Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for September 17, 2006 IEA GUBERNATORIAL ENDORSEMENT

None of the above!

From the IEA Website...

Inadequate Education Plans Result in Unprecedented Decision

September 16, 2006 � Springfield, IL The state�s largest education employees union is taking the unprecedented step of making no recommendation for governor of Illinois.

The Board of Directors for the 125,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA) voted Friday to reject endorsement requests from both Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka. The vote was unanimous.

In eight elections over the last 30 years, IEA has recommended to its members either a Republican or Democratic candidate for governor, but IEA President Ken Swanson today said the failure of either candidate to address Illinois� inadequate and inequitable school funding system made �no recommendation� the best choice for the union.

According to Swanson, IEA members were especially disappointed by the primary funding sources for both candidates� education plans.

�A choice between a new casino and the sale of the State Lottery is no choice at all. Neither plan provides the funding stability that will help the school improvement effort and neither provides property tax relief to homeowners harmed by the state�s over reliance on local property taxes,� he added.

According to Swanson, IEA will concentrate its Election 2006 efforts on its Invest in Excellence school funding and tax relief campaign and on electing legislators willing to consider realistic solutions to the school funding crisis

�In every part of the state, children are being cheated by a system that ensures that under-funded school districts stay that way. If elected officials won�t lead the fight to give every student a chance to succeed, the teachers and school employees must,� he added.

�We will continue to work with A + Illinois and other groups interested in developing a funding reform plan that gives every student the opportunity for an adequate education, regardless of where he or she lives,� Swanson said.

The Illinois Education Association is the largest education employees� organization in the state, representing elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty and staff, educational support professionals, retired educators and college students preparing to become teachers.

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Read the IEA Capitol Report and register for the IEA insider: www.ieanea.org