Did you know you can apply for a Vote By Mail Ballot? No excuse necessary. Apply today and skip the line on November 3rd. 🗳️

A child entering kindergarten today will graduate from a high school that is still underfunded." — IFT President Stacy Davis Gates on today's EBF report, which shows Illinois losing ground on its legal duty to fund schools by 2027. 📘➡️ https://bit.ly/4q6iIqq

Your property taxes were collected. They just never made it to the schools. The Cook County Treasurer is holding ~$400M that's legally owed to school districts. CPS is borrowing $220,000 a day to cover the gap. We're suing. 📖 ➡️ https://bit.ly/3TohydE

Summer break doesn't mean the fight stops. ✊ Earlier this summer, IFT members packed Springfield & delivered backpacks representing everything our students & schools go without when public education isn't fully funded — books, supplies, support staff, smaller class sizes.

We're in D.C. and repping IFT proud! 📸 If you're at AFT Convention this week, snap your Union Selfie and show the labor movement what solidarity looks like! Post your pic and tag @iftaft — let's show the strength of 100,000+ IFT members! ✊

The ideals that this country was founded upon were a starting point. 250 years later, that work of realizing them is in all of our hands.  This Independence Day, as we honor the vision that started this country, we also recognize the full history of it.

The future well-being of our neighbors, communities, and state depends on our ability to fund the pillars of our democracy: public education, public programs, and workers. And the path to that is sustainable revenue from taxing the ultra-wealthy and corporations.

Did you know that CTU Foundation's Quest Center Professional Learning Courses are now open to IFT members? That means affordable courses that earn PD credit - all available online.

What if the most impactful thing we do for students is building care, consistency, and connection every single day?

While digital tools are now central to learning, many educators and families are questioning whether too much screen time is impacting student engagement, mental health, and academic success.

Imagine the possibilities in your school if the district was fully funded. What would that look like? For this IFT and @ctulocal1.bsky.social member, it means more support for student learning by bringing in more bilingual staff.

A heat wave is bringing high temperatures to Illinois this week. ➡️ Keep cool and stay hydrated ➡️ Know the signs of heat-related illness ➡️ Check on neighbors, friends, and relatives

‼️IMPORTANT INFO FOR STUDENT LOAN BORROWERS‼️ Federal repayment programs are changing as of July 1 and your payments might be affected. Hundreds of thousands of borrowers in Illinois need to select a new student loan repayment plan if they don’t want to end up on a more expensive plan by default.

What happens when federal support disappears? Our kids shouldn’t have to find out.  But because our state doesn't fully fund education in MOST districts across Illinois, the impact of federal cuts is even worse.

Students in East St. Louis are on the brink of losing programs that provide not just support, but a lifeline.

We made progress this legislative session, but we know it's not enough. Our schools are still underfunded by billions and too many students are paying the price.  @ctulocal1.bsky.social

Today, every evaluator in Illinois completes one statewide training and assessment built by teachers and practitioners that includes how to recognize and mitigate bias. ISBE's new rules scrap that and let every district invent its own training with no state review and no quality control.

After Western Illinois University laid off its entire library faculty, the union fought for the positions to be reinstated. This month, an arbitrator has ordered the university to reinstate them with back pay, recognizing the critical role librarians play in student learning.

Happy Father's Day to the dads, father figures, and caregivers in our school communities. Thank you for the care, patience, and strength you bring to our families. Wishing you a day filled with appreciation, rest, and time with the people who matter most.

Public schools should be strengthened, not abandoned. Congress created a permanent national school voucher scheme designed to siphon billions of public dollars into private schools while lawmakers propose billions in cuts to public education.

As educators and public workers, we know that history is not only the past but is something we carry forward. Juneteenth - 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation - is a reminder that freedom has always been delayed and contested, but ultimately won through collective struggle and action.

Inclusive workplaces don't happen by accident.  Including LGBTQIA+ protections in union contracts is a commitment to dignity and ensuring that no one is left behind.

Libraries are gateways to opportunity, lifelong learning, and stronger communities. They level the playing field by giving everyone access to knowledge, no matter their background or income.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has proposed sweeping changes to Part 50 teacher evaluation rules that represent a fundamental shift away from educators and toward unilateral district control.

📆 THIS FRIDAY - June 19 at 9 AM: Don't miss this transformative Illinois-specific webinar on Black studies resources for educators & students across the state.  All licensed Illinois educators are eligible for Professional Development Hours for attendance.

IFT and @ctulocal1.bsky.social President Stacy Davis Gates signed on to this open letter from educational union leaders to governors, urging them to reject the federal voucher tax credit program, which is a clear attempt to intentionally weaken and privatize public schools.

👀 Big congratulations to Halle Morrison, Assistant Professor at Malcolm X College and CCCTU Local 1600 member, for being selected to join the STEMSEAS (STEM Student Experiences Aboard Ships) expedition! 🚢

Arbitrator Rules WIU's Mass Layoff of Academic Librarians Was Illegal, Orders Reinstatement and Relief Read the full statement: https://www.ift-aft.org/post/arbitrator-rules-wiu-s-mass-layoff-of-academic-librarians-was-illegal-orders-reinstatement-and-reli.

The legislative session may be over but our fight isn't. We will continue advocating for full funding because that's what our students and communities deserve.

The Two Largest Unions in Illinois Join National Letter of Educators Urging Democratic Governors to Keep Out of Trump's Federal Voucher Scheme Read the full release: https://www.ift-aft.org/post/two-largest-unions-in-illinois-join-national-letter-of-educators-urging-democratic-governors-to-keep