Political Action Committee (PAC)

Every education decision is a political decision. Elected officials control technology funding, class sizes, curriculum and course content, textbook approval, the length of the school year, teacher and staff salaries, medical benefits, continuing education and certification requirements, retirement pensions, due process rights, special education rules, funding, and many other critical matters.

The Illinois Federation of Teachers Political Action Committee's (PAC) strength isn’t in big money. Our strength is in the commitment of our members.

How does the PAC recommendation process work?

The purpose of the PAC recommendation process is to identify, select and support those legislative candidates who share the Committee’s commitment to the advancement of public education in Illinois.

Candidates who earn a PAC recommendation receive critical organizational and financial support, as well as a statewide network of members.

The PAC recommendation procedure is a democratic process by which local IFT members determine which candidates will get a PAC recommendation.

Candidate questionnaire and interview:

Candidates and incumbents in each legislative district are mailed a questionnaire that asks for the candidate’s views on various educational issues. Questionnaires are returned and the region PAC representative schedules recommendation interviews with each candidate individually in a convenient location.

The interview:

The region PAC representative, who serves as the chair and facilitator of the interview process, invites interested IFT members living in the legislative district of each candidate to attend the interview.

The vote:

After all candidates are interviewed in a legislative district, all PAC-contributing members attending the interview are given a secret ballot and asked to decide whether any candidate will be recommended.

Votes are tallied and the candidate who receives the highest number of votes is recommended to PAC.

PAC reviews the recommendations and makes decisions about the level of financial support each recommended candidate receives.

Recommended candidates decide when and how to announce their PAC recommendation.