Illinois Federation of Teachers Releases Statement on the Adjournment of the 104th General Assembly

Westmont, IL – Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) President Dan Montgomery issued this statement following the adjournment of the 104th General Assembly and the passage of a Fiscal Year 2026 budget:

“We thank our members who sent emails, made phone calls, and took action over the past year to demand a fix to the state’s broken and unfair Tier 2 pension system. Despite those efforts and months of discussions with lawmakers about a path forward, a bill addressing critical improvements to Tier 2 did not get called for a vote. Passing a fix to Tier 2 would have given public employees like educators and state employees the retirement security they deserve and begin to address our state’s recruitment and retention issues. Instead, our elected leaders failed working people by continuing to ignore the harm Tier 2 does to those who serve our schools and communities. Not only is this frustrating for our members, but it’s inexcusable in the face of the staffing shortages we all feel across the state. And while we acknowledge progress on Tier 2, and we are proud of that work, we will not stop until we have a bill that improves retirement benefits for all Tier 2 members. We strongly urge lawmakers to keep working with us toward a solution that ensures public workers have what they need to retire with dignity. We will return to the legislature at the earliest opportunity to seek an equitable and rational Tier 2 fix.

“While the approved FY 26 budget maintains level spending on many priorities - a tough task especially in our current landscape - it doesn't reflect the urgency of our students’ needs, especially those in under-resourced communities. Our students in public schools deserve a bold, comprehensive investment, not another year of the status quo. Reducing Evidence Based Funding (EBF) falls short of what is needed to stay on track. At this slow pace, schools won’t be fully funded under EBF until 2042—a delay our students cannot afford. It’s also disappointing that the legislature did not fund the Virtual Instructional Coach program, which has helped teacher retention and significantly benefited many IFT members. And while this year’s budget makes some modest progress in funding public universities and community colleges, it falls short of what’s truly needed to support our students and institutions. We are encouraged to see continued support for MAP grants, which help make college more affordable for working families, but incremental gains are not enough to reverse years of disinvestment, nor to protect against continued uncertainty around federal funding. We will continue to fight for a higher education system that is fully funded, accessible, and equitable, and one that uplifts students, faculty, and staff across Illinois.

“We understand the chaos and uncertainty from federal policies are impacting state finances and will continue to do so. The budget process this year proves we need real, sustainable revenue solutions in order to continue our forward trajectory. The stagnant investment comes at a time when President Trump is aggressively attacking public education, pushing to defund critical programs like Title I and IDEA, gutting higher education supports, and dismantling the very systems that serve working-class students, students with disabilities, and communities of color. The risks are real and the impact on our most vulnerable students will be devastating.

“The IFT thanks our lawmakers for their work and appreciates those who collaborated with us this session. Our work continues to ensure Illinois remains in a strong economic position while supporting and funding the education and services Illinoisans deserve.”

The Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) represents 103,000 teachers and paraprofessionals in PreK-12 school districts throughout Illinois, faculty and staff at Illinois’ community colleges and universities, public employees under every statewide elected constitutional officer, and retirees.

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