Send your legislator an SOS!
The Illinois budget crisis has morphed into a school crisis and human services crisis. See this report citing financially strapped districts statewide or check this Blog for a look at the politics of the budget. It is imperative that the Illinois raise revenues to get the state out of debt and back on track, Failing to raise revenue means school employees being laid off, school programs and activities eliminated, bigger class sizes and much more. In short, we are facing a disaster. Send your state senator and representative an email urging them to support HB 174 to Save Our Schools and Save Our ...
Lobby Day 2010
On April 21, 2010 we will be holding our Lobby Day at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. This is our opportunity to display our collective strength and to voice our concerns about the issues we care about directly to our legislators. To generate member participation in the Lobby Day in Springfield, IPACE and the Invest in Excellence team will be providing funding and logistical assistance to locals and regions that desire to travel via bus. Each regional office will have an office contact by the middle of February who will help locals and regions secure transportation to and from Springfield. ...
Featured
IEA: Pass education tax and comprehensive tax reform
March 10, 2010 -
IEA President Ken Swanson comments on Gov. Quinn’s budget address, delivered March 10, 2010. In his address, Gov. Quinn proposed a one percentage point state income tax surcharge, with the money... more
IEA Student Program pitches in
March 8, 2010 -
Twenty-three college students preparing to become teachers spent several hours Saturday at Springfield High School sprucing up the place in hopes of improving students’ learning environment. Formats... more
Illinois is a Race to the Top finalist (VIDEO)
March 4, 2010 -
On Thursday, Illinois, along with 15 other states and the District of Columbia, was named a finalist in the competition for $4 billion to be awarded through the federal Race to the Top program. Most of... more
ISBE says 13,000-plus education layoffs: Take Action!
March 4, 2010 -
Christopher Koch, Illinois’ school superintendent, told a Senate appropriations committee today that he believes there will be more than 13,000 layoffs in the upcoming year. This is no surprise to... more
March 1, 2010 -
For the first time ever, Gov. Pat Quinn has posted the state’s budget online and is looking for public comment. It is imperative that IEA members let the Governor and state legislators know how the... more
Grow Your Own teachers program rallies for funding
February 23, 2010 -
Grow Your Own teachers held a lively rally Tuesday in the state Capitol building, pushing the legislature to fully fund the $3.4 million program that encourages parents, school employees and community... more
Capitol Report
Capitol Report for March 5, 2010
March 5, 2010 -
The Capitol Buzz… Off to the races! Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Education named the 16 finalists in the first round of its “Race to the Top” competition, which will deliver $4.35 billion in school reform grants... more
Newswatch - Blog
Proposing tax plan is just a first step
March 11, 2010 -
Gov. Quinn’s proposal to raise the income tax by a single percentage point (3 to 4 %) has raised hopes that the massive RIF (reduction in force) notices that are being mailed to education employees throughout Illinois can be rescinded... more
SOS - blog
Taxes are not good, or bad, but they are necessary
March 9, 2010 -
Taxes are the way states pay for services provided in areas such as K-12 education, higher education, health care, care to the elderly and disabled, road repair, infrastructure and a host of other services. The economic recession has... more
