At the end of the 2024 spring state legislative session, the Illinois Federation of Teachers issued a decidedly diplomatic news release.

Federation President Dan Montgomery praised the new state budget as “crucial for our state’s success” and applauded increases in K-12 and early childhood education funding.

Montgomery did criticize the “meager” increase in higher education funding and called on the state to “ensure full funding for pre-K-12, higher education, and early childhood” programs now.

“The IFT expresses our gratitude to legislators for their hard work and collaboration throughout this session,” Montgomery wrote. He warned, however, that “We are committed to intensifying our efforts and working collectively to identify sustainable revenue streams” to fund public education at al

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