Our Stories

Teachers at Ideal School in Countryside used SCORE grants to create their Maker Space project for students. The process was simple and rewarding.

Two teachers paired up with the Male Parent Advisory group at the school to take 14 at-risk students to the Indiana Dunes State Park for a weekend of fun, camping and hands-on learning.

Stories from proud IEA members.

Members of the IEA student program paired up with IEA retired members, local teachers and community members to redo the gym and landscaping at Lena-Winslow.

Every student needs an outlet and Flux Magazine provides a great one for students at Bartlett High School. It is a teen-generated art and literary magazine that will be printed this year, but it also has spurred poetry slams and other events that let kids’ creative juices flow.

In 2013-14, IEA introduced the SCORE grant program – Schools and Community Outreach by Educators – which offered IEA members in the first 10 years of their career a chance to apply for up to $1,000 in grant money to institute community service programs in their schools or communities. The…

Students at Thornwood High School hosted a day to celebrate math for junior high school students at feeder schools. The students were able to do math-related experiments, participate in hands-on projects and use technology to watch math leap off the page into life.

Once a week, Illinois Wesleyan University track and cross country team members go to Sheridan School to eat lunch with a group of fourth grade students, plan activities with them and play during the lunch hour. The students are hand picked by the school to participate. It is a great…

Schools and Community Outreach by Educators (SCORE) cash grants. The purpose of SCORE is to encourage early career members and their local associations to collaborate and create opportunities for community service projects or school projects.

Read Across Clinton is an annual free book giveaway event that received an IEA SCORE grant this past May. Recognizing the importance of summer reading, IEA members Therese Samp and Bethany Coffman, along with community members, held the all-day event at the Clinton Elementary School on May 21. Students grades…

IEA members do it for the students. Students drive us to do our best. We’ve passed meaningful reform and successfully fought off a variety of attacks, including several on our pensions. We are leaders. We are at the forefront and we need to keep up this good work. We are…

What does “service” mean to you? Here are some early career teachers sharing their thoughts.

A second grade teacher from Sandwich surprised no one more than herself and coworkers when she found out she was the ISBE 2014 Teacher of the Year. But there’s little question why. Pam Reilly is a natural born teacher who loves her students, has earned respect from her coworkers and…

A Monticello teacher started a science club that focuses on baking to help the students understand that science plays a role in real life. The food they make is then shared with first graders at neighboring schools and with local community organizations.

High risk pre-k program shows results at Tioga Elementary in Bensenville.

Sharron Richardson is a seventh and eighth grade science teacher from Deerfield who left corporate America to teach, a job that doesn’t pay as much but that is far, far more rewarding.

Washington Middle School in Springfield had a rough reputation and the test scores that reflected what was happening in the halls. Eight years ago, a new leader took over, a leader who believed that teachers have the power to change schools. And, they have. Test scores have increased every year,…