Update from IFT President Dan Montgomery: Together, We Will Protect One Another and Those We Serve

As you’ve seen on the news, it has been a confusing and chaotic week. Among the slew of Executive Orders (EO) issued by President Trump are several designed to cause harm to public schools, government workers, immigrant and LGBTQ+ rights, and the best interests of the diverse students and communities we serve.

Two of the orders target federal funds for public schools, including one that encourages states to spend federal dollars on private school vouchers and another to develop a plan to threaten the funding of schools that “indoctrinate their children in radical, anti-American ideologies.”

First and foremost, we must not panic. I want to assure you that the IFT and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) are tirelessly monitoring these Executive Orders as they are signed. Staff and legal experts in our unions are working to study each order's legality, implications, and effective date. Frankly, we aren’t yet certain what many of them will mean for public schools, students and their families, or our members, but we will continue to work diligently to understand their impact.

Orders like these spark fear and confusion; that is entirely understandable. Please remember that Executive Orders do not always take effect as written, nor are they effective immediately in most cases. This week, Trump’s EO to freeze federal funding for communities and critical programs was quickly stopped by a judge. Thanks to pushback from many elected officials, union members, seniors, and voters, the president was later forced to rescind the freeze in the aftermath of the confusion it caused.

There will be many more challenges and changes to Trump’s Executive Orders. At this time, nothing has changed here in Illinois. You should feel confident to operate as usual in your classroom or workplace. If you are uncertain about how an EO may impact your work, please check with your local president or IFT field service director. 

In Illinois, we witnessed similar tactics from a governor who nearly ruined our state - Bruce Rauner. Not unexpectedly, the same divisive strategies of creating chaos and withholding funds and services that people rely on are being implemented by the Trump administration.

At times like this, it’s important to remember our POWER.

Our collective action can – and will – make a difference. Working together in our unions, we can protect children and families, essential programs and services, marginalized groups' rights and humanity, and our public education system. We can counter President Trump’s extremist attacks on the individuals, systems, and values we hold dear. And we will.

Together in our unions, we are a powerful force for good.

Please watch your inbox for updates from the IFT and AFT on how you can help fight for what is right.  As always, be assured that we are all working tirelessly to protect our rights and fight for the best interests of those we serve.