My Final Reflections, Part 2: Don't Buy Into the Attacks

Dear IFT Member,

As we hold our IFT triennial convention this weekend, it is an exciting time when delegates representing members around the state will elect new officers to lead our union. It is also a time to be clear-eyed.

Groups with radically anti-union agendas have invested tens of millions of dollars to encourage the people of Illinois to resent teachers and our unions. For the most part, we’ve ignored them: Their biased, extremist messages don’t deserve attention. In reality, polls show that most parents support their children’s teachers and local schools.

But with the state budget debate coming up, you can count on groups like the Illinois Policy Institute (IPI)–Project 2025’s local branch–to use this moment to try to sow division, spread lies, and weaken us as we move ahead.

To silence them, we must build our solidarity, internally and with our partners. We must not allow these extremists to have an impact. These groups twist facts, try to divide us with old tropes on race and gender, and invest an enormous amount of money to be loud and visible online.

On Sunday, I will hand over the gavel to a new IFT leader. As I do so, please remember this: Our unity is our strength.

History proves that point. It was our solidarity in the IFT that secured a landmark Illinois Supreme Court victory against an unconstitutional pension overhaul and helped us weather the challenges of the Rauner years and the COVID-19 pandemic.

By standing shoulder-to-shoulder in Springfield, we stopped anti-union legislation designed to siphon resources from public education and funnel them into the hands of billionaires. And it was our unity that kept our union thriving, even in the face of Janus. None of these victories were handed to us; we fought for them and won against forces like IPI because we refused to be divided.

We are in a critical fight again now. And it’s not just us demanding the funding our students deserve from the state. On the other side, there are anti-union, anti-public-good forces advocating for the privatization of schools and public services through vouchers and other schemes. They will try to divide us by attacking our leaders and questioning their integrity.

We know better. We understand that their goal is not to improve education or services, but to quiet our voices and take away the power of educators and all working people. We will stand together, and they will fail—again.

As I step down, I know that I’m leaving IFT in a strong position. We are a union of diverse voices, rooted in values that uplift our students, professions, and communities. I will be excited to watch as our new leaders continue the IFT’s important work and ensure that every member of this union is seen and heard.

Today and into the future, together we are strong.

In solidarity,

Dan Montgomery, IFT President