The Weekly Roundup | 5/16/25
- IFT
- 11 minutes ago
- 2 min read
America’s unions are joining together to call on government to put families first, as federal and statewide processes are underway to pass legislation and budgets before looming deadlines arrive.
THREE ITEMS ON OUR RADAR
Illinois legislators have a few more weeks to pass bills and a budget
Bills are still moving through committee this week, as they get tweaked and finalized before moving to the floor for a vote. IFT legislative directors have been lobbying about issues that matter to our members, including fixing Tier 2 and making changes to teacher evaluations. Budget talks are ramping up and as legislators reach bills' third reading deadlines next week, we will keep you updated on action from the State Capitol.
Negotiations continue in harmful GOP Budget Reconciliation bill
The Trump administration and most Republicans in Congress are pushing a multitrillion-dollar bill that threatens essential programs, raises costs on families, and steals from the most vulnerable. Though it’s still being negotiated after GOP committee members failed to reach consensus this week, the latest reading includes historic cuts to SNAP that put millions of kids at risk of losing food assistance, transfers $20 million of taxpayer dollars from public education to a voucher scheme, threatens higher education affordability and opportunities (from Chicago State to Southern Illinois), and massively cuts funding for healthcare and Medicaid. Meanwhile, the bill hands major tax cuts to the ultrawealthy, expands tax loopholes for corporations and the ultrawealthy, adds trillions to the national debt, and restricts any regulations on Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) for 10 years.
Changes are coming to Illinois’ testing system
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) will move ahead with a process to change the state’s testing system. According to ISBE President Tony Sanders, “Our system unfairly mislabels students as ‘not proficient’ when other data — such as success in advanced coursework and enrollment in college — tell a very different story.” The process will include creating new “cut scores,” or the lowest score needed for a student to be sorted into broad categories of achievement on state assessments. In a Chalkbeat Chicago article, IFT Director of Professional Issues Monique Redeaux-Smith, said the union is not opposed to changing the cut scores, but are concerned about the weight placed on state standardized assessments: “What teachers do in the classroom is more valuable because they’re actually seeing students explain. They’re actually seeing students show their work. They’re actually able to see where students might be getting stuck in their understanding.”
PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK
We’ll have more news from Springfield next week as bills make it to the floor and head toward a vote.
Today is the last day to register for Great Lakes Union Leadership Institute! Learn more and register NOW to attend this dynamic training for union leaders! Registration for AFT’s TEACH Conference has been extended to May 28.
