The Swanson legacy. The Walker plan without the heavy lifting.
In an article summing up the Illinois legislative session in Catalyst by EdWeek writer Sean Cavanagh:
Their hardest-fought victories include the passage of laws that curb teachers’ collective bargaining rights and tie educators’ tenure, advancement, and pay to their performance, including their ability to improve student test scores.
Ironically, they weren’t hard-fought at all. IEA President Ken Swanson gave these actions his full support and approval with the weight of the union’s lobbyists and media machine behind him.
What he didn’t have was the support of the membership, which stayed away from Lobby Day in droves.
Nonetheless, the legislation won praise—including from U.S. Secretary of