Gov. Pritzker Joins Illinois Education Leaders Amid Unprecedented Federal Attacks on Public Education
CHICAGO- Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined hundreds of representatives from the Illinois Education Association (IEA) including leadership, educators, state legislators, and stakeholders at the IEA Representative Assembly. Governor Pritzker delivered remarks summarizing the State’s education investments through his proposed FY26 budget, as well as underscoring the importance of defending public education as the Trump Administration works to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
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“Every student in every community from Cairo to Chicago, from Rockford to Champaign deserves a high-quality education taught by a well-paid teacher in a school with a library and a gym and a nurse and a social worker,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Education is either the foundation for nation’s future success, or if we fail, it can be our undoing. When we invest in our schools, we are building stronger communities, a more stable democracy, and a healthier economy.”
"In all my years as a public servant, I've never heard families say that the government pays too much attention to educating our children," said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. "The consequences of this recklessness will hit our most vulnerable students first - students with disabilities and students who need specialized education plans. We should all be ashamed of this moment in our history. But make no mistake: in Illinois, we don't play with people's lives; we work hard to make life better for everyone."
With over 135,000 members, the Illinois Education Association is the state’s largest union, representing teachers, education support professionals, higher education faculty and staff, retirees, and students. The theme of this year’s IEA Representative Assembly is “Let’s Grow,” emphasizing education as a unifying force that helps communities grow.
The Governor’s address to IEA comes amid the Trump Administration’s unprecedented effort to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education with widespread layoffs and threats to funding for states and schools across the nation. Recently, the Trump Administration terminated a $26.3 million contract with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) that would have enabled school districts to purchase high-quality, locally-grown, fresh food from Illinois farmers to use in meals and snacks.
Tonight, Governor Pritzker will also join the National Education Association’s virtual town hall meeting, where he will deliver brief remarks thanking education leaders and condemning the impending cuts to education funding from the federal government.
Since taking office, Governor Pritzker has:
Increased education funding:
- Added $2.1B to Evidence-Based-Funding since taking office, bringing the total funding level to $8.9B
- Improved number of districts under 60% adequacy from 168 to zero
- Increased funding for public universities and community colleges by over $340M or 18% since FY19
Supported teachers:
- Raised minimum teacher salary to $40,000
- Proposed a cell phone classroom ban to increase student engagement
- Funded the Teacher Vacancy Pilot program to target resources to the 20% of school districts experiencing 80% of chronically unfilled teaching positions
- Celebrated and defended teachers, including putting a ban on book bans
- In 2019, began allowing school districts to pay their student teachers.
Centered equity in education:
- Created over 11,000 new publicly funded preschool seats in the last two years alone through Smart Start Illinois, moving the state closer to eliminating preschool deserts by FY27. The state has increased the Early Childhood Block Grant at ISBE by over $250M since taking office.
- Increased MAP funding to record levels, ensuring that all Illinois students at or below median income can attend community college at no cost
- Since 2021, increased number of Latino teachers by 16%, the number of Black teachers by 8%, and the number of Asian teachers by 11%.
- Implemented the TEAACH Act ensuring that every public elementary and high school student in Illinois learns about the contributions of Asian Americans to the economic, cultural, social, and political development of the United States
- Launched the Inclusive and Affirming Schools Task Force to develop recommendations for making schools more welcoming for LGBTQIA students.
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