Black Studies Illinois addresses the need for relevant, transformative, and Illinois-specific Black studies resources for educators & students across the state.

We are excited to announce that the entire catalog of Quest Center Professional Learning Courses is now open to IFT members! That means affordable courses that earn PD credit - all available online. Check out the courses offered and then register at https://ctuf.catalog.instructure.com/.

Our work does not end with the end of this legislative session. We will continue to organize our members to push for full funding for our school from Pre-K through PhD, and from Lake County to the Metro East.

Pride month is a celebration of courage, identity, and love. It's also a call to action.  IFT is committed to supporting our LGBTQIA+ members, students, families and communities every day.

After nearly a decade under the Evidence-Based Funding model, the majority of school districts across the state remain underfunded. More than 60% of districts are still below 90% of adequacy, and dozens remain even further behind.

IFT and CTU President Stacy Davis Gates on End of Legislative Session Where Progressive Legislators Demonstrated Taxing the Ultra-Rich is Possible but Governor’s Budget as a Whole Leaves Schools Underfunded and the People of Illinois Figuring Out How to Make Ends Meet

Just because school's out doesn't mean the learning ends. IFT is offering several opportunities for professional development, but registration is only open for a limited time!

If public education isn't fully resourced, we will still see the majority of our schools inadequately funded across the state - meaning that cuts or property taxes make up the difference.

IFT and CTU President Stacy Davis Gates: Lawmakers Have One More Day to Make Education in Illinois the Megaproject It Ought to Be

Big congratulations to our members who were awarded Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching this year!

If we truly believe children are our future, then our budgets should reflect it. Investing in education is investing in stronger communities, a healthier economy, and a better tomorrow.

Paraprofessionals and support staff show up every day for students. But when the school day ends, many are still figuring out how to make ends meet, leaning on their village for childcare, picking up extra work, or going without. That’s neither sustainable nor fair.

Illinois has one of the lowest numbers of state workers per capita in the country, and communities are feeling it. At the same time, lawmakers are advancing megaproject tax breaks that let corporations pay less—while public services go underfunded.

IFT members traveled to Springfield one last time this legislative session to tell lawmakers what's at risk if we continue to underfund our institutions and deny our students the resources they need from PreK to Ph.D.

IFT members from across Illinois came together for a powerful Lobby Day. We met with lawmakers, rallied with our coalition, and made it clear that students and communities must come before corporate tax breaks.

The mega-projects bill in Springfield is setting communities up for a huge loss in school funding for decades, which means more of a tax burden on working families. At the same time, Illinois still owes students $6 billion under the evidence-based funding formula.

Every student deserves to feel seen, supported, and included at school. And equity requires investment.

When a district is only funded at 67.5% adequacy, you get situations like this: ✅ Renovated library ❌ No certified librarian Students end up with spaces that look good, but aren't staffed to support learning and improve literacy outcomes.

Students in alternative schools carry more than most before they even walk through the door. But without full funding, those resources are stretched thin.

A recent report from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas' office declares the benefits are "murky at best" for Illinois taxpayers, but crystal clear for the Bears and any other corporations involved with megaprojects in the future. https://bit.ly/4tXvZBW

Students don't just need a teacher, they need a team: Counselors. Paraprofessionals.  Nurses. Support staff. Custodians.  The list goes on.

The Supreme Court’s recent voting rights decisions could have ripple effects far beyond the South, including here in Illinois.

Illinois has one of the lowest ratios of state employees per capita in the nation. As a result, chronic understaffing delays vital services for families, seniors, and small businesses. But equitable state funding can help! If we raise revenue by taxing the ultra-wealthy...

The new Jim Crow uses rigged maps and partisan Supreme Court decisions to disenfranchise voters of color.  "We must stand up against injustice. And when we do, we shall overcome, again." Read @rweingarten.bsky.social's latest column: https://www.aft.org/column/we-shall-overcome-again.

Federal funding cuts are putting Illinois’ budget under pressure, and programs like the Virtual Instructional Coach/We Care teacher mentoring program are at risk. The VIC/We Care program is essential for helping new teachers grow, thrive, succeed, and stay in the classroom.

Every summer, school support staff lose their paychecks, but their bills don’t stop. Paraprofessionals, food service workers, bus drivers, and others who keep our schools running are forced to rely on loans, pantry support, or second jobs just to get by. This isn’t sustainable.

Educators know what kids need, and we've got clear ideas to get there. But right now, schools are being asked to do more with less while corporations are getting tax breaks.

🌟 Last call to join Great Lakes ULI! Register by TOMORROW May 22!!! 🌟 The 2026 Great Lakes ULI has been redesigned to help us meet the challenges ahead with stronger strategy, deeper political education, and real planning time with your colleagues.

When the wealthy don’t pay their fair share, students and communities pay the price. Instead, we're seeking revenue solutions that invest in kids right now and generations to come.

Educators know that supporting English language learners takes time, skill, and resources. It means dedicated staff. It means collaboration. It means the ability to meet students where they are and help them grow.

IFT Secretary‑Treasurer Pankaj Sharma lays out what’s at stake when corporations get tax giveaway deals: our schools suffer or families pay more. Instead of paying what they owe, corporations are being offered decades of tax breaks while Illinois schools remain billions behind.

Full funding for our schools means: ✅ Smaller class sizes ✅ Stocked libraries ✅ Student-centered spaces ✅ Investment in teachers and staff

What happens outside the classroom doesn’t stay outside the classroom.

Affordable, high-quality public higher education should be accessible to everyone, but chronic underfunding makes that harder every year. We need policies that invest in students and support educators.

Serving ✨ full funding energy ✨ for our students. Paraprofessionals know exactly what students need to learn, grow, and feel supported. The only thing missing? Lawmakers choosing full funding over corporate giveaways.

Some schools don’t even have enough books for every student. Educators share materials. Class sizes grow. Positions go unfilled. These aren’t extras. They’re the basics of a functioning classroom.

AFT leaders and members are in Montgomery, AL for the #AllRoadsSouth day of action. @utlanow.bsky.social @psc-cuny.org @iftaft.bsky.social @ctulocal1.bsky.social @aftmass.bsky.social @ofnhp.bsky.social

Today was a reminder of the beloved community Dr. King spoke of & proof that our movements are coming together just like we have before to protect democracy + win a better future for all. #AllRoadsSouth @cftunion.bsky.social @iftaft.bsky.social @aftmass.bsky.social @psc-cuny.org @ofnhp.bsky.social

Building repairs, upgraded school buildings, and smaller class sizes are just some of the ways Champaign students would benefit if their district was fully funded. That's what's on the table.

The Supreme Court’s latest ruling is already reshaping American democracy. By weakening key protections in the Voting Rights Act, the Court opened the door to aggressive gerrymandering.  🔗 https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/supreme-court-sets-gerrymandering-frenzy

Educators and public workers understand budgets because we live with their consequences. We see what happens when lawmakers prioritize megaproject tax breaks over education funding, and we know exactly what our students lose as a result.

Organizing in this moment requires new tools and deeper strategy. Great Lakes ULI is back with a new format designed for political education, skill‑building, and real‑time planning with your union siblings. ✅ Morning political education ✅ Modular courses ✅ Collective strategic planning

Higher prices at the gas station and grocery store mean harder choices for families. ➡️ Paychecks stretched thinner ➡️ Everyday essentials costing more ➡️ Less financial breathing room In other words, we're all taking a pay cut.

"I have spent years watching what happens in well-funded schools and what happens in underfunded ones. The difference is not effort or dedication. It is money, and where it comes from."

Hear firsthand from AFT Local 604 members in the East Aurora council how fully funding public education would directly improve the lives of their students.

If we want a state that truly works for everyone, we have to be honest about who benefits from the current system and who pays the price when public investment falls short.

Illinois’ public universities are being slowly starved—and students are paying the price. Years of chronic underfunding have led to program cuts, fewer faculty and staff, and rising tuition and fees at our public colleges and universities.

Working families are being squeezed while billionaires and big corporations keep getting a pass. There IS money to fully fund schools, healthcare, and services - if lawmakers choose the right priorities.

This powerful spotlight by IFT Membership Secretary John Miller lays out what’s really at stake in Illinois right now, and why educators and working people are right to speak up.

When classrooms are too large, students get less individual attention, educators are stretched thin, and learning suffers. Teachers know this because they live it every day. Students feel it because it shapes their experience in school.