Some Illinois educators made their way to Texas this week for an American Federation of Teachers convention. AFT is one of the nation's largest labor unions for educators and school personnel, with nearly two-million members - including more than 100,000 in Illinois.

The organization promotes democracy, economic opportunity and quality public education. Earlier this week, AFT President Randi Weingarten spoke to attendees in Houston on the impact of public schools in Illinois and nationwide.

"Public schools are essential to our children's future and to our democracy. Every public school should be a place where families want to send their children, educators want to work, and all students thrive," said Weingarten.

Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to give today's keynote speech at the convention.

Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery echoes the union's reaction to President Joe Biden's announcement not to seek re-election. He expressed his gratitude for what he called Biden's "unwavering dedication" to the American people, including investments in public education.

The IFT also supports some issues unrelated to education. These include defending reproductive health and improving healthcare access, and fostering an economy that uplifts the middle class. Another battle many educators face is evolving technology aimed at youth. Weingarten called on social media giants to operate more responsibly.

"We're fighting back against the addictive and predatory practices of social media companies, demanding that they protect - not prey on - children, and we're focusing on artificial intelligence. AI can be a powerful tool, but there must be strong guardrails," she said.

According to the Illinois State Board of Education, there are 867 districts and nearly 3,900 public schools in the state, with an 88% graduation rate. The average annual teacher salary is $75,000.

Educators in Michigan and nationwide are voicing concerns politics are demoralizing teachers and discouraging others from entering the profession at a time when more teachers are needed.

They cited comments from GOP vice-presidential nominee, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, about childless women as teachers, including American Federation of Teachers' President Randi Weingarten. The rhetoric, along with the Georgia school shooting, are raising fears the country's teacher shortage will only worsen.

Toni Coral, president of the Hamtramck Federation of Teachers, has been teaching for nearly 30 years. She said morale is low and, since the pandemic, many have experienced poor work-life balance.

"A lot of people just decided, 'No, I'm OK. I'm done,'" Coral observed. "Because we don't get the support we need and there's this continual expectation that we will work at home and lose family time, lose private times."

After the pandemic began, at the end of the 2019-2020 school year, Michigan had 700 fewer teachers by the fall of 2020, the third-largest decrease in the past decade.

Coral highlighted the educational priorities she hopes the incoming administration will address, no matter who takes office. She urged increased funding to modernize school buildings and calls for smaller class sizes and less standardized testing to enhance the quality of education. She would also like to see all students gain better access to books, to enhance reading skills.

"Send parents home from the hospital with a box full of books," Coral suggested. "Maybe make sure there are mobile libraries, that can go around to communities like where I teach, or out to rural communities, so people can have easy access to free books."

Coral emphasized her primary wish is for the next President of the United States to demonstrate and model compassion and intelligence.

Teachers nationwide say safety issues and politics can sometimes make it harder for them to do their jobs.

A safe and secure workplace is one of 10 issues included in an Education Bill of Rights recently put together by the teachers' union in Texas.

Adam Lamont is a middle-school teacher and coach in the Dallas School District, and said making a difference in a child's life is rewarding.

"Day to day, joy that you get from interacting with kids, seeing them learn," said Lamont. "There are those days that are long, but there are those days that are really rewarding, too, and you always look back and try to remember those days and moments when you felt like you were able to break through with a kid."

Lamont has been a teacher for six years.

Most schools across Texas have been in session for only a few weeks, and Lamont said morale is still high among educators, despite challenges such as ongoing teacher shortages and pay concerns.

He said watching students succeed is fulfilling.

"I had one student who came back because they just graduated from high school," said Lamont. "Definitely those moments are special, so any time when you get to see old students is really, really, fun."

For anyone thinking about going into teaching, Lamont said he feels it's one of the most challenging jobs out there, but the good days make it worth it.





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Chronic absenteeism rates in Michigan schools have significantly declined, yet researchers warn the state's rate overall remains alarmingly high.

"Chronic absenteeism" is when a student misses at least 10% of the school year.

Michigan's rate dropped from nearly 39% to slightly more than 30% in the 2022-23 school year, but it's still higher than the 20% recorded in 2018. Climate change and extreme weather are now seen as factors that fuel absenteeism.

Veteran first-grade teacher Janice Rackozy from Hamtramck shares how her students face challenges during bad weather.

"Lot of the kids, if it's too cold, they won't come to school. If it's too hot, they call weather days. So, it interrupts the learning," she said. "One good thing out of it, we began to go online and the kids got used to going online because of COVID."

However, learning gaps because of the pandemic haven't closed.

Rackozy said her district has been proactive in making sure school buildings are updated and well insulated so students feel comfortable and safe when at school.

Many educators credit Michigan's Top 10 Strategic Education Plan, at least in part, for the decline in school absenteeism. The plan details key goals and strategies for better educational outcomes throughout the state, including support for struggling schools and promoting safe and healthy school environments.

Frank Donner, an elementary teacher in Detroit, said he tells parents at the beginning of the school year that if they do nothing else, just make sure their child comes to class.

"If they're here, we're going to work with them, and we can do a lot, and they will do a lot," he said. "But for every day that the student's missing, they're missing instruction, and it's not just that individual student that's missing out. It's also disrupting then the learning and routines and procedures for the rest of the class."

Donner said chronic school absenteeism affects students and staff equally, and that it's as big an issue in rural communities as it is in big cities or suburbs.


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