All eyes were on Springfield as Gov. JB Pritzker gave his annual budget address on Wednesday. The speech was also a rebuke of President Trump’s actions to date, a sentiment that was echoed throughout Illinois communities this week as people came together to fight Trump’s national agenda.
We are monitoring developments that affect our members and will continue to share regular updates, what your unions and legislators are doing in response, and how you can join the fight to protect our students, schools, and professions.
TOP THREE ITEMS ON OUR RADAR
Governor Pritzker’s Budget Address and IFT’s Response
On Wednesday, elected officials gathered for Governor Pritzker’s State of the State and Budget Address. Highlights include full payments into the state’s pension systems, a $350 million increase to evidence-based funding for K-12 education, $45 million towards the final year of the Teacher Vacancy Grant Pilot Program, and a 3% increase for public universities and community colleges. Even so, these measures will still not bring full equity to our schools and institutions. You can read IFT’s response here, in which we note that fixing Tier 2 pensions was not addressed. While we appreciate the governor’s steady leadership in a time of uncertainty, we assess there’s also room to improve – and we will not stop fighting for fully funded education and retirement security for all our members. So will our union coalition.
Illinoisans Stand Up Together Against Trump’s Harmful Cuts
This week, people came together to sound the alarm about President Trump’s DOGE cuts, which have already begun hurting our communities and stoking fear. IFT President Dan Montgomery joined labor leaders and congressional legislators in Chicago to discuss how we can push back. In Fairview Heights, Representative Nikki Budzinski held a round table with IFT to educate the community on how these cuts, and the dismantling of the Department of Education will impact them. On Wednesday, UIC United Faculty joined a nationwide protest on federal cuts that threaten critical research and student opportunities at universities. The overall theme: We will keep pushing back on Trump policies that harm working people and steal our tax dollars to benefit billionaires.
REGISTER BELOW
ISBE Responds to the Department of Education
ducators were alarmed across the nation when President Trump threatened to cut off funding for any schools or universities who maintain “DEI” programs. The Department of Education sent a letter to colleagues, including our state board of education (ISBE), echoing that threat as well. ISBE Superintendent Tony Sanders responded that nothing in this letter stops Illinois educators from teaching inclusive history, and that in Illinois, we’ll "affirm, uplift, and support all our students and their families.” Thank you, Supt. Sanders. And remember, this attack on DEI is not a legitimate critique of programs. It is meant to divide us, disparage civil rights advances over the last several decades, and fuel anti-Black racism in our country. Don’t let it.
PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK
In Illinois, legislators will be working in committees on the current bills in motion. Mark your calendars: Wednesday, February 26: DePaul is hosting a forum on the Trump Administration Plan for Education, and IFT’s own UPID Director Dr. Monique Redeaux-Smith is on the panel. Learn more and register to join. Meanwhile, IFT leaders are preparing to march forth on March Fourth – learn more and sign up for this national Day of Action.
Oh, and BTW, Denmark has responded to Trump’s pursuit of Greenland with a real estate plan of their own.