IL Federation of Teachers

Check out the options and sign up now: ift-aft.org/post/new-profe….

Spring professional development opportunities are starting soon and you can still sign up! The courses are offered with virtual options as well as both synchronous and asynchronous teaching so that you can get the PD credits you need, at a time that works for you.

This is what underfunding looks like up close, and it's not sustainable, for teachers or students. Read more: news.gallup.com/poll/702599/on….

Gallup’s latest data shows financial strain isn’t the exception: it’s the norm. According to Gallup, 21% of K‑12 teachers are financially struggling, & more than half say they’re just scraping by. Many are taking on second jobs or exiting the profession early due to instability.

HB4416, the Unemployment Equity Act, has passed the Labor Committee! Thank you to all who came to Springfield today, filled out witness slips, spoke at our union rally, testified in committee, & lobbied lawmakers! IFT is #PSRPstrong & we will keep fighting to see this through!

Join us: bit.ly/4bcPLlr

Tomorrow, PSRPs from across Illinois will come together in Springfield to share their stories about working in schools and what happens when their paychecks stop every summer.  We believe the people who keep our schools running deserve stability and dignity at work - year round.

IFT Executive Vice President Cyndi Oberle-Dahm and IEA President Karl Goeke: As Governors Take a Stand for Public Schools, Pritzker Hesitates While Mendoza Backs Privatization Scheme  bit.ly/4suA293

Teaching has become a career shaped by fear, vigilance, and unacknowledged trauma, with educators asked to do the impossible: educate, protect, and heal - sometimes all at once. Read more in this powerful report by Marie Claire: bit.ly/41f3ovV.

For those educators who have survived school gun violence, the fear and trauma last forever. The emotional labor of coming back to teach every day must only be fueled by the love they have for their profession and their hope for their students.

For many educators, going to work means managing fear, scanning exits, rehearsing unthinkable choices, and then standing in front of children as if none of that exists.

Themes this year include the following: 🧑‍🏫 March 24: The Whole Educator, The Whole Student  🔋 March 25: The Power of Core Subjects 📱 March 26: Teaching in a Digital World Register: sharemylesson.com/community/vc20….

At the conference, you'll learn the latest strategies, resources and research to support educator and student wellness, strengthen core instruction, and foster innovation in today’s classrooms.

The 2026 Share My Lesson Virtual Conference offers free, for-credit professional development for PreK–12 classroom teachers, aides, paraprofessionals, school-related personnel, specialized instructional support staff, higher education faculty, and parents and caregivers.

This week, we're coming together to show why PSRPs deserve stability, fairness, and solutions for the summer income gap.  Because summer shouldn't be a struggle. Learn more and register to join us: bit.ly/4bcPLlr

No paycheck all summer long. That's the reality for thousands of paraprofessionals and school-related personnel, and it takes a toll. PSRPs do essential work, but face unnecessary instability during academic breaks.

AFT President Randi Weingarten's new column contrasts Trump's failed economic promises and policies with work that unions like the AFT are doing to actually have the backs of working people. Check it out ⤵️ aft.org/column/america…

Learn more and register - courses start in April! ift-aft.org/post/new-profe….

These courses, on a wide range of topics, will help educators meet the diverse and evolving needs of our students and communities. They are being offered virtually with both synchronous and asynchronous options to accommodate the demands of your schedule.

⭐ PD Opportunity Alert! ⭐ The IFT is partnering the CTUF Quest Center to provide more professional development options for members.