Stacy Davis Gates’ tenure as president of the Chicago Teachers Union and Illinois Federation of Teachers has been riddled with scandals. Now, fewer than 1-in-3 Chicagoans have a favorable opinion of the union.
The majority of IFT’s spending is not on representing teachers, according to its own reports. Teachers can opt out of the union during August.
Educators can join thousands of their colleagues and opt out of union membership — and retain all benefits provided in their contract.
The union embraces political spending tactics the Chicago Teachers Union uses in an effort to further its political goals.
IFT represents educators in more than 200 districts across Illinois. But teachers’ zip codes dictate how much support they actually get from the union.
Of its own officers and employees, 83 made over $100,000.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has an opportunity to help Illinois students pay for educational resources — at no cost to the state.
The social media tax in the city’s 2026 budget already faces a lawsuit.
Teacher contracts expire this year in at least 60 districts represented by the Illinois Federation of Teachers — run by CTU President Stacy Davis Gates.
The union helped push a state constitutional amendment in 2022 that allows its contracts to override state law.
The union wanted to raise dues as much as $800 a year to pay for its leaders’ political activities.
School will be in session despite the Chicago Teachers Union’s relentless efforts to push students out of school and leverage labor for political gains.