Federal documents filed by the National Education Association show just 5% of its total spending was on representing members in 2021. NEA and its state affiliate – the Illinois Education Association – prioritized leadership salaries and politics over teachers.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers in 2021 spent 190 times more on Chicago-area teachers than it did on teachers south of Interstate 80. That could be why IFT membership has shrunk nearly 18% since 2017.