JB Pritzker鈥檚 Education Record Earns Key Endorsement from Illinois Teachers Union
The endorsement comes at an important crossroads for Pritzker, as two closely watched education issues loom over the final months of his second term.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is seeking reelection this November, received a key endorsement on his education policies from the state鈥檚 largest union this week.
Monday鈥檚 announcement marks the third time the , which represents more than 135,000 teachers, professors, and support staff statewide, has endorsed Pritzker for governor. The Illinois Federation of Teachers 鈥� the other statewide teachers union and the parent organization to the Chicago Teachers Union 鈥� has yet to make an endorsement in the race.
The IEA鈥檚 endorsement comes at an , as two closely watched education issues loom over the final months of his second term.
鈥淭his governor is on the right side of history, which means a better future for public education in Illinois,鈥� said IEA president Karl Goeke, citing Pritzker鈥檚 policies on minimum teacher salary raises, preventing book bans, and restricting cellphones in schools.
The first issue for Pritzker, who has championed public schools, is by the end of the year. Starting in 2027, individuals can and be . Governors have the sole responsibility for deciding whether their states will participate, although .
Pritzker hasn鈥檛 indicated publicly whether Illinois will participate, although text messages signaled he was wary of the program earlier this year. So far, is the only Democrat to have opted his state , although a handful of other Democratic governors have said they intend to opt in.
The other problem facing Illinois鈥� governor is how to respond to during the upcoming veto session. Chicago鈥檚 school board last month, but the request faces an uphill battle to get approval from state lawmakers and Pritzker.
Pritzker鈥檚 name has also circulated in the past year as . Education remains , meaning Pritzker鈥檚 record on Illinois schools could wind up on the national stage.
Facing off against Pritzker in his bid for reelection is Darren Bailey, a former Republican state lawmaker. This is the second time voters will see this matchup on their ballots, as Pritzker handily defeated Bailey in 2022 to win his second term as governor.
This story has been updated to include mention of the Illinois Federation of Teachers.
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