Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin highlights importance of community metrics, safety measures in Gov. JB Pritzker’s press conference on face coverings
SPRINGFIELD – Today, Gov. JB Pritzker held a news conference in Chicago in which he announced a proposal he will introduce to the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules to give local law enforcement and public health departments more options when trying to enforce mandates on face coverings...
Orland Park, Palos Hills and Tinley Park District 230 teachers push to start school year with remote learning, will hold car caravan to highlight unanswered questions
ORLAND PARK – Orland Park, Palos Hills and Tinley Park educators plan to take their concerns about the start of the new school year to the public. At 10 a.m. today, teachers from the District 230 Teachers’ Association (TA) plan to caravan in cars, calling for the adoption of...
Medical review panel will determine whether school districts are opening safely
SPRINGFIELD – Today, the Illinois Education Association (IEA) and the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP) announced a medical review panel that will determine if school district re-opening plans are safe for students, staff and communities. The panel, which will consist of more than a dozen doctors,...
Hinsdale teachers push to start school year with hybrid learning plan, will hold socially-distanced rally to highlight unanswered questions
CLARENDON HILLS – Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills educators plan to take their concerns about the start of the new school year to the public ahead of a special Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 Board of Education (BOE) meeting tonight. At noon today, teachers plan to stand six feet...
Joint statement from the Illinois Education Association and the Illinois Federation of Teachers on the start of the school year and enforcement of back-to-school plans, including health and safety strikes
SPRINGFIELD – The following is a joint statement from Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin and Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery: “Together, the Illinois Education Association and Illinois Federation of Teachers represent 238,000 employees in public and private schools, colleges and universities in the state of Illinois and...
Plainfield Teachers releases statement after District 202 Board of Education votes to start school with remote learning
PLAINFIELD – The Association of Plainfield Teachers President Dawn Bullock released the following statement tonight after the Plainfield School District 202 board voted to approve full remote learning to start the school year: “Tonight the Plainfield School District 202 board members decided to do what’s best for the health and...
Plainfield teachers push to start school year remotely, plan to surround district office with questions
PLAINFIELD – Plainfield educators plan to take their questions about the start of the new school year to the public and to the Plainfield School District 202 administrative offices. Thursday morning, teachers plan to stand six feet apart, wearing masks and holding signs with questions they’d like the Plainfield...
Teachers’ union plans to pursue legal action after local teacher fired
NEW BERLIN – The Illinois Education Association (IEA) will file an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) against the New Berlin School District after Joe Kindred, the former New Berlin Education Association (NBEA) president, teacher and baseball coach, was fired. The IEA also is challenging the disciplinary action taken...
MEDIA ADVISORY: Illinois Education Association to make announcement regarding fired New Berlin teacher Joe Kindred
WHO: Illinois Education Association (IEA) President Kathi Griffin will join New Berlin Education Association (NBEA) members and supporters to make an important announcement regarding fired New Berlin teacher and former NBEA President Joe Kindred. WHEN: Wed., July 22 at 2 p.m. WHERE: Today’s announcement will take place virtually on Zoom. NOTE: To receive details for...
City Colleges Faculty stand up against program cuts that will negatively impact Black and Brown students
CHICAGO – Today, City Colleges of Chicago faculty members will rally at Kennedy-King College to fight cuts to popular degree programs at campuses across the city. These cuts have predominately impacted Black, Brown and immigrant student populations. Budget discussions for next fiscal year are currently underway at City Colleges. “This is...
Illinois Education Association releases statement on the need for safe in-person instruction in schools
SPRINGFIELD – Today, the Illinois Education Association (IEA) President Kathi Griffin released the following statement encouraging school districts that are planning to have in-person instruction to do it safely by meeting these standards, or consider remote learning: “The Illinois Education Association believes, as do health experts, that it would be...
Community members, teachers plan to pack school board meeting, ask board members to give baseball coach his job back
NEW BERLIN – Several parents, community members and teachers all plan to speak in support of recently dismissed teacher and former New Berlin Education Association President Joe Kindred at the New Berlin School District 16 Board of Education (BOE) meeting tonight. At its last board meeting on July 25,...
MEDIA ADVISORY: Community rally in support of New Berlin teachers
WHAT: Community rally to support the New Berlin Education Association (NBEA) WHEN: Thurs., July 2, 6 p.m. WHERE: New Berlin High School (300 W. Ellis, New Berlin) NOTE: Community members, students, parents and teachers are expected to gather in support of New Berlin teachers. Former high school math teacher and baseball coach Joe Kindred was...
New Berlin Board of Education retaliates against teachers’ union
NEW BERLIN – Today New Berlin Education Association (NBEA) Co-President Tonya Delaney released a statement denouncing the actions of the New Berlin Community School District 16 Board of Education (BOE) vote to suspend NBEA Co-President Joe Kindred and to move toward terminating Kindred. The BOE made the decision during its...
Illinois Federation of Teachers and Illinois Education Association Reacts to ISBE’s In-Person Instruction Guidelines
Today, IFT President Dan Montgomery and Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin released a joint statement in response to ISBE’s 2020-21 school year transition plan SPRINGFIELD - The following is a joint statement attributable to Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) President Dan Montgomery and Illinois Education Association (IEA) President Kathi...
New poll shows Illinois parents have exceptional view of public educators
First education-related COVID-19 poll reveals parents are more concerned about their child’s education than financial issues, access to food and social distancing SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Education Association (IEA) today released poll results showing the COVID-19 school building closures have given Illinois parents a greater appreciation for all school employees, from...
District 205 educators’ unions organize massive snack giveaway for students in need
DOLTON – The Faculty Association of District 205 (FAD205) in conjunction with the Union of Support Staff (USS) will be giving a truckload of chips, pretzels and other snacks away to students in the South Suburbs again today. The snacks will be handed out in addition to the meals...
Statement of IEA President Kathi Griffin on deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubery and Breonna Taylor
SPRINGFIELD – Please attribute the statement below to IEA President Kathi Griffin, in regard to the recent deaths of George Floyd while being taken into custody this week by Minneapolis police; Breonna Taylor, who was sleeping in bed in Louisville, Ky., when police burst in to serve a warrant...
Message from IEA President Kathi Griffin
IEA Member Colleagues, I hope this message continues to find you and your loved ones in good health. I wrote to you last week to tell you about our three goals for last week’s legislative session: Protecting and maintaining state support for public education at all levels so our students...
IEA pushes for, helps pass legislation to protect students, educators, public schools during COVID-19 pandemic
SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Education Association (IEA) worked with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, the governor’s office and other education stakeholders to ensure, regardless of the coronavirus pandemic, schools will be provided adequate state funding for public education. The budget bill passed both chambers late Saturday and...
