Mendota Board of Education walks out of bargaining session, cancels Sunday’s bargaining session
Hundreds of community members, teachers, parents to rally on Sunday MENDOTA – After a few hours of bargaining, and before reaching a deal, the District 289 Board of Education (BOE) abruptly walked out of mediation with the Mendota Education Association (MEA) this afternoon. The two sides met for bargaining at 10 a.m. in…
With strike date looming, hundreds of teachers, community members and parents will wear #redfored, rally for a fair contract
ADDISON – The Addison Teachers’ Association (ATA) will be rallying with community members for a fair contract this evening. The rally comes two days before a possible strike. ATA filed its intent to strike notice with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) and could legally go on strike as early…
Episode 25: Ed Leaders Network
Listen on: iTunes | Google Play | Soundcloud In this episode we discuss a new professional development collaboration that we have with the Illinois Principals Association called Ed Leaders Network. Helpful links: Selfcare for Educators workshop Jan 25 Bloomington flier Ed Leaders Network Transcript Episode 25 – Transcript
IEA to represent Wood Dale teacher denied birth leave before Illinois Supreme Court
SPRINGFIELD – On Wed., Jan. 22, the Illinois Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Margaret Dynak vs. Board of Education Wood Dale School District 7. In June 2016, Westview Elementary School teacher and Illinois Education Association (IEA) member Dynak was told she could not use her birth leave to…
Wood Dale teacher sues school district after she has baby via surrogate and is denied birth leave
WOOD DALE – Staci Rafferty vs. Board of Education Wood Dale School District 7 will be heard in DuPage County Circuit Court on Fri., March 13. Rafferty is a special education teacher at Wood Dale Junior High School and an Illinois Education Association (IEA) member. In March 2019, the Wood Dale Board of Education denied…
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 remote…
Unions and Management Organizations Release Guidance for Teacher Evaluations
Joint Statement from the Illinois Education Association, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois Association of School Administrators, and the Illinois Principals Association on Guidance to Illinois Schools Districts on Managing Teacher Evaluation SPRINGFIELD – Illinois school districts will be working through the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for the foreseeable future.…
Greenville community comes together, sets up free childcare for educators during COVID-19
GREENVILLE – The Greenville Education Association (GEA) worked with Greenville First Christian Church and Greenville University to set up the Education Connection, which provides childcare for educators who work in Bond County Unit 2 School District. “If we didn’t do something, we’d have several teachers and other support staff who…
Avoca teachers hold rally for a fair contract, issue warning about programming cuts
WILMETTE – Tonight teachers and other supporters plan to gather at a safe social distance just before the Avoca School District 37 Board of Education (BOE) meeting to push for the best contract for students, educators and the community. “We fear that positions will be cut and program offerings will be…
2019-2020 SCORE Projects – Round 1
Community PartnershipsChester Education Association will sponsor an electronic waste recycling drive in cooperation with the city of Chester and Randolph County. A SCORE grant funded a similar event in 2018 resulting in the collection of more than 18,600 pounds of e-waste. Morris Elementary Education Association supported the purchase of a…
Dunlap teachers will call on Board of Education to responsibly spend taxpayer money, will virtually pack board meeting
PEORIA – Tonight, the Dunlap Education Association (DEA) will call for the Dunlap Community Unit School District 323 Board of Education (BOE) to responsibly spend taxpayer dollars instead of cutting millions from the budget, which could mean cutting 60 teachers from the district. “The district has the money to close…
Rockford Education Association will call on Board of Education to allow educators the choice to work from home
ROCKFORD – Tonight, the Rockford Education Association (REA) will call for the Rockford Public School District No. 205 Board of Education (BOE) to allow educators to choose whether they want to teach from their classrooms or from their homes. “The district finally did the reasonable thing and granted an adaptive…
IEA President Kathi Griffin congratulates State Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch on election as Speaker of the Illinois House
SPRINGFIELD – The following statement can be attributed to IEA President Kathi Griffin: “The Illinois Education Association would like to congratulate one of the top public education advocates in the Illinois General Assembly, and the 2018 recipient of the IEA Friend of Education Award, on his election as Speaker of…
Bourbonnais teachers, community members to rally as potential strike date looms
BOURBONNAIS – The Bourbonnais Education Association (BEA) will be hosting a rally today at 4:30 p.m. The BEA can legally go on strike as soon as this Fri., Feb. 19. Tonight, following the rally, the BEA has its last negotiation session with the Bourbonnais Elementary School District 53 Board of Education…
Illinois Education Association Statement on Governor Pritzker’s 2021 Budget Address
SPRINGFIELD – The following statement is attributable to Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin: “We appreciate that the governor is willing to look at a variety of ways to continue the state’s funding obligations by closing tax loopholes rather than increasing taxes on all struggling families and we urge state…
Adlai E. Stevenson High School teachers recommend candidates for District 125 school board elections
LINCOLNSHIRE– The Adlai E. Stevenson High School Education Association (AESHSEA) announced its support for three candidates in the April 6 election. The AESHSEA recommends Steve Frost, Fei Shang and Gary Gorson for the District 125 School Board election. The following statement is attributable to AESHSEA President Jason Carlson: “We believe…
Illinois Education Association-backed FMLA expansion bill heads to Senate floor
SPRINGFIELD – House Bill 12 passed out of committee and is now poised for passage in the Senate. The legislation was drafted by the Illinois Education Association (IEA) and would expand coverage of the Family and Medical Leave Act to thousands of education support professionals across the state. “This bill…
Illinois Education Association-backed FMLA passes Senate heads to Governor for final approval
SPRINGFIELD – House Bill 12 (HB 12) passed the Senate. The bill now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk for his signature. The legislation was drafted by the Illinois Education Association (IEA) and sponsored by Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-Lombard). HB 12 expands coverage of the Family and Medical Leave…
Harvey, Dolton and South Holland Teachers Call for Changes to Address Recent Increase in School Violence
DOLTON – Members of the Faculty Association of District 205 (FAD205), the union representing Thornton, Thornwood and Thornridge High School educators, were denied the opportunity to speak at the District 205 School Board Meeting this evening. FAD205 President Dwayne Bearden requested to speak, so he could call for changes to help…
Governor signs bill that supports COVID-19 administrative days and paycheck protection support (HB 1167)
SPRINGFIELD – Today, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill 1167 (HB 1167), a negotiated bill, that allows vaccinated teachers and support staff in Illinois schools the ability to take COVID-19 related days off, without penalty, to care for themselves and their children and makes this benefit retroactive to the beginning…