Westmont -- Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) President Dan Montgomery released the following statement after Governor J.B. Pritzker announced there would be no more in-person instruction for the remainder of the year due to COVID-19:
“We applaud Governor Pritzker‘s bold and compassionate leadership during these difficult times. Closing school buildings for the rest of the year is the right thing to do. As we have seen, no one is immune to COVID-19 and this will ensure the safety of our teachers, staff, students, and community. "Under these difficult circumstances and with limited resources, educators have been doing what they love – teaching and engaging our children remotely while adjusting to the new normal. As this pandemic has made abundantly clear, there are vast economic, educational and healthcare disparities existing in our poorest communities, especially in our Black and Brown communities. Many of our students lack laptops and internet access, which prevents them from learning. This is compounded with economic insecurity. As educators and unionists, we remain committed to working with our members, elected officials, and policy advocates to address these inequalities and level the playing field for our working and lower-income students and families. "Local unions and members of the Illinois Federation of Teachers will support students and their families in every way possible during this time."
The Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) represents 103,000 teachers and paraprofessionals in PreK-12 school districts throughout Illinois, faculty and staff at Illinois’ community colleges and universities, public employees under every statewide elected constitutional officer, and retirees.
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