assignments.
• Health insurance: The BOE is pushing for higher healthcare costs for all teachers and staff. This comes at a time when medical costs are rising across the country and inflation is up.
• Wages: According to an MSEA internal survey, the majority of District 3 teachers and staff have considered leaving the district in the last five years, mainly due to financial reasons. Mahomet-Seymour teachers’ salaries are lagging behind several nearby districts including Taylorville, Mount Zion and Urbana. Starting wages for Bus Drivers are so low the District is struggling to hire the new drivers we desperately need.

“The district will tell you our wages are average, but our students deserve better than average. We are also in the middle of teacher and support staff shortage. There simply aren’t enough adults to work in our schools and if our wages aren’t competitive we will lose talented educators to neighboring districts,” Zindars said.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) provides data to the public regarding educator and administrator pay from around the state. The report card from the state for Mahomet-Seymour shows administrator salaries are much closer to the state average than Mahomet-Seymour teachers’ salaries. In fact, the gap has grown increasingly bigger over the last decade. Now District 3 teachers’ salaries are more than $16,000 behind the state average.

“This isn’t just about teachers either. Many of our education support staff, including bus drivers, office personnel, custodians and paraeducators, are struggling to make ends meet. The district is offering them a smaller percentage increase than they have historically. These are the people who work with our most vulnerable students. They make it possible for every child, no matter what disability they may have, to attend public school. They are invaluable to the district, and we should treat them as such,” Zindars said.

MSEA represents more than 250 teachers, counselors, bus drivers, classroom aides, office personnel, custodians, and librarians serving the 3,400 students in Mahomet-Seymour CUSD 3.

On Mon., Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m., the Mahomet-Seymour BOE will be meeting in the board room at Middletown Prairie Elementary School (1301 Bulldog Dr., Mahomet). The MSEA asks that community members come to the meeting and show their support for the teachers and staff trying to settle a fair contract.

###

The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union. IEA represents PreK-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.

“I can tell you the absolute last thing we want to do is go on strike,” REA President Kim Jones said. “We’d much rather be in the classroom with our students than out on the picket line, but we’re willing to do whatever it takes to make sure we get the best contract possible for our students, our staff and our community.”

REA declared impasse the first week of August and initiated the public posting process. REA has been bargaining with the Roxana Community Consolidated School District 1 since January, and they are now in federal mediation.

Today is the first day of school for District 1. At the District 1 Board of Education (BOE) meeting on July 24, the district stated they have a surplus in the education fund. REA and the district have been bargaining for nearly seven months and have had four federally–mediated bargaining sessions.

“It’s unbelievable that we’re at this point. Our contract is expired, but our members are still showing up to work, so our school year can begin,” Jones said. “We love our community and want to do what’s best for our students. We are hopeful we can come to an agreement soon, so we can put our sole focus where it belongs: on our students.”

The main issues at the bargaining table are:

• Vacancy language: Currently, teachers in Roxana are given an advanced opportunity to apply for any open positions within the district. The district is looking to eliminate the policy.
• Pay scale: The wages being proposed by the district do not value our experienced educators. In fact, their financial offers do not even keep pace with inflation.
• Respect/communication: The district’s overall lack of respect and communication during the bargaining process have made reaching an agreement extraordinarily difficult.

At the District 1 BOE meeting on July 24, the district stated they have a surplus in the education fund. REA and the district have been bargaining for nearly seven months and have had four federally–mediated bargaining sessions.

“The reality is the district’s proposed wage increases leave our members with a salary increase so small it doesn’t even keep up with inflation,” Jones said. “Meanwhile, the District 1 administration and the BOE are both well aware that we have the funds to settle this. This is not about money, it’s about their lack of respect for our teachers.”

REA is planning a “black out” on Tues., Aug. 18. REA members will be wearing black to school and are asking community members to also wear black to encourage the district to settle this contract as soon as possible.

“We have been overwhelmed by the community support we’ve been receiving. It’s wonderful to know we have so many parents and families supporting us,” Jones said.

REA represents about 140 teachers and licensed educators who support nearly 1,700 students in District 1. There are currently no bargaining dates scheduled, although the REA remains willing to bargain whenever possible.

###

The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union. IEA represents PreK-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.

The D7 administration was made aware of the claims this summer, and EEA was notified the claims were substantiated. However on Aug. 7, EEA was notified by the D7 superintendent and director of human resources that the district intends to issue a notice to remedy rather than terminate the principal’s employment.

“The administration’s decision to issue a Notice to Remedy and leave the principal at the building in charge of the educators that came forward is both an incredible injustice to our school community and an unbelievable disservice to our students and staff. The principal intimidated, harassed and bullied staff, and created a hostile work environment,” EEA Co-President Carla Kinsey said. “Our members are not being provided appropriate safeguards as they return to work in the same building. We will not stand for our members being forced to work and our students learning in an unsafe environment.”

This summer, several staff members brought a long list of substantiated concerns about the principal to the district’s administration. The complaints include:

• Sending demeaning text messages to staff about students and parents.
• Making inappropriate comments about parents during Individualized Education Program (IEPs) meetings, referring to parents as “crazy” and making fun of them during virtual meetings.
• A history of screaming at children who are not following directions or listening. These episodes are documented through employee emails expressing their concerns about the way he speaks to students.
• Creating a hostile work environment for employees through:
  • Frequent use of profanity and abusive language directed at staff;
  • Public humiliation;
  • Retaliatory behavior;
  • Intimidation during private meetings;
  • Speaking negatively about coworkers and parents;
  • Publicly calling out teachers during staff meetings;
    And inequitable distribution of resources.

These actions are in clear violation of multiple D7 policies. D7 board policy 5:20 indicates workplace harassment is prohibited and establishes the district’s expectations regarding workplace harassment and procedures for addressing allegations involving employee conduct.  Board policy 5:120 addresses employee ethics, and the codes of professional conduct and conflict of interest establish expectations regarding ethical and professional conduct by D7 employees.

“A safe, healthy, and supportive environment is a basic right for every student and staff member. Protecting our schools is a priority of the district and the EEA, but a decision to keep this principal in his position directly contradicts this collective commitment. D7 has a clear duty to protect its staff and the children entrusted to them, so we urge the district to uphold this responsibility,” EEA Co-President Mollie Rice said.

There are more than 500 teachers and certified staff in the EEA bargaining unit serving the more than 7,000 D7 students, including the nearly 300 students who attend this elementary school.

Tonight’s board meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. The board meeting will be held at Liberty Middle School (1 District Dr., Edwardsville). It can also be live-streamed at this link.  

###

The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union. IEA represents PreK-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.

District 1 schools are set to have their first day of class on Aug. 17. 

The following statement is from REA President Kim Jones: 

“We have spent more than seven months at the negotiating table, bargaining in good faith, trying to reach a fair agreement with the district. Still, the board does not seem to be willing to settle this and continues to make offers that are inequitable and do not value the years of service our experienced teachers have given to the district. They have given us no choice but to initiate the next step toward a strike. We will stop at nothing to make sure we get the best contract for our educators and for all of our students.  

“Make no mistake, we would much rather be in our classrooms with our students than out on the picket line, which is why we remain hopeful we will be able to come to an agreement before students return to school on Aug. 17.” 

 Find more background here. 

###

The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union. IEA represents PreK-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.

“We want our community to know what’s going on. Parents have a right to be informed, and we are sounding the alarm. School starts in a couple of weeks. We need to get our contract negotiations wrapped up so everyone can put their sole focus where it belongs – on our students,” REA President Kim Jones said.

The main issues at the bargaining table are:

• Pay scale: The wages being proposed by the district do not value our experienced educators. In fact, they’ve made financial offers that would cut wages for some teachers.
• Vacancy language: Currently, teachers in Roxana are given an advanced opportunity to apply for any open positions within the district. The district is looking to eliminate the policy.
• Respect/communication: The district’s overall lack of respect and communication during the bargaining process have made reaching an agreement extraordinarily difficult.

“The district continues to make offers that do not value our experienced educators and have even made offers that would cut wages. It’s insulting, honestly,” Jones said. “This isn’t about money, it’s about respect. We know the district has the funds to meet our requests without raising taxes. We’re teachers. We’ve done the math. We’re asking for fair, competitive wages we know the district can afford.”

At the District 1 BOE meeting on July 24, the district stated they have a surplus in the education fund. REA and the district have been bargaining for nearly seven months and have had four federally–mediated bargaining sessions.

REA represents about 140 teachers and licensed educators who support nearly 1,700students in District 1.

Today’s informational picket begins at 7:45 a.m. and will last until 7:45 p.m. Roxana teachers will be wearing red and taking shifts in front of the District 1 administrative building (401 Chaffer Ave., Roxana). The next negotiation session for REA and the BOE has not been set.

###

The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union. IEA represents PreK-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.

WHEN: Sat., July 25 and Sun., July 26 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

WHERE: Pekin Walmart (3320 Veterans Dr., Pekin)

NOTE:  Pekin Public School District 108 serves 3,000 students, of whom 65% live below the poverty line. Rising gas prices and growing inflation are putting an added strain on families as they prepare their children for back-to-school. When students do not have access to proper school supplies, it can negatively impact their academic performance and self-esteem.

This is the second year for the Stuff a Bus campaign, and educators with the EAP will be on hand to collect donations. EAP wants to make sure that every child can start their school year strong with the resources they need to thrive.

The EAP represents the teachers, paraprofessionals, social workers, speech pathologists, secretaries, and other educational support personnel of District 108.

###

The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union. IEA represents PreK-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.

“It is so important that young people get involved early and make their voices heard,” said NEA President Becky Pringle. “Stephanie has been instrumental in bringing the voices of future teachers to the forefront while serving on NEA’s Board of Directors, and I have no doubt she will continue to lead and grow our movement as chairperson of NEA Aspiring Educators.”

Chávez, a leader on the local, state and national level, has represented aspiring educators on NEA’s Board of Directors for the past year, amplifying the voices of young people. She hopes to use her new role to make membership more accessible and inclusive.

“My goal of making membership accessible and union education a priority will set us up to build the inclusive program we all dream of,” said Chávez. “Coalition building begins with us. Together, let’s build a program that is inclusive for the leaders that will come after us.”

“Stephanie is just getting started, with a promising career ahead of her. Even before reaching this point, she has already established herself as a respected organizer, advocate, and trusted voice, said Illinois Education Association President Karl Goeke. “Whether she’s addressing racial and social justice issues or shaping conversations around education policy, people listen when Stephanie speaks. She is an exceptional leader today, and her impact will only continue to grow. We’re fortunate to have her in the profession.”

The Aspiring Educators Program supports, develops and empowers diverse, pre-service teachers with the resources, networks and opportunities to excel as educators and leaders, both as students and throughout their career. More than 40,000 Aspiring Educators are already part of the National Education Association – the nation’s largest union of 3 million teachers and school staff.

Nearly 7,000 educators, education support professionals, retired teachers and aspiring educators are in Denver for the 169th Annual Meeting and 105th RA, the organization’s top decision-making body, which sets Association policy for the coming year. Delegates will complete an agenda, which includes adopting a budget, electing executive committee members and addressing new business items.

For more information on NEA’s Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly, go to www.nea.org/ra

###

The National Education Association is the nation’s largest labor union, representing nearly 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.

Students, parents, and educators are counting on Pritzker and other governors to protect public education.

“As it stands now, more than 60 percent of public schools are underfunded in Illinois. The federal plan, much like Illinois’ recently lapsed “Invest in Kids” program, takes tax dollars away from public schools and gives that money to private schools. In Illinois, it drained up to $75 million in state money from schools that educate 90 percent of our students. Our public schools are engines of opportunity, community focal points, and places where every child is welcome to grow and thrive,” Goeke said.

In Illinois, we learned that vouchers:

• Benefit more white students than students of color;
• Fund schools that are not subject to the same testing standards as those in public schools
• Do not hold private school teachers to the same professional standards as those in public schools;
• Fail to show how many students actually switched from public schools to private schools, or whether public money funded students who had been in private schools all along;
  Sent public money to private schools, which can and DO discriminate based on physical or emotional special needs, gender identity issues, moral values and religion.

IEA knows from its own bipartisan polling that 69 percent of residents in Illinois support increasing funding to public schools in Illinois and that 85 percent believe ALL students are entitled to a public education.

“Public money should stay in public schools. We’ve already walked this path in Illinois and we learned that vouchers are a scheme and a scam. Education is the great equalizer for the youth in our state. We owe our children — no matter where they live, the color of their skin, how much money their parents earn — the best we can possibly give them. Vouchers do the exact opposite. We’ve already learned this lesson. Let’s not repeat it,” Goeke said.

Davis Gates agreed, saying this is a test and Pritzker should strive to earn an “A.”

“Democratic governors are being handed a test right now. Will you stand up for public school students or will you help Donald Trump normalize a voucher scheme that Illinois has already rejected? The Democratic Party platform opposes vouchers, our governors should, too,” said Davis Gates. “The Illinois General Assembly already said no to vouchers because they funded discrimination and diverted $315 million from our state’s General Revenue Fund to fund private schools. Now Trump is repackaging the same failed experiment as a federal tax credit, and Democratic governors across the country are being asked to give it a stamp of approval. Every governor who opts in colludes with Donald Trump at the expense of their own public schools. Illinois should not be one of them. The Governor owes our students $6 billion from Pre-K to PhD. Illinois should be making good on what it owes our students, not considering a program that will take even more resources away from them.”

Goeke said the governor’s rejection can send a powerful statement to all Illinois students and families by saying “no.”

“This is a moment to lead, once again, like you have on the statewide ban on book bans, free universal mental health screenings and expanded pre-school, and prove to our students and their families that you have their backs. Be like the governors of Wisconsin, Kentucky, Minnesota and Arizona and reject vouchers,” he said.

Proponents contend that this is “free money” for states. That’s not true. While the tax credit is federally funded, participation carries real and predictable fiscal risks for states and local school districts. Because public education funding is tied to enrollment, if vouchers incentivize some students to leave public schools, that will mean losing vital funding while leaving behind fixed costs — threatening key programs and school personnel needed to adequately support our students.

Vouchers are unpopular with voters across political parties and threaten the stability of the state budget and the strength of public schools. They harm the vast majority of students who continue to rely on public education. Those harms are particularly acute in rural areas, where public schools serve outsized roles as employers, community focal points, healthcare providers to children and adults, shelters in emergencies, and a major source of pride. The future shouldn’t be gambled on promises made by an unpredictable and unreliable administration. Rejecting the Trump administration’s voucher program preserves state and local budget predictability and protects the future of public education for Illinois’s students, families, and communities.

###

The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.

The following statement is attributable to IEA President Karl Goeke:  

“The bill came about through a direct request from our membership, and is a huge win for educators all over Illinois. As soon as this bill becomes law, teachers and school staff who are wrongfully accused, will no longer have to worry about false accusations following them throughout their careers. Our school workers will now be ensured a fair, due process when accused of any wrongdoing. We are so grateful to the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel and Rep. Anna Moeller, who have been working with us on this legislation for years. We are looking forward to Gov. JB Pritzker signing this bill into law.”  

For more information and background on the bill, click here.  

###

The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.

IEA seeks safe public schools for every student and every school employee and supports accountability for misconduct. This bill includes a right to challenge issuance of the warning, or allegations in the warning, to the school board and allows the facts to be reviewed by a non-biased third party, if necessary.

School management associations, including the Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Association of School Administrators, Large Unit District Association, Illinois Principals Association and others have launched a disinformation campaign against the bill.

“Think about this: School management is fighting to keep false accusations against educators in their permanent employment record. No wonder we have a teacher shortage. No teacher deserves their career and reputation taken from them based on unsubstantiated, faulty claims,” said IEA President Karl Goeke.

The bill does the following:

• Seeks to ensure that when a Notice to Remedy is used, the allegations included in the warning are factual and substantiated. It does NOT change current practice in issuing a warning or limiting management’s decision-making authority on addressing misconduct.
• Keeps students safe. These warnings are issued for behavior that is considered “remedial,” and are not intended as an avenue to address misconduct that impacts student safety. If misconduct rises to the level of student safety, it is NOT impacted by this bill.
• Allows a non-biased third party to assess the allegation to prevent frivolous cases and hold everyone accountable. Arbitration is not the goal, but is necessary when a warning cannot be supported by fact. The cost of the arbitrator will be split between the union and the district and NOT on the district alone.

“We ask lawmakers to support this bill, which applies a reasonable application of due process,” Goeke said. “Every school employee should be given a right to challenge the issuance of a warning or an allegation with their own school board. And, if necessary, to have an unbiased, trained third party review the claims. If deemed not credible, those false accusations should not follow a person for their career. That’s patently unfair.”

The bill passed out of a House committee last week on a 7-2 vote. It is awaiting a vote on the House floor.

###

The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.

WHO: Members of a coalition of five local unions: District 65 Educators’ Council (DEC), Evanston Teachers’ Assistant Association (ETAA), Evanston Association of Childcare Professionals (EACCP), District 65 Educational Secretarial and Clerical Association (DESCA) and Evanston Custodial Maintenance Association (ECMA)

WHEN: Mon., May 4, 5 p.m.

WHERE: Board Room at Joseph E. Hill Education Center (1500 McDaniel Ave., Evanston)

NOTE:  The SACC program is not just an auxiliary service. It is a vital, deeply integrated part of our school community. Its closure will directly impact more than 350 school-aged children, effectively displacing what amounts to an entire school population. Beyond the numbers, this decision disrupts families, undermines student support systems, and weakens the very fabric of our district.

Read the full letter from the coalition of unions here.

###

The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.

The REA has two pending grievances against the district. The first regarding classroom conditions and overcrowding for dual language learners. The second focuses on compensation issues for educators with larger class sizes. The REA is now filing a ULP in regard to the first grievance. And, Tuesday night, the REA executive committee voted to send the second grievance to arbitration.

“What’s happening here is just wrong. Our students deserve better than this. There’s a law in a place for a reason. It’s to make sure all our students, no matter the color of their skin or what language they speak, have equitable learning conditions and the same access to the high-quality education their peers are receiving,” REA President Claudia Marshall said.

State law requires districts to maintain bilingual class sizes that are no more than 90% of the average size of the monolingual class sizes for each building grade level.

“It’s really crazy that we have to go to these lengths to get the school district to support all our students, as they’re required to do by law. On top of that, they’re violating our new contract they just agreed to a month ago. The ink isn’t even dry on this thing, and they’re already blatantly ignoring it,” Marshall said. “They’re telling the community they don’t care about our Hispanic students; they don’t care about our parents and community members; and they certainly don’t care about our teachers.”

REA’s contract language states bilingual classroom teachers should be paid based on the number of students assigned to their classrooms. However, the district is attempting to pay educators based on student attendance.

“Our teachers are preparing their lessons for the number of students in their class, not the number of students that show up that day. Regardless of how many students are sick, our educators are still doing the work to make sure all students are accounted for. Their pay shouldn’t be docked because a student is sick. In fact, it’s actually more work when a student is absent because the teacher then has to make sure that student gets caught up,” Marshall said.

REA represents nearly 2,000 teachers, social workers, counselors, speech pathologists, nurses, psychologists and other licensed staff working and supporting nearly 28,000 students in RPS.

The ULP will be filed with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) this week. More details will be forthcoming.

###

The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.

“The Unemployment Equity Act is about fairness and justice for all workers by ending the practice of treating one class of workers as less deserving,” said Pat Devaney, Secretary-Treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO. “These non-instructional workers are on the front lines every day—getting our kids to school, making sure they have a hot meal at lunch, and keeping classrooms clean and safe. Yet each summer, they are forced to scrape together pennies to get by because they don’t have the unemployment insurance safety net like other workers who are out of work through no fault of their own.”

Hundreds of members and leaders of the Illinois AFL-CIO, AFSCME Council 31, Illinois Education Association, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Chicago Teachers Union 1 and SEIU Local 73, rallied in support of the legislation earlier today.

“Our thanks to Representative Evans and Senator Villivilam for their leadership on this important legislation,” said Dian Palmer, President of SEIU Local 73. “As the union representing more than 15,000 school support staff workers in Chicago and throughout Illinois, this bill is critical to the wellbeing of our members and their families.”

Every summer, thousands of support staff in Illinois public schools and universities are left without a paycheck and access to unemployment insurance. Providing unemployment during the summer months to these employees creates parity with workers doing the exact same work in the private sector.

“Support staff are the backbones of our schools, often overlooked, but always providing stability. They are the first to arrive and the last to leave. It is time to treat them fairly and equitably by allowing them access to unemployment benefits in the summer months,” said Karl Goeke, President of the Illinois Education Association. “Year-round pay allows support staff to return to their same schools and students every year. Having a stable workforce in schools helps students perform better, preserves institutional knowledge, builds stronger relationships and better schools.”

Support staff eligible include school bus drivers, special education classroom assistants, paraprofessionals, lunchroom workers, security guards, janitors, crossing guards and all others in a supportive role in our public schools and universities.

“Our work is essential, and we deserve basic support. Yet while we are scraping together pennies to survive, billionaires in this state are using their untaxed wealth to buy influence and shape our elections,” remarked Megan Accardo, a paraprofessional and member of Grayslake Federation of Paraprofessionals and School Personnel, IFT Local 504. “That is not just unfair, that is a system out of balance. We are the backbone of our schools, but we are treated like we are disposable. Summer is not a break for us, it’s a financial crisis. The system has decided that the people who hold our schools together don’t deserve stability.”

These predominantly Black, Latine, and women workers are among the lowest paid in Illinois’ public education system and, unlike almost any other worker in the state, are not covered under the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Act.

“Educational support staff make our schools and universities work, but for too long, they’ve been expected to get by without income for the entire summer,” said AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch. “By allowing support staff access to the same unemployment benefits that other seasonal workers receive, we can build stronger schools and universities, stabilize the education workforce, and show support staff that their dedication and hard work is valued.”

The legislation will now head to the House for a full vote.

###

The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.

Weaver, who also spent 30 years as a teacher in the Harvey school system, was the first Black person to be elected president of the IEA. After his tenure at IEA, he went on to become the president of the National Education Association, from 2002 to 2008, and later went on to serve in the leadership of Education International, an organization representing 29 million teachers and education workers in 169 countries.

He was committed to the idea that every child deserves to go to a great public school. Weaver told the Chicago Tribune in 2002: “My vision is that we work for schools where children are able to go free of harassment, intimidation and have an atmosphere conducive to good teaching and learning.”

“Reg was a pioneer in many ways. He led the way for people of color to see themselves in leadership at the state and national level. He was a mentor to so many state and national leaders. He created pathways to leadership and made room for folx when they arrived. He was kind, generous, and humorous. He always had a story to tell with a light in his eyes. He made people feel welcome, supported and valued,” said Karl Goeke, current president of the IEA.

He was born in Danville and graduated from Danville High School. He earned a degree in special education from Illinois State University in 1961 and a master’s degree from Roosevelt University in 1971. He has received honorary degrees from numerous universities across the country.

In 1973, Weaver first ran for president of IEA and lost. After that, he built a minority caucus in an effort to increase the number of people of color who attended the union’s Representative Assembly and whose decisions guided the path for the organization. He was able to organize that group and build coalitions between groups to help build power within the IEA.

In 1978, former Gov. Jim Thompson was elected head of the state. The IEA was the only union to back the Republican candidate. He credited IEA with pushing him to the win. As a result, he said, he would support the passage of collective bargaining for educators and did, signing the Illinois Education Labor Relations Act in 1984.

Weaver served as president of the Harvey Education Association from 1967-71, as an IEA board member from 1971-77, as IEA vice president from 1977-81, as IEA president 1981-1987, on the NEA executive committee 1989-95, NEA vice president 1996-2002 and as NEA president 2002-08.

He was the winner of the IEA-NEA Human Relations Award, which is now known as the Reg Weaver Human and Civil Rights Award.

When he completed his final term as the NEA president in 2008, NEA Vice President Dennis Van Roekel said the following, “Thank you, Reg, for being the right man, in the right job, at the right time.”

###

The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.