IEA endorses Pritzker
Wednesday, Jan 10, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The IFT endorsed him earlier. Press release…
The Illinois Education Association (IEA) Board of Directors voted overwhelmingly to recommend Democrat J.B. Pritzker for governor. The vote came after a Pritzker recommendation from the IEA IPACE executive committee.
“All the candidates we met with were impressive and thoughtful. Our membership did not come to this decision lightly,” IEA President Kathi Griffin said. “It was Pritzker’s strong commitment to funding K-12 education, his promise to invest in higher education, his pledge to protect collective bargaining rights and his willingness to enact a progressive income tax that matched our goals for public education in Illinois.”
IEA members also sited Pritzker’s electability as a reason for the recommendation, pointing out the Pritzker campaign structure, his high name recognition and a comprehensive state-wide campaign strategy.
“I am so proud to receive the endorsement of the Illinois Education Association and the over 135,000 educators and education support professionals they represent,” said Pritzker. “Every child in Illinois deserves a quality education, no matter their zip code and as governor I will partner with the IEA to make that a reality in our state. Our educators will have a seat at the table as we fight to fully fund public schools and ensure equitable school funding in Illinois. With the IEA on our team, I’m confident we can continue to grow our statewide, grassroots movement, defeat Bruce Rauner, and get public education in Illinois back on track so every child has the tools they need to reach their full potential.”
The IPACE Executive Committee went through an exhaustive process of seeking a gubernatorial recommendation that began in November 2017. All candidates, both Democrat and Republican, were given the opportunity to complete questionnaires. State Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston; Regional Office of Education Superintendent Bob Daiber, businessman Chris Kennedy and Pritzker all completed the questionnaires and were interviewed by the full IPACE executive committee along with nearly 40 observers, representing IEA members from all parts of the state. Additionally, the candidates were given the opportunity to share their campaign strategies and polling with IEA leadership. Republicans, Gov. Bruce Rauner and state Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, did not return the gubernatorial questionnaire and as a result were not interviewed.
Additionally, IPACE conducted a poll of IEA members in early January to gauge the mood of IEA members in regard to the upcoming election. The poll involved 600 members and sought input about all of the candidates, both Democrat and Republican.
- Hmm - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 10:45 am:
Same group endorsed Blagojevich for a second term over Topinka in the general and went all in for crooked Rod. Later, honored Topinka posthumously as a friend of education. Go figure.
- Robert the 1st - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 10:45 am:
=IEA members also sited Pritzker’s electability=
From a teacher’s union of course. cited*
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 10:49 am:
With Kennedy going full-on looney tunes this past couple of weeks, what’s the odds that they send out the boring “we disagree with this decision” press release? There’s at least a chance he freaks out and claims IEA is a corrupt entity selling schoolteachers out to a billionaire for conspiratorial reasons, right?
- NeverPoliticallyCorrect - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 10:55 am:
And this is news? Of course the IEA was going to go with him. The leadership of IEA is fully democratic and on board with Madigan. This is why many teachers want right to work laws, so their dues don’t go to support the same oligarchy.
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 11:01 am:
Lester Holt’s Mustache
My understanding from someone who attended the IEA slating session is that Kennedy did not come across well at all.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 11:01 am:
Not taking anything away from this big endorsement for Prtizker…
…
… if not Pritzker, who would they otherwise endorse?
Rauner attacked teachers, Rauner has made clear his feelings on teachers too.
Kennedy and Biss… have they made a strong enough case to 1) that they have the apparatus and wherewithal to win the Primary and the General? 2) that they support labor? 3) that they can hold Rauner accountable for his attacks on education?
Go after Pritzker all you want if it makes you feel better, but ask yourselves, as Pritzker continues to make a case of organization, message, and planning, where do you see the others in those metrics?
- Travel Guy - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 11:03 am:
=many teachers want right to work laws=
I’m not sure to whom you are speaking, but that is most certainly not the case. Maybe you spoke to Bruce Rauner or Betsy DeVos?
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 11:11 am:
==… if not Pritzker, who would they otherwise endorse?==
Obviously not Rauner and Biss, though Kennedy would probably have made a compelling option for them if he hadn’t stepped on his own feet so much.
But the frame I would consider is that this doesn’t “help JB so much” as it “hurts Kennedy and Biss so much” by denying them more resources. At this point, one of them really needs to get CTU, AFSCME and SEIU united behind them. And I’m not sure I see that happening.
- Roman - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 11:11 am:
== The leadership of IEA is fully democratic ==
Actually, the IEA endorsed many GOP candidates before Bruce Rauner’s declaration of war on all collective bargaining. Welcome to the binary political world Rauner created.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 11:14 am:
===…this doesn’t “help JB so much” as it “hurts Kennedy and Biss so much” by denying them more resources.===
This is the most correct idea what this endorsement does.
It cuts off another resource, it allows another resource to be consolidated.
It’s a bigger loss to Kennedy and Biss in the overall.
Well said, - Arsenal-
- Anonish - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 11:23 am:
It also diffuses a bit the Biss talking point about his kids being the only ones in public schools and therefor only he can truly care/help public schools and public school teachers.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 11:24 am:
==… if not Pritzker, who would they otherwise endorse?==
And that’s where we’re at in this race. JB already has every penny and person he needs to win.
(Will he win? Who knows, but if he doesn’t it’s not going to be because he’s under-resourced.)
Kennedy and Biss are the ones who need resources right now. So, if a new big name group endorses JB, great! That’s good for press pop. But if all they do is decide to stay out, well, that helps JB, too.
- AnonymousOne - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 11:55 am:
==many teachers want right to work laws==
Many can mean more than one. Beyond that? Questionable.
- Doc Annonymous - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 11:56 am:
It’s no surprise that the IEA didn’t endorse Rauner, but it bears repeating that the IEA does sometimes endorse Republicans. Down in Southern Illinois, they endorsed Mike Bost for Congress and Terri Bryant (for her first race) for the Assembly, for example. Of course unions are going to endorse pro-union candidates, who tend more often to be Democrats, but the IEA is also pragmatic, and happy (all too happy to some progressives) to work with moderate Republicans when those Republicans are willing to work with them.
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 12:19 pm:
==My understanding from someone who attended the IEA slating session is that Kennedy did not come across well at all==
What a surprise. Seems like the standard response for him these days. Guy is such a disappointment. Thanks for the info, Dance Band!
- Nearly Normal - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 12:20 pm:
IEA did not recommend Blago for his second term. They endorsed no one for governor that year.
- City Zen - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 1:06 pm:
“It was Pritzker’s strong commitment to funding…”
…his own campaign.
- Hmm - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 1:34 pm:
@Nearly Normal”
Are you sure? The Chicago IEA branch office had Blagojevich posters on display in the office and yard signs stacked along the walls for pick up by members.
- Alison - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 4:21 pm:
This IEA member does NOT endorse Pritzger. One should not be buying their way into the governor’s office. Want to be in politics? Great - start low and work your way up and work within the system. We do NOT need another billionaire. Biss will get my vote.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 4:25 pm:
=== The Chicago IEA branch office===
LOL
The IEA doesn’t represent any Chicago teachers.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 5:51 pm:
There is nonetheless an IEA office in the Chicago Loop (230 W. Monroe).
- cannon649 - Wednesday, Jan 10, 18 @ 8:27 pm:
No surprise
they need him a lot
- anon2 - Thursday, Jan 11, 18 @ 8:58 am:
Biss disqualified himself when he sponsored the unconstitutional pension reduction law.