The following statement is attributable to Mercer County Education Employees Association (MCEEA) President Pam Nelson and Mercer County Education Association (MCEA) President Amanda Heinrichs:

“While the unions acknowledge the worthwhile goal of reaching solvency in the education fund, we are deeply concerned about the students and remaining employees. The administration has provided the proper notice about the possibility of Reduction in Force (RIFs). Cutting these positions does not mean there is less work or less learning to be done in our schools. Our remaining staff are going to see a large increase in their workload, which means that our students will receive less one-to-one support and could also see increased class sizes, among other diminishments to the quality of their education. It will be devastating for morale in our community if the board votes “yes” for this recommendation. Instead, we are encouraging the board to seek other solutions and find cuts elsewhere in the budget. This financial problem didn’t just arise overnight. We want transparency. Has the board investigated why and how we ended up in this financial position and overspent line items? We expect board members to speak up at each meeting during that portion of their agenda, so their constituents know what’s on their minds and how they reach their decisions. Our students and our community deserve better.”

The school board will act on this recommendation tomorrow night, March 3, at 6:30 p.m. MCEA represents the certified educators, teachers and nurses, while MCEEA is comprised of the hourly school staff. In addition to being president of MCEEA, Nelson is also a custodian at New Boston Elementary School. Heinrichs is the MCEA president and a teacher at Mercer County Junior High School.

Tomorrow’s special meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. in the Mercer County Junior High Music Room (1002 SW 6th St., Aledo).

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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.

“We believe this is absolutely a big step in the right direction. This contract does what we wanted it to do: It makes Rockford more competitive with our neighboring districts, which means we will be able to attract talented, new teachers and retain our experienced, dedicated educators. That’s a big win for students and for our community,” REA President Claudia Marshall said. “That being said, we still have work to do. We know change is incremental, and we will continue working toward even more progress for our students, staff and community.”

REA and the district had been bargaining for nearly a year when a tentative agreement was reached on Feb. 12. The REA ratified the agreement on Sunday and the BOE ratified the contract at their meeting tonight.

Bargaining began in February 2025. REA’s contract expired in July, which means educators have worked most of the school year without a contract.

“It’s been a really difficult year for our teachers. There’s been so much extra stress on top of the increasing demands of their jobs. But I think what kept us all going was the community support – all of the parents, neighbors, local businesses, lawmakers who reached out to tell us they are standing with us and to keep going. That’s what got us here. Rockford shows up. Rockford values their teachers, and that means the world. We are so grateful,” Marshall said.

The new REA contract:

• Creates one month paid parental leave for new parents;
• Makes Rockford teachers’ wages more competitive through a 4% salary increase in the first two years of the contract and a 4.5% increase in the final year;
• Provides either retroactive step and lane movement to the start of the school year or a bonus (Step and lane movement ensures teachers are compensated based on their education and years of experience);
• Protects the working conditions of Rockford’s special education teachers by not increasing their workload;
• And creates a committee to look at expanding teachers’ choice when it comes to retirement options, potentially a large savings for the district.

“The majority of our teachers live in Rockford. We send our children to school here. Many of us went to school here ourselves. We are Rockford. We love this town. This contract is not just an investment in good quality educators and our students; it’s an investment in the entire Rockford community,” Marshall said.

The Rockford Education Association (REA) represents nearly 2,000 teachers, social workers, counselors, speech pathologists, nurses, psychologists and other licensed staff working and supporting the nearly 28,000 students in District 205.

###

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 poll results show a majority of Illinoisans are opposed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in their communities and are worried about ICE presence near schools. Illinoisans also stand in opposition to the cuts to United States Department of Education (USED) funding, Medicaid and SNAP benefits.

“We know that Illinoisans support public education, but this polling takes it a step further. It shows us our state cares deeply about our students, schools and our communities,” IEA President Karl Goeke said. “ICE has no place in or near our schools. Students cannot learn when they are afraid and educators cannot effectively teach when students don’t feel safe. Schools should be a safe place for our students, their parents and our teachers and staff.”

The data also show Illinoisans know a strong school system leads to stronger communities. A large majority of Illinoisans said the quality of their public schools has an impact on the quality of their communities. They also believe their home’s value is directly tied to the quality of their local public school, even if they don’t have school-aged children.

“The people of Illinois get it. They understand high-quality public schools mean more than just a great education for all students, they can lift up an entire community,” Goeke said. “We know people look at the quality of the public schools when they’re choosing where to live because it means their homes are worth more. Investing in our public schools means we are investing in our entire community. We should absolutely be fully funding our schools. Everybody wins. It’s a no-brainer.”

When it comes to fully funding our schools and staff, Illinoisans believe teachers, paraprofessionals and adjuncts deserve better wages.

Key points from the IEA State of Education report include:

• 85% of Illinoisans believe that students have a right to a public education;
• 84% of the public say they are very worried about the teacher shortage;
• 79% of Illinoisans are very worried about shortages for school support staff positions like paraprofessionals, bus drivers and librarians.
• 63% of the public believe adjuncts should be paid the same as tenured professors when they are teaching the same courses;
• 69% believe funding for public schools should increase;
• 66% support pension reform to allow those in the Tier 2 pension system to retire before the age of 67;
• 80% believe we should be teaching about slavery in public schools;
• 72% believe we should be teaching about racism public schools;
• 53% are opposed to ICE arresting and deporting immigrants in their communities;
• 57% are worried about ICE arresting them, a child, another parent, or school employees on school property;
• 64% are opposed to the federal government’s cuts to Medicaid and SNAP benefits;
• 65% are opposed to the S. Department of Education funding cuts.

The poll, conducted by both Democrat polling firm, Normington, Petts and Associates, and Republican pollster, Mercury Consulting, surveyed 1,000 Illinoisans Jan. 26-29. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent with 95 percent confidence.

“This poll asks questions we haven’t seen asked in Illinois, including questions about ICE presence near schools. By basing it on U.S. Census data, it gives us an honest look at what Illinoisans think about all things public education,” pollster Jill Normington of Normington, Petts and Associates said.

“Illinoisans absolutely support public education in our state, even those residents without school-aged children see the benefit of living near good schools. They know their home values are tied to their neighborhood schools, and that sends a clear message about the importance of investing in the public school system,” said Pat Brady, of Mercury Consulting.

View more information on this year’s results, as well as previous years.

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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.

A poll of 1,000 Illinoisans conducted by Normington Petts and Associates and Next Generation Strategies in late January asked: “As you may know, student teaching is often a full-time position, yet many student teachers do not get paid for their work. Do you favor or oppose paying a stipend of $10,000 per semester, or $20,000 for a full school year?”

A total of 72% said they favored the idea, 20% were opposed and the remainder were unsure.

In addition, the Illinois Education Association (IEA), which is the largest education union in Illinois, surveyed its own members – both those in college studying to become teachers and those in the first five years of their careers. Nearly half of the respondents said they were unable to work and another 41% said they could only work part-time, causing them financial concerns.

The survey also showed:

• 48% relied on relatives for support and 15% sought out additional loans;
• 40% were prohibited from working an additional job by their institution of higher education;
• 84% said they experienced added stress over their financial status while student teaching;
• 42% faced concerns over being able to pay for housing while student teaching;
• 49% worried about being able to afford food;
• 57% worried about paying for transportation;
• 58% fretted they wouldn’t be able to pay their tuition;
• 69% were concerned about paying for a professional wardrobe;
• And, 98% said being paid while they were practicing to become a teacher would have eased those concerns.

“So many students must complete an internship in order to prepare for their future careers and in many cases, those internships are paid. But not teachers. For whatever reason, society has come to expect teachers to prepare for their careers by sacrificing their financial security,” said IEA President Karl Goeke.

“We are in the midst of a teacher shortage in this country. This is one more way we could fix that problem. We know we have people working as support staff in schools who study on the side to become full-time teachers, but they have bills to pay and children to feed and they cannot take a semester, or two, to work for no pay. We must do better by our educators.”

The Illinois House has already passed a bill that would allow student teachers to be paid and the bill is currently pending in the Senate. House Bill 1375 has been introduced by Rep. Barbara Hernandez and Sen. David Koehler that could allow the House to do the same.

“It’s time for Illinois to put its money where its mouth is,” Koehler said. “We say we value education. We should also value those who work in education. We worry we don’t have enough teachers to educate our children and this measure could truly help solve that problem.”

Hernandez said it isn’t fair to put more financial stress on students studying to be teachers. “So many of our college students are already taking out loans to become educators. Why are we adding to that financial burden? If we want the best of the best in classrooms educating our children, we have to give them reason to want to become teachers and to stay in the profession. Finances are often one of the main reasons people leave the profession. Let’s give them reason to stay.”

Anabella Chlada, an Illinois State University student who is studying to be a special education teacher and who chairs the IEA’s Aspiring Educator program, said she must work two semesters as a student teacher for her program.

“I cannot wait to become an educator. I truly feel called to do this work,” Chlada said. “But there is no doubt that student teaching is a full-time commitment without pay, and that reality is incredibly stressful. Balancing coursework while working more than eight hours a day in the classroom leaves little time to earn income outside of school. I feel the strain personally, and I see the toll it has taken on my classmates and Aspiring Educators across Illinois.”

###

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 Illinois Education Association (IEA) urges Illinoisans to vote “NO” on the question, which is misleadingly worded to make voters think no public money will be used.

As it stands now, 80 percent of public schools are underfunded in Illinois. The federal plan, much like Illinois’s 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 public schools that educate 90 percent of our students.

In Illinois, we learned that vouchers:

• Benefit mostly white students;
• Fund private schools that are not subject to the same state testing standards, nor are teachers held to the same professional standards, as those in public schools;
• Failed to demonstrate a financial need among student recipients by not tracking how many students actually switched from public schools to private schools after receiving a scholarship, or whether public money funded students who had been in private schools all along;
• Sent public money to private schools which can discriminate based on physical or emotional special needs, gender identity issues, moral values and religion.
• And, research demonstrates that students using vouchers often perform worse academically than their peers in public schools.

The IEA’s annual Illinois State of Education in Illinois report, shows 69 percent of residents in our state 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,” said IEA President Karl Goeke. “We’ve already walked this path in Illinois, and we learned that vouchers are a scheme. 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 learned this lesson. Let’s not repeat it.”

To see if your county (or in some cases your township) will have the question on the ballot, you can look at this list. The primary is March 17. Early voting began Feb. 5. You can read more about the question in materials prepared by Illinois Families for Public Schools.

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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.

“Our contract expired June 30, 2024, and CCCLOC has been bargaining in good faith for over two years. City Colleges has continuously responded to our proposals with excuses and empty promises, which quickly resulted in an agreed upon mediated negotiation. Our union understands the past delays that were the result of government shut-downs, but now City Colleges is refusing to go back to the bargaining table until the specific mediator comes back to work. That is bad faith bargaining and our union is in negotiation limbo because City Colleges claims that it will take too long to bring a new mediator up to speed. This mediator has been out of the office for months and CCCLOC has confirmed there is no ETA for this mediator to come back to work. CCCLOC is ready to bring in a new mediator immediately and get back to the negotiating table.  Our members deserve a fair and equitable contract and CCCLOC demands that City Colleges stop the delays and get back to the bargaining table!,” said CCCLOC President Tony Pro.

At issue are:

• Wages: A strong majority of our membership survive primarily on adjunct salary for their income. Currently, they are earning poverty wages that simply aren’t sustainable.
• Course overload: City Colleges is requesting to overload adjuncts at unprecedented rates. Meaning, part-time faculty are being assigned course loads in excess of full-time loads without full-time salaries and benefits.
• Minimal benefits: At least 85% of CCCLOC members need assistance to pay for healthcare. It’s unbelievable in a world class city like Chicago, City Colleges forces a quarter of its own employees to rely on public assistance to survive.

CCCLOC represents more than 700 part-time faculty, librarians and vocational lecturers. CCCLOC works with students at all seven City Colleges campuses and four satellite campuses across Chicago.

CCCLOC members are planning to pack the BOT meeting and will be carrying signs that say, “Contract Now” and “Back to the Bargaining Table.” The meeting begins Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. at Harold Washington College.

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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.

Weeks ago, the event was arranged by the Genoa-Kingston High School chapter of Turning Point USA, Club America. However, the assembly was just announced to students, staff and families last week, and was not discussed at recent BOE meetings. The high school is currently scheduled to host the History Rocks! assembly on Thurs., Feb. 5 at 2:30 p.m., the exact time classes are letting out for the day. Busses do not arrive to transport students home until 3:00p.m., which means students who feel unsafe will not be able to leave the building before the event begins.

With the assembly just days away, Turning Point USA has not authorized the release of the identities of these “national level speakers.” However, previous tour stops have featured speakers such as U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon. Erika Kirk, wife of the late Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, is also rumored to make an appearance. Charlie Kirk was gunned down while on stage at another Turning Point USA event on a college campus last year.

“We have major concerns around the safety and transparency of this event,” GKEA President Sam Coates said. “All of our students and staff deserve to be safe when they are on school grounds, especially during school hours.”

GKEA is calling on District 424 Administration and BOE to immediately address the following safety concerns:

• Timing: Push back the event start time until 3:30 p.m. to allow for the building to be clear of any students and staff who do not wish to attend.
• Transparency: Provide students, parents, staff and the community with ample notice regarding future events, as well as the opportunity to give feedback.

“We are calling on the district to put these safeguards into place immediately. We are asking for open and clear communication about this event, and future events, moving forward,” Coates said.

“We believe that safety should come before anything else,” Illinois Education Association (IEA) President Karl Goeke said. “We stand with our members in Genoa-Kingston as they advocate for their students and themselves. When our students don’t feel safe, it’s not possible for them to focus on learning and their education. There’s no question that every educator also deserves a safe workplace. It was not long ago that Turning Point’s founder was murdered on stage at another educational event. We have to do better.”

GKEA represents nearly 200 members including teachers, ESPs, custodians, cooks, bus drivers, and secretaries, who serve the approximately 1,500 students in CUSD 424.

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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.

This comes after REA launched an email campaign that generated more than 8,500 emails to board members and Jarrett urging them to come to a contract agreement that pays teachers a fair wage, provides full support for all students and avoids a strike.

“Enough is enough. We have now been bargaining for a year. We started at the table last February. Clearly, the district isn’t hearing our concerns at the table. We know parents are just as upset as we are, and we wanted to make sure their voices are heard,” REA President Claudia Marshall said. “On top of that, the district is now threatening to cut learning days for students, which means all 28,000 of our students will have fewer days in school this year. It’s totally out of line and out of sync with what the Rockford community wants.”

“We want the administration to pay our teachers fairly and competitively. We know how hard they work and how they go above and beyond for our students. Our wages are far behind neighboring districts,’ resulting in open positions, which means our students aren’t getting the support and high-quality education they need to be successful in the future,” parent Christina Rudolph said. “I will gladly pick up the phone and call, especially if it means my children, other students and our teachers get what they deserve.”

On Jan. 24, the REA membership overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike. The vote gives the REA bargaining team the authority to call a strike. To legally go on strike, REA would also need to give a 10-day intent to strike notice to RPS, the regional superintendent and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB).

REA has been bargaining with the district since February. REA’s contract expired in July, which means educators have been working without a contract since the start of the school year. On Dec. 4, REA and the district began working with a federal mediator during negotiation sessions. On Dec. 22, the district issued its last, best offer, signaling an unwillingness to negotiate further, which triggered the public posting process through the IELRB. This is also the first legal step toward a strike.

Still at issue at the bargaining table are:

• Retirement benefits: REA is pushing to expand current retirement options, offering a choice for all members, which will have large cost savings for RPS.
• Working conditions: The district is pushing for an inequitable and unfair burden on special education teachers, while making it difficult to obtain the necessary paraprofessional support for kindergarten classrooms. Teachers go above and beyond by taking on additional duties because there are so many unfilled positions.
• Subpar wages: Rockford teachers make less than many neighboring districts, including Belvidere and Hononegah. Rockford salaries are below average when compared to other Illinois school districts of similar size.
• Retroactive pay: Retroactive pay honors the work REA teachers have been doing all year. Rockford teachers are working without a contract right now, and the district can and should make them whole by providing back pay for any wage increases reflected in the new contract.
• Step increases: The district wants to take step increases away from REA members. This represents a monetary loss not just for this contract, but a major loss for the life of their careers in this district. Annual step increases are part of a larger salary schedule the district has already agreed to.

“I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. The bottom line is this: A majority of our teachers live in Rockford. We are Rockford. When you invest in us, you invest in our entire community. Our students should have nothing less,” 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.

REA members and parents plan to pack tomorrow night’s RPS District 205 Board of Education Committee of the Whole meeting at the RPS administration building (501 Seventh St., Rockford). The meeting begins at 6 p.m. The next bargaining date for RPS and REA is set for Feb. 5.

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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.

“We have done everything we can to try to avoid this vote, but the administration has left us with no choice,” REA President Claudia Marshall said. “This is about what’s best for students. We don’t have enough teachers in our buildings. We have 70 open positions right now and that’s because our wages aren’t competitive. Our students deserve better and we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they have high-quality teachers in their schools and the best public education possible.” 

To legally go on strike, REA would also need to give a 10-day intent to strike notice to Rockford Public School District 205, the regional superintendent and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB).

REA has been bargaining with the district since February. REA’s contract expired in July, which means educators have been working without a contract since the start of the school year. On Dec. 4, REA and the district began working with a federal mediator during negotiation sessions. On Dec. 22, the district issued its last, best offer, signaling an unwillingness to negotiate further, which triggered the public posting process through the IELRB. This is also the first legal step toward a strike.  

“Nearly one in four Rockford teachers has a second or third job. We cannot afford to provide for our families. Nearly 70 percent of our teachers have considered leaving because of the low wages, increasing workload and a lack of respect,” Marshall said. “Meanwhile, the Rockford taxpayers continue to pay for more and more administrative positions each year. Today, there are well over 200 central office staff positions – four times the number there were 10 years ago.- Our students don’t need more administrators working in the central office downtown. What they need is enough teachers to fully staff ALL our classrooms.”

Still at issue at the bargaining table are: 

• Retirement benefits: REA is pushing to expand current retirement options, offering a choice for all members, which will have large cost savings for District 205.
• Working conditions: The district is pushing for an inequitable and unfair burden on special education teachers, while making it difficult to obtain the necessary paraprofessional support for kindergarten classrooms. Teachers go above and beyond by taking on additional duties because there are so many unfilled positions.
• Subpar wages: Rockford teachers make less than many neighboring districts, including Belvidere and Hononegah. Rockford salaries are below average when compared to other Illinois school districts of similar size.
• Retroactive pay: Retroactive pay honors the work REA teachers have been doing all year. Rockford teachers are working without a contract right now, and the district can and should make them whole by providing back pay for any wage increases reflected in the new contract.
• Step increases: The district is proposing to take step increases away from REA members. This represents a monetary loss not just for this contract, but a major loss for the life of their careers in this district. Annual step increases are part of a larger salary schedule the district has already agreed to.

“Retroactive pay and step increases will show REA members the district values their commitment to the district. Taking steps away, even for a year, will mean major lifetime financial losses for Rockford teachers,” Marshall said. “The bottom line is: A majority of our teachers live in Rockford. We are Rockford. When you invest in us, you invest in our entire community. Our students should have nothing less.”

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 District 205.  

There are no bargaining sessions scheduled between REA and District 205.

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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.

RFEA represents more than 140 teachers and licensed staff serving the nearly 1,300 students who attend school in District 90. The BOE and RFEA began negotiations in April 2025 and the two parties have met to negotiate nearly 20 times. RFEA’s current contract expired on Fri., Aug. 15, which means teachers have been working without a contract since the start of the school year.  

For years, the district has been building a massive reserve on the backs of River Forest teachers. According to its own 2025 Annual Financial Report submitted to the Illinois State Board of Education, District 90 has 460 days of cash on hand. The state recommends having just 180 days.   

The following statement is from RFEA co-president Cindy Crannell: 

“We are frustrated and disheartened by the district’s lack of compromise at the bargaining table  to resolve the issues that led to a failed ratification vote of the tentative agreement we reached on Nov. 10.  

“The district has 460 days of cash on hand in reserves and is more than able to resolve the financial components at the root of the failed ratification vote. However, during our last few joint mediation sessions, the district has made little to no movement on their offers, seemingly unwilling to move an inch to meet us in the middle.   

“On top of that, the district notified the RFEA bargaining team that they are initiating the public posting process, which signals an unwillingness to bargain any more.  This means the district will be issuing its  last, best and final offer.  

“We are left with no choice but to move forward with plans for a strike; although, we truly would much rather be in our classrooms with our students than out on the picket line. Still, we are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure our students have the best public education possible. To be clear, this does not mean we will go on strike.  We remain open and available to bargain with the district and committed to reaching an agreement.” 

The RFEA plans to attend tonight’s District 90 Board of Education meeting. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. in the multi-purpose room at Roosevelt Middle School (7560 Oak Ave., River Forest). The meeting will be live streamed here. There are no future negotiation dates scheduled. 

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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.

ALTON – Alton teachers plan to attend tonight’s Alton Community School District 11 Board of Education (BOE) meeting after several actions by the board and administration that disrespect and devalue educators, including one board member openly referring to teachers as “peons.” The Alton Education Association (AEA) President Sara Carter plans to speak at tonight’s meeting.

“The current climate in our district is very, very disrespectful to our hardworking educators. We give so much to our students and our community. We work extra hours every week that aren’t paid. We buy school supplies, hygiene products and even clothing for our students out of our own pockets because we care so much. The least the administration and board can do is give us a little respect back.” Carter said.

AEA is showing up at tonight’s board meeting because of several recent actions by the district that have created a culture of disrespect in the district, including around:

• Sick days: Educators are using their sick days for legitimate reasons, including  illness, family needs, mental health and recovery from the growing stress of the profession. However, the district is now enforcing a stricter policy, which creates a culture of fear instead of support.

• District communication: Communication from the district has been divisive and unsupportive and, in some cases, threatening.

Derogatory communication is also an issue with the board of education. During one particular incident in November, school board member David Lauschke referred to all teachers as “peons.”

“When you devalue and belittle your teachers, you do the same to your students. Our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions,” Carter said. “Our school board members take an oath to do what’s best for all of our students, but you can’t support students if you don’t support their teachers.”

The Alton Education Association (AEA) represents nearly 618 staff, which includes certified staff as well as educational support staff who support the nearly 5,500 students in District 11.

Carter will speak at tonight’s board meeting and plans to call on the district to truly engage with school staff, be more transparent and be more accessible to teachers who reach out to. Carter will also ask teachers to invite administrators and board members to visit their classroom.

Tonight’s BOE meeting is set for 6 p.m. in the Alton High School Library (4200 Humbert Rd., Alton).

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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.

“Our teachers are underpaid, their workloads are increasing and we don’t have enough staff to fully support all our students, especially our students with special needs,” REA President Claudia Marshall said. “It’s a crisis situation.Our students deserve so much better than this.”

The Rockford Education Association (REA) represents nearly 2,000 teachers, social workers, counselors, speech pathologists, nurses, psychologists and other licensed staff working and supporting the nearly 28,000 students in District 205.

REA has been bargaining with the district since February. REA’s contract expired in July, which means educators have been working without a contract since the start of the school year. On Dec. 4, REA and the district began working with a federal mediator during negotiation sessions. However, on Dec. 22, the district issued their last, best offer signaling an unwillingness to negotiate further, which triggered the public posting process through the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB). This is also the first legal step toward a strike.

“This is about respect because it’s not about money. The district has money. There are more than 200 administrators working just in the central office downtown. They give themselves two raises a year,” Marshall said. “And when they can’t fill teaching positions because the pay is too low and the workload is too high, they outsource our work. Right now, they’re spending more than $14 million on staffing agencies. The money is there. What this comes down to is the district doesn’t value or respect us and our students.”

Still at issue at the bargaining table are:

• Retirement benefits: REA is pushing to expand current retirement options, offering a choice for all members, which will have large cost savings for District 205.

• Working conditions: The district is pushing for an inequitable and unfair burden on special education teachers, while making it difficult to obtain the necessary paraprofessional support for kindergarten classrooms. Teachers go above and beyond by taking on additional duties because there are so many unfilled positions.

• Subpar wages: Rockford teachers make less than many neighboring districts, including Belvidere and Hononegah. Rockford salaries are below average when compared to other Illinois school districts of similar size.

“We are Rockford. The majority of our members live in our community. The district is not just failing to invest in our educators and fully support our students, they’re choosing not to invest in our entire community,” Marshall said. “But we know, the people of Rockford stand with us and that’s what keeps us going. We’re so grateful for all the support from our community.”

Tonight’s BOE meeting is set for 7 p.m. in the third-floor boardroom at the RPS Administration Building (501 Seventh St., Rockford). It will be live-streamed here. Teachers, parents and community members plan to rally before the BOE meeting starting at 6 p.m. in the same location. The next REA and tdistrict negotiations session is scheduled for Wed., Jan. 21.

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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 Trump administration’s announcement just before the holidays that it will cut Full Service Community Schools funding on Dec. 31 puts 19,000 students across the state at risk. The grant money funds mental health, tutoring, food assistance, extracurricular and after-school programs that help our most vulnerable students stay safe and healthy.

“At least 32 schools across the state – in both urban and rural areas from Chicago to Vienna – will lose funding for these programs. Along with cutting vital services to students, the loss of the grant will force the elimination of positions in a public education system that is already short-handed.

“This constant roller coaster of funding threats is dizzying in a state where 80 percent of public schools are already underfunded. But, we know that no matter what is thrown at us as educators, we will stand in the gap and do everything we can to protect our students and fulfill their needs.

“Please take a moment and support reinstating the grants by joining ACT Now’s petition.”

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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.

BARRY — Western teachers, parents and community members plan to attend tonight’s Western Community Unit School District 12 meeting to speak out against a proposed plan to outsource students to Missouri Schools.

District 12 Supt. Darin Powell is pushing to bus Western students out of state to Missouri for classes. The move is expected to cost taxpayers more than $2,100 per student. This money is greatly needed in Hannibal, Mo. The Hannibal school district, where Powell proposes the District 12 students be sent, is struggling financially and was recently the subject of an audit investigation by the state of Missouri. Powell has ties to the Hannibal district, too. He is from Hannibal, taught in Hannibal School District 60, served as principal there and is the former assistant superintendent of District 60.

“First of all, we have a responsibility to our students to make sure they get the best education possible. Illinois teachers go through a rigorous process to be licensed and accredited to teach in our state,” Western Education Association Co-President Susan Stout said. “Second, I am not sure the Western community is okay with their hard-earned tax dollars leaving the area when we have another viable, much more affordable option for our students right here in Illinois.”

The classes Powell proposes to outsource to Missouri schools are skilled trades courses like auto, cosmetology and welding, among others. Many of those classes are also offered at Quincy Tech, where administrators say they would be happy to receive Western students. Most of these classes at Quincy Area Vocational Technical Center would cost around $1,800 per student.

In addition to outsourcing Western students’ education to another state, Powell is also considering using a budget reduction to eliminate teaching positions and lower graduation requirements in District 12.

“Our teachers are hard-working and dedicated, and our students deserve nothing less than that,” Stout said. “Lowering graduation requirements will shortchange our students and lead to lower district evaluations from the ISBE. Every move our district makes should be done with our students’ best interests in mind.”

The Western Education Association represents the nearly 60 educators working in District 12. More than 500 students attend the three schools in the district.

Tonight’s District 12 Board of Education meeting starts at 6 p.m. at Western Elementary School (401 McDonough St., Barry).

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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 U.S. Department of Education has quietly removed the “professional” designation from careers like teaching, social work, nursing, and therapy. This should concern every educator, parent and community member. These are the very people who hold our classrooms, our students and our communities together. And now they’re being labeled “non-professional.” 

“What this means is the federal government is limiting access to low-cost graduate student loans for these careers, forcing our educators, nurses and therapists to go to private lenders with higher interest rates and less transparency.  Graduate degrees not only allow them to become better at their jobs, which has a direct impact on the quality of our students’ education, but those degrees also allow for higher salaries and professional growth. 

“All of this makes advancing in these professions harder and more expensive at a time when we’re already facing severe teacher and education-professional shortages. 

“Ultimately, this decision makes it much harder, especially for people in marginalized communities, to improve their practice or increase their compensation, forcing them to leave the classroom.  

“Classifying teachers and others as non-professional diminishes their knowledge and hard work, as well as their dedication to their careers.  

“It’s also telling that many of these professions are female dominated. Nearly 80 percent of teachers are women. Nearly 90 percent of nurses are women. About 85 percent of social workers are women and 75 percent of therapists. This decision by the federal government disproportionately affects women’s access to education and career advancement. 

“Contact your congressional representatives and tell them to undo the damage they caused by creating these loan limits in H.R. 1, also known as the “so-called” big, beautiful bill, and restore the professional designation.”

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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.