PREVENTING MASS VIOLENCE BY INCREASING STUDENT SERVICES IN SCHOOLS RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) should urge the proposal and passage of legislation that would provide funding for every public school in Illinois to recruit and retain counselors, psychologists, social workers, and other licensed professionals to assist students with mental health concerns; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT should urge the proposal and passage of legislation that would amend the School Code to reduce student-to-staff ratios for counselors, psychologists, and social workers and to amend the School Code to make those ratios mandatory, rather than simply recommended; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT should urge the proposal and passage of legislation that would offer incentives for the attainment of licensure in counseling, psychology, and social work at public institutions of higher learning in Illinois with a minimum of cost to the prospective clinicians, contingent upon employment in public schools in Illinois; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will assist its locals in advocating for increased staffing and wraparound services for students through collective bargaining and involvement in school board elections; and be it finally RESOLVED, this resolution be submitted to the American Federation of Teachers for its adoption.

KEEPING STUDENTS SAFE WITH COMMON SENSE GUN SAFETY RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) supports and advocates for solutions in Illinois that treat rampant gun violence as the public health crisis that it is, including but not limited to the expansion of background checks, red flag laws, more stringent licensure requirements, the elimination of the gun show loophole, bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, "ghost guns," safe storage laws, and any other measure that does not conflict with an Illinoisian’s desire to lawfully own guns for hunting or self-defense; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will vehemently oppose wrong-headed and counterproductive policy ideas like arming faculty and staff; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT demands a safe and protected environment for students and educators in schools and supports more funding for mental health services, school psychologists, social workers, school counselors, and other school support personnel so trained professionals have a better chance of identifying a student in crisis and intervening before tragedy strikes; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will partner with locals to provide member-driven mental health and trauma training for all staff; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will support locals in working collaboratively with their districts to ensure crisis plans are well thought out and address such topics as strong, timely communication with staff and families, how to respond to incidents of gun violence that occur on school property or in the community, and how to work with community partners to reduce gun violence in general; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will work to reduce the disproportionate influence of the National Rifle Association and the National Shooting Sports Foundation at the state level through such measures as pension fund divestment and lobbying; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT expresses the union’s sorrow and solidarity for the communities victimized by mass shootings and unequivocally condemns racism or any violent ideology behind such acts of terror; and be it finally RESOLVED, the 100,000+ members of the IFT refuse to be silent any longer and will take it upon themselves to end this public health crisis.

OPPOSITION TO THE WAR IN UKRAINE RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) opposes Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and expresses support for our Ukrainian academic colleagues and their students wherever they may be in the world; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT proposes that the state of Illinois require automatic admission at an Illinois public university with in-state tuition rates for all students displaced due to political or religious violence; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT proposes that Illinois public universities work with Ukrainian universities either through joint agreements or through acceptance of course credit to assist Ukrainian students to successfully complete their degrees; and be it finally RESOLVED, the IFT will also strive to provide whatever support it reasonably can to students in conflict zones around the globe, regardless of location.

SUPPORTING CAMPUS WORKERS RESOLVED, the IFT supports a change in Illinois law and/or policy that would make all student workers, including graduate employees and assistants, eligible for SNAP and unemployment benefits no matter how many hours they work each week; and be it further RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) provides solidarity and support for other campus workers, including student workers; and be it finally RESOLVED, the IFT works to organize the affected workers who are eligible.

DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION REFORM: ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) asserts that students are not more likely to succeed if they are given fewer opportunities to do so, particularly first-generation, low-income, minority, under-resourced students who comprise the Developmental Education (Dev Ed) student population, and the IFT supports differentiated Dev Ed programming that suits the individual needs of all students; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT rejects the elimination of all Dev Ed courses that are replaced only by co-requisite courses (in which students are placed directly into college-level courses with a support course and are eligible for all college-level course work) and promotes an approach of BOTH innovative Dev Ed courses AND co-requisite courses, thereby meeting the needs of all students; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT supports co-requisite courses along with measures to ensure student success, such as class sizes of 20 students and resources for ample student support, including embedded tutors, mentors, and targeted advising, and resources for ongoing, collaborative, faculty-determined and led professional development for all faculty across the state; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT rejects any proposed changes that would implement hierarchical single measures in a “placement profile” instead of authentic holistic multiple measures (more than one single measure) which provide a more accurate and thoughtful means of placement; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT asserts high school grade point average as a single placement measure is inappropriate and harmful to many students because it is only a proxy of actual reading, writing, and mathematical skills and because there is significant variation of grades across districts; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT asserts that any English placement exam must be directly guided by the six best practices in the field for English placement: 1) true multiple measures for a more accurate assessment; 2) literacy-based assessment; 3) assessment by faculty at the institution and assessment co-relating to course sequence; 4) multiple opportunities for writing; 5) respect for and identification of English language learner/multilingual learner students; and 6) post-placement diagnostic tests; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT supports that any math placement exam must be directly guided by the best practices in the field of mathematics; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT supports free tuition for all Dev Ed courses to ensure that true equity is maintained for student success, thereby directly supporting the true open access mission of community colleges; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT supports that the autonomy of local institutions and the expertise of faculty must be respected and must govern policy making in higher education; faculty must have an active voice in all rooms where decisions are being made; and be it finally RESOLVED, the IFT supports the use of quantitative and qualitative data over the long-term to assess the success of Dev Ed and placement policies and to make appropriate changes to these policies as needed.

NAVIGATING OUR FUTURE TO ENSURE POST PANDEMIC RECOVERY RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) continues to encourage the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), and the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) to promote collaboration and impact bargaining between school districts, colleges, universities, and public employers and the unions representing public educators and workers as the pandemic continues; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will advocate for ISBE, ICCB, and IBHE to encourage school districts, colleges, universities, and public employers to create joint health and safety committees, together with the unions representing public educators and public workers, to address physical and mental health and safety; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will work with ISBE, ICCB, IBHE, and legislators to advocate for state and federal funding to improve and update heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in public schools and universities and increase the use of green technology in buildings and classrooms; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will lobby for additional state funding to enable educational institutions to provide competitive compensation for additional full-time union workers serving as school counselors, therapists, and social workers across Pre-Kindergarten through 20 (PreK-20) schools to support students and employees; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will promote the American Federation of Teachers “Para-Teacher Relationship” training and encourage local participation; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will advocate for PreK-20 schools to provide group communication platforms, including language translation and interpretation support, for education professionals to be able to quickly communicate with parents and/or students without adding an unpaid burden on staff for language translation and interpretation; and be it finally RESOLVED, the IFT will continue to promote its vision for sustainable community schools and increased communication and engagement with locals, parents, and students as part of living with or recovering from the pandemic.

PAID DAYS OFF DURING EMERGENCY CLOSURES RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers supports a change in Illinois law and/or policy that would require universities, community colleges, and state agencies to close during announced city, county, and/or state declarations of winter emergencies, require compensation of non-essential workers on such emergency closure days, and require appropriate additional compensation for essential employees.

RECRUITING AND RETAINING EDUCATORS AMIDST A TEACHER SHORTAGE RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) will advocate for policies that address underlying causes that contribute to teachers, paraprofessionals, and school-related professionals leaving the profession, including a lack of administrative support, lack of training, loss of creativity and autonomy, large class sizes, over-reliance on testing and data, lack of early career support, and instability of retirement systems, including Tier II pensions; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will be a leader in advocating for higher salary and pay for both new and existing educators, especially in order for educational jobs to be competitive compared to private sector work; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will advocate to fully fund induction and mentoring programs, such as the Virtual Instructional Coach program, and encourage locals to work with districts to develop local-based programs; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT and local unions will work to educate and bring clarity on how to properly implement the policies of Senate Bill 100, especially at the state board and legislature level; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT and local unions are encouraged to work with district administrators to understand the stress and the impact of the pandemic on students, staff, and administration, as well as to work collaboratively to design strategies to alleviate it; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will work with locals who seek school-wide training for all staff, such as the IFT’s Union Response to Students’ Stress and Trauma, in order to more effectively build relationships and support students and families; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will encourage locals to work with districts to create spaces within school buildings that provide students and staff the opportunity to de-stress and lessen anxiety through self-care practices; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT and its locals will work within communities to elevate the teaching profession; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will foster and lead the development of legislative advocates to address teacher recruitment and retention issues; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT and locals are encouraged to advocate for policies, programs, and funding, such as affordable higher education, loan forgiveness, appropriate Monetary Award Program funding, programs to recruit second career candidates, and Grow Your Own Teachers as tools to reduce the teacher shortage; and be it finally RESOLVED, the IFT will provide this resolution to the State Superintendent, the chair of the Illinois State Board of Education, the leadership of both parties in the General Assembly, the chairs of education committees in both the Illinois House and Senate, and the Governor.

STOP THE HARM CAUSED BY THE PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC SERVICES RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) continues to strongly oppose the privatization of employees, educators, and staff in all Illinois school districts, local and state governments, and public colleges and universities; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT continues to strongly oppose any legislation designed to privatize public services at all levels of government; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT advocates that state funds, such as Monetary Award Program grants, be ineligible for use at private for-profit universities; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT continues to work with locals to support and prepare members to educate the public and policymakers about the true nature of their work and the benefits of public jobs in their communities; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT supports locals in resisting attempts to normalize the privatization of services that were instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will endorse candidates who are opposed to privatizing public education and public services; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT encourages locals to appoint representatives to their respective Central Labor Councils to build relationships locally with trade unions and strengthen local efforts to oppose privatization of public education and public services; and be it finally RESOLVED, the IFT advocates for school districts, local and state governments, and public colleges and universities to adopt hiring practices which ensure that employees are representative of the community in which they are serving.

NON-REAPPOINTMENT OF NON-TENURE TRACK FACULTY AT ILLINOIS PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers supports legislation to bring the non- reappointment of Illinois public university non-tenure track faculty into alignment with current law governing non-reappointment of community college non-tenure track faculty, mandating that notification of non-reappointment come no later than 60 days before the end of a faculty member’s contract or appointment, and that upon request, those not reappointed receive the reasons for non-reappointment in writing.

INVESTING IN ILLINOIS’ KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12 CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) advocates for these goals, which were identified by the IFT Career and Technical Education (CTE)/Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Constituency Council, and are aligned with the recommendations of the Governor’s Future of Work Task Force, at all levels, including district, regional, Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), and state legislature to establish and increase secure funding streams and resources for public high schools and community college CTE programs, with an eye to neglected rural and urban areas, by streamlining Perkins Grant accessibility, identifying local and private sector partnerships/opportunities, identifying additional resources for developing green and climate technologies, identifying scholarships, aligning CTE programs with the National Apprenticeship Act, reinvesting in CTE and vocational education programs, promoting labor partnerships in public schools, developing the potential of all Illinois youth by emphasizing investments in career pathways programs in public high schools in impoverished communities, and promoting the creation of regional technical education centers throughout the state; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT advocates for these goals, which were identified by the IFT CTE/STEM Constituency Council, and are aligned with the recommendations of the Governor’s Future of Work Task Force, at all levels, including district, regional, ISBE, and state legislature to develop a communications and marketing plan for CTE/technical education/vocational education by promoting and marketing CTE programs into careers in technical fields and union jobs, increasing CTE/technical education career counselors and teachers for middle and high school students, promoting new and developing green and climate technologies, developing relationships with industry and employers, developing CTE cross-system alignments, developing partnerships with Central Labor Councils and community colleges, and establishing a concurrent and post-pandemic image of CTE, such as preliminary training opportunities, school to workforce options, and great paying careers; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT advocates for these goals, which were identified by the IFT CTE/STEM Constituency Council, and are aligned with the recommendations of the Governor’s Future of Work Task Force, at all levels, including district, regional, ISBE, and state legislature to provide academic supports by revising and expanding the academic supports afforded CTE teachers and programs, creating cross-curricular CTE/core courses for teaching, re-teaching and remediating, establishing defined CTE transition programs, developing new programs related to climate and green jobs, providing job coaches for CTE programs, and increasing the support provided to special and vulnerable populations in CTE; therefore be it finally RESOLVED, the IFT, its affiliates’ and locals’ pursuit of these goals shall occur at all levels, including district, regional, ISBE, and state legislature.

REAFFIRMING OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY, INCLUSIVITY, AND ANTIRACISM RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) and its local unions do reaffirm our commitment to equity, inclusivity, and antiracism through the 2022 IFT Convention and beyond by continuing to raise awareness and building solidarity by prioritizing the work of the Organizational Equity and Inclusion(OE&I) Task Force; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT OE&I Task Force will continue its important work through the next convention with new, specific goals that include the creation of the following: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Emerging Leaders Cohort for IFT members, BIPOC affinity space for members for social and emotional support, a youth advisory board to center student and youth voices, and a cohort group to provide mentoring and professional development opportunities for BIPOC members; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT and its local unions will continue to strongly advocate for more diversity, inclusivity, equity, and transformative justice by engaging members in professional development and/or learning opportunities aimed specifically at understanding the role of race and racism in society, the ways in which this impacts all members and their union, and ways to use our union power to collectively dismantle systems of oppression through antiracist practices and processes; helping to identify,support, and encourage BIPOC members to apply for the Emerging Leaders Cohort; examining their leadership bodies, such as executive boards, organizing committees, bargaining teams, and grievance committees, and developing ways to diversify these so that members from traditionally marginalized groups are represented and have decision-making power; and working to build partnerships and coalitions with youth, parent, and community organizations that share our core values and are actively engaging in transformative, antiracist work; and be it further RESOLVED, by codifying these initiatives the IFT will ensure that these efforts become ingrained in the fabric of our union; and be it finally RESOLVED, the IFT and its local unions will continue to work to ensure that its leadership, decision-making structures, and staff reflect the diversity of its members and community.

INCLUSIVE MANUFACTURING EDUCATION AND TRAINING RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) supports these efforts to expand inclusive and sustainable manufacturing development in communities across the country including direct support of programs and initiatives that advance the objectives of HR 5124 in Illinois; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT, including its locals and affiliated organizations, supports and advocates for the investment of Career and Technical Education in all technical areas including advanced manufacturing education and training programs in school districts across the state of Illinois; and be it finally RESOLVED, the IFT will respond to the existential threat of climate change and environmental racism, as well as opportunities for positive transformation like the Green New Deal, by creating a climate justice taskforce to coordinate and support this work across IFT locals.

CULTURAL TAXATION RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers calls for employers to recognize, compensate, and ultimately mitigate the “cultural tax” on minoritized faculty.

TAX CREDIT FOR EDUCATION SUPPLIES RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) works to change Illinois State tax policy to allow higher education workers and non-classroom Birth through 12 education workers to receive a tax credit for money spent on materials for the performance of their jobs; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT works to increase the allowable credit for all employees in education far above the current limit; and be it finally RESOLVED, the IFT will request the American Federation of Teachers to work for similar changes to the federal tax code.

DEVELOPING EVALUATIONS THAT STRENGTHEN THE TEACHING PROFESSION RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) works to maintain and improve educator quality along with enhancing the teaching profession; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT works with legislators, the Illinois State Board of Education, and local school district policymakers to ensure that beginning educators are provided a well-supervised induction period--which includes mentoring by trained mentor educators, professional development targeted to their needs, opportunities to observe highly accomplished educators and to be observed by mentors and administrators who have been appropriately trained to provide effective feedback, and ongoing formative and summative assessments of their practice--and that only educators who show progress towards meeting professional standards continue in the profession; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT and its affiliates support any growth measures included as part of performance evaluation not be detrimental to any educator’s evaluation rating; and be it further RESOLVED, that while the Performance Evaluation Reform Act of 2010 (PERA) remains in effect, the IFT continues to advocate for legislative improvements to performance evaluation, such as lengthening the evaluation cycle and disconnecting performance evaluation from employment consequences, to advocate that all affected locals have access to all relevant evaluation and rating data to conduct racial impact analysis of PERA evaluation, and support our affiliates in bargaining more efficient local evaluation processes, which are less time consuming for our members; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will support locals in advocating that each district properly implement school code changes won, allowing tenured educators with proficient or excellent last ratings to be rated on a three year cycle; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT advocates for state laws on educator performance evaluation that provide uniform application and allow all unions and school districts to locally bargain and implement evaluation plans that focus on educator growth, self-reflection, and constructive feedback that are supported by high quality, ongoing, job-embedded professional development opportunities, which maximize educator satisfaction and retention; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT advocates for the ongoing presence of a practitioner-led body to inform the qualification and retraining of evaluators (both administrators and teachers) to ensure a fair and meaningful evaluation process at the district level and encourages the IFT to commission a study of the impact of evaluations on educators in all districts of the State; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT continues to provide professional learning which supports our members becoming qualified evaluators and to develop professional learning for our members that supports their success and advocacy during the evaluation process so they are able to recognize evaluator practices which either support or harm their growth as educators; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT advocates for different and better practitioner practice frameworks and evaluation models which are supportive of teachers of students with disabilities, English language learners, and early childhood; and be it finally RESOLVED, the IFT advocates that in districts where remote learning options are still offered, that no teacher evaluation system designed for in-person learning simply be imposed on remote settings and that, where remote teacher evaluation is required, districts work in joint committees to design, pilot, and only after pilot, implement remote evaluation that is context specific.

HOMELESSNESS, FORECLOSURES, AND EVICTIONS RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) will provide support for locals to bargain for enforceable contract language that attempts to address and alleviate houselessness among the students they serve; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will provide support for locals to advocate for students experiencing homlessness to voice their needs and contribute to decisions around their education; and be it finally RESOLVED, the IFT will lobby for and support efforts to provide affordable housing to every student at any age or grade level and families that need it.

PARENTAL LEAVE RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) supports a twelve week paid parental leave minimum standard for all faculty and all state employees throughout the state of Illinois; and be it finally RESOLVED, the IFT will advocate that in cases where both parents work for the same employer, both parents are afforded the same leave.

UNIVERSITY-LEVEL VISA ASSISTANCE FOR INTERNATIONAL FACULTY HIRES RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers urges Illinois public universities to establish university-level budget lines to assist international faculty with visa and permanent residency issues during and after hiring.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE NOT BANKS RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) supports permissive bargaining language throughout Pre-Kindergarten through 12 to limit a district’s ability to amass more than 250 days Cash on Hand; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will lobby state legislators for a change to school code to require districts to spend all Cash on Hand over the limit of 250 days on education, including fully staffing schools and providing nurses, librarians, social workers, counselors, and psychologists; and be it further RESOLVED, the IFT will engage and educate potential school board candidates on this issue and will support candidates who understand the district’s obligation to spend tax dollars on the intended purpose of education; and be it finally RESOLVED, the IFT will partner with community and parent organizations to urge school districts to invest tax dollars in schools rather than in banks.

RECOGNITION FOR BEA LUMPKIN WHEREAS, Beatrice “Bea” Lumpkin has been, for nearly a century, an indefatigable champion for students, educators, and all who deserve racial, social, and economic justice. Her strategic wisdom, generosity of spirit, and eloquent advocacy have contributed to countless battles won and inspired generations of unionists, activists, and working people to stand for justice and be their best selves. “Bea” began her career in the labor movement nearly 90 years ago with a factory job at age 14 and helped organize for the Metal and Machinery Workers Industrial Union, a part of the newly formed Congress of Industrial Organizations; and WHEREAS, upon her college graduation, Bea became an organizer for the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America; and WHEREAS, she and her second husband, Frank Lumpkin, who led the Wisconsin Steel Save Our Jobs Committee, moved to Gary, Indiana, and she worked first as a journalist and later as a member of the United Steelworkers; and WHEREAS, Bea took part in historic civil rights struggles in Chicago, marching with Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior, in Marquette Park and working as an ally of the Black Panther Party; and WHEREAS, she was a founding member of the Coalition of Labor Union Women in 1974, the year after Roe v. Wade confirmed a woman's constitutional right to an abortion; and WHEREAS, she returned to school and became a math teacher both in Chicago Public Schools and at Malcolm X College, where she served as an inspiration to many students; and WHEREAS, Bea has continued to maintain her activism as a retiree on many fronts, including the Chicago Teachers Union Retiree Committee, the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans, and the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees, where she has focused on intergenerational work with youth activists; and WHEREAS, she has continued to expand her activism in new fields with such critical work as the Chicago Teachers Union Climate Justice Committee and its fight against metal scrap company General Iron; therefore be it RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers salutes our sister Bea Lumpkin for her lifetime of tireless struggle on behalf of workers and other oppressed people and for a better world for all; and be it finally RESOLVED, the Illinois Federation of Teachers recognizes Bea Lumpkin for her lifetime achievements in unionism.