Dan Montgomery
@djmontgomery.bsky.social
Illinois Federation of Teachers president, educator and activist, committed to the best education and public services for all and racial & social justice.
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
ALA celebrates today's ruling in federal court in RI permanently blocking the Administration's actions to dismantle IMLS.
ALA Pres. Sam Helmick: "This victory belongs to all of us, and we build the future of our libraries together." Read our full statement & take action: www.ala.org/news/2025/11...
ALA Pres. Sam Helmick: "This victory belongs to all of us, and we build the future of our libraries together." Read our full statement & take action: www.ala.org/news/2025/11...
November 21, 2025 at 10:29 PM
ALA celebrates today's ruling in federal court in RI permanently blocking the Administration's actions to dismantle IMLS.
ALA Pres. Sam Helmick: "This victory belongs to all of us, and we build the future of our libraries together." Read our full statement & take action: www.ala.org/news/2025/11...
ALA Pres. Sam Helmick: "This victory belongs to all of us, and we build the future of our libraries together." Read our full statement & take action: www.ala.org/news/2025/11...
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
This abandonment means dire consequences for Special Education. Federal protections for students with disabilities? Gone. Coordinated services? Scattered across agencies w/no education expertise. This is an abandonment of the most vulnerable. #TrumpCrushesYourDreams open.substack.com/pub/grounded...
Pardon Our Mess
A recording from Grounded Podcast's live video with Liz Oyer + Randi Weingarten
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:27 PM
This abandonment means dire consequences for Special Education. Federal protections for students with disabilities? Gone. Coordinated services? Scattered across agencies w/no education expertise. This is an abandonment of the most vulnerable. #TrumpCrushesYourDreams open.substack.com/pub/grounded...
This is a huge victory for libraries and the freedom to read!
NEWS: Libraries WIN in federal court!
A judge in RI issued a permanent injunction stopping the Administration from dismantling the Institute of Museum & Library Services and nullifying all actions taken to do so.
Read the ruling: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us... (More to come from ALA)
A judge in RI issued a permanent injunction stopping the Administration from dismantling the Institute of Museum & Library Services and nullifying all actions taken to do so.
Read the ruling: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us... (More to come from ALA)
November 21, 2025 at 8:29 PM
This is a huge victory for libraries and the freedom to read!
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
"Today and into the future, together we are strong."
Read @djmontgomery.bsky.social's final reflections as IFT president.
Read @djmontgomery.bsky.social's final reflections as IFT president.
My Final Reflections, Part 2: Don't Buy Into the Attacks
Dear IFT Member, As we hold our IFT triennial convention this weekend, it is an exciting time when delegates representing members around the state will elect new officers to lead our union. It is also a time to be clear-eyed. Groups with radically anti-union agendas have invested tens of millions of dollars to encourage the people of Illinois to resent teachers and our unions. For the most part, we’ve ignored them: Their biased, extremist messages don’t deserve attention. In reality, polls show
www.ift-aft.org
October 16, 2025 at 3:03 PM
"Today and into the future, together we are strong."
Read @djmontgomery.bsky.social's final reflections as IFT president.
Read @djmontgomery.bsky.social's final reflections as IFT president.
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
As IFT President @djmontgomery.bsky.social prepares to step down from IFT leadership, he shares some parting thoughts.
My Final Reflections, Part 1: Illinois Must Pay Its Debt to Our Students
Dear IFT Member,In my final days as your president, I wanted to share some reflections from my 15 years of proud and grateful service. Every day, we see headlines about cuts to public education, food assistance, healthcare, and now a government shutdown that threatens our students, schools, and communities. We ask ourselves, “How do we make it through this unprecedented and scary time?” We know that there is no better investment than to invest in our young people. When schools have resources, st
www.ift-aft.org
October 10, 2025 at 6:03 PM
As IFT President @djmontgomery.bsky.social prepares to step down from IFT leadership, he shares some parting thoughts.
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
Read our full statement:
Illinois Federation of Teachers Statement on the Passing of Al Llorens, President of the Illinois Education Association
ILLINOIS - Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) President Dan Montgomery issued the following statement today about the passing of Illinois Education Association (IEA) President Albert “Al” Llorens. “I am profoundly sad at the loss of my friend, union brother, and longtime educator, Al Llorens. His passing leaves Illinois emptier and less whole. The labor movement has lost a fierce advocate, and those of us who knew him have lost a steady, compassionate pillar who made our lives and our schools
www.ift-aft.org
September 26, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Read our full statement:
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
The IFT sends our deepest condolences to Al’s wife, Wanda, his family, and all the members and staff of the @ieanea.bsky.social. "The labor movement has lost a fierce advocate, and those of us who knew him have lost a steady, compassionate pillar who made our lives and our schools better."
September 26, 2025 at 9:50 PM
The IFT sends our deepest condolences to Al’s wife, Wanda, his family, and all the members and staff of the @ieanea.bsky.social. "The labor movement has lost a fierce advocate, and those of us who knew him have lost a steady, compassionate pillar who made our lives and our schools better."
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
🔗 ‘Witch hunt’ or ‘accountability’? Teachers face backlash over Charlie Kirk posts
‘Witch hunt’ or ‘accountability’? Teachers face backlash over Charlie Kirk posts
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, several teachers across the country criticized the political firebrand on social media. Some people now want them fired for it.
www.chicagotribune.com
September 29, 2025 at 8:02 PM
🔗 ‘Witch hunt’ or ‘accountability’? Teachers face backlash over Charlie Kirk posts
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
“We’re concerned about doxing, some misguided individuals trying to go after teachers… Every American should be troubled by that.” -IFT Pres. @djmontgomery.bsky.social
About a dozen educators in IL have been placed on leave or questioned by their employers over social media comments.
About a dozen educators in IL have been placed on leave or questioned by their employers over social media comments.
September 29, 2025 at 8:02 PM
“We’re concerned about doxing, some misguided individuals trying to go after teachers… Every American should be troubled by that.” -IFT Pres. @djmontgomery.bsky.social
About a dozen educators in IL have been placed on leave or questioned by their employers over social media comments.
About a dozen educators in IL have been placed on leave or questioned by their employers over social media comments.
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
We call on ICE to immediately stop targeting protected spaces & urge lawmakers and leaders to restore & uphold sanctuary protections.
https://www.ift-aft.org/post/ift-aft-and-elgin-community-college-faculty-association-condemn-ice-detention-of-a-student-at-a-co
@aft.org @djmontgomery.bsky.social
https://www.ift-aft.org/post/ift-aft-and-elgin-community-college-faculty-association-condemn-ice-detention-of-a-student-at-a-co
@aft.org @djmontgomery.bsky.social
September 19, 2025 at 2:22 PM
We call on ICE to immediately stop targeting protected spaces & urge lawmakers and leaders to restore & uphold sanctuary protections.
https://www.ift-aft.org/post/ift-aft-and-elgin-community-college-faculty-association-condemn-ice-detention-of-a-student-at-a-co
@aft.org @djmontgomery.bsky.social
https://www.ift-aft.org/post/ift-aft-and-elgin-community-college-faculty-association-condemn-ice-detention-of-a-student-at-a-co
@aft.org @djmontgomery.bsky.social
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
This morning in the Chicago suburb of Broadview, ICE and Border Patrol agents tear gassed, shot pepper spray bullets at, and detained protesters outside an immigrant detention center. Read our statement in response from IFT President @djmontgomery.bsky.social:
September 19, 2025 at 7:30 PM
This morning in the Chicago suburb of Broadview, ICE and Border Patrol agents tear gassed, shot pepper spray bullets at, and detained protesters outside an immigrant detention center. Read our statement in response from IFT President @djmontgomery.bsky.social:
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
Joint Statement from IFT President Dan Montgomery and West Suburban Teachers Union President Kyle Stern: Condemning ICE Agents’ Fatal Shooting of Franklin Park Resident
https://www.ift-aft.org/post/joint-statement-condemning-ice-agents-fatal-shooting-of-franklin-park-resident
https://www.ift-aft.org/post/joint-statement-condemning-ice-agents-fatal-shooting-of-franklin-park-resident
September 12, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Joint Statement from IFT President Dan Montgomery and West Suburban Teachers Union President Kyle Stern: Condemning ICE Agents’ Fatal Shooting of Franklin Park Resident
https://www.ift-aft.org/post/joint-statement-condemning-ice-agents-fatal-shooting-of-franklin-park-resident
https://www.ift-aft.org/post/joint-statement-condemning-ice-agents-fatal-shooting-of-franklin-park-resident
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
We joined this lawsuit to ensure every child, parent, teacher, and administrator can travel to school each day without the constant threat of masked immigration agents storming their campus. www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report...
Teachers unions join lawsuit over Trump admin dropping guidelines keeping ICE from schools, churches
The largest teachers' unions—the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers—joined a lawsuit over the Trump administration's abandoning long-held guidelines that restricted imm...
www.tucsonsentinel.com
September 12, 2025 at 2:57 AM
We joined this lawsuit to ensure every child, parent, teacher, and administrator can travel to school each day without the constant threat of masked immigration agents storming their campus. www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report...
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
Chicago this Labor Day… Thousands fighting for what #WorkersDeserve
September 1, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Chicago this Labor Day… Thousands fighting for what #WorkersDeserve
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
Illinois Federation of Teachers Statement in Response to Trump Excluding Undocumented Children from Head Start
📰 Read the full statement from @djmontgomery.bsky.social: https://www.ift-aft.org/post/illinois-federation-of-teachers-statement-in-response-to-trump-excluding-undocumented-children-from
📰 Read the full statement from @djmontgomery.bsky.social: https://www.ift-aft.org/post/illinois-federation-of-teachers-statement-in-response-to-trump-excluding-undocumented-children-from
July 10, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Illinois Federation of Teachers Statement in Response to Trump Excluding Undocumented Children from Head Start
📰 Read the full statement from @djmontgomery.bsky.social: https://www.ift-aft.org/post/illinois-federation-of-teachers-statement-in-response-to-trump-excluding-undocumented-children-from
📰 Read the full statement from @djmontgomery.bsky.social: https://www.ift-aft.org/post/illinois-federation-of-teachers-statement-in-response-to-trump-excluding-undocumented-children-from
Read this piece on Moyers as your July 4 celebration. Civic Duty?
It says everything about where we are but also about what we must do.
It says everything about where we are but also about what we must do.
Few people have embodied the best of journalism—its ability to cut through BS, its capacity to uplift those who’ve been wronged, its burning appetite to tell the stories people need to know—like Bill Moyers.
We’ve never needed him more, writes @monikab.bsky.social.
We’ve never needed him more, writes @monikab.bsky.social.
The Bill Moyers that obituaries missed
The “secular preacher” of TV journalism was also a ferocious critic of corrupt politicians and corporate titans—and the spineless media that enable them.
www.motherjones.com
July 4, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Read this piece on Moyers as your July 4 celebration. Civic Duty?
It says everything about where we are but also about what we must do.
It says everything about where we are but also about what we must do.
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
Congress Throws More Money at Removing Immigrants than Most Countries Spend on Their Armies talkingpointsmemo.com/news/congres...
Congress Throws More Money at Removing Immigrants than Most Countries Spend on Their Armies
It’s hard to convey just how big the new budget makes the...
talkingpointsmemo.com
July 4, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Congress Throws More Money at Removing Immigrants than Most Countries Spend on Their Armies talkingpointsmemo.com/news/congres...
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
@hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social just broke the record for the longest floor speech!!! Making history on ensuring the American people understand why this Republican mega bill is a huge ugly betrayal to the American people.
Thank you @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social
Thank you @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social
July 3, 2025 at 5:40 PM
@hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social just broke the record for the longest floor speech!!! Making history on ensuring the American people understand why this Republican mega bill is a huge ugly betrayal to the American people.
Thank you @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social
Thank you @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social
A tremendous affront to hard working Americans. We must resolve to make Independence Day a commitment to our independence from oligarchs who don’t believe in democracy. Organize. Organize. Organize.
This bill will remove healthcare for 17M people, slash food assistance for 22M, shutter hundreds of hospitals, defund higher education, cut jobs, target immigrant communities and explode the national debt—all for tax breaks to the ultra-rich. www.aft.org/press-releas...
July 4, 2025 at 12:21 AM
A tremendous affront to hard working Americans. We must resolve to make Independence Day a commitment to our independence from oligarchs who don’t believe in democracy. Organize. Organize. Organize.
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
Statement from authors/illustrators impacted in case: pen.org/press-releas...
Authors and Illustrators of Books in Mahmoud v. Taylor Case Respond to Supreme Court Ruling - PEN America
As the authors and illustrators of the books named in Mahmoud v. Taylor, we believe the Supreme Court’s ruling today threatens students’ access to diverse books and undermines teachers’ efforts to cre...
pen.org
June 27, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Statement from authors/illustrators impacted in case: pen.org/press-releas...
SCOTUS continues its entirely ideologically driven destruction of separation of church & state. Expect corrosive, discriminatory effects on schools & freedom of all children to learn
Supreme Court Requires Schools to Allow Opting Out From L.G.B.T.Q. Stories www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/u...
Supreme Court Requires Schools to Allow Opting Out From L.G.B.T.Q. Stories www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/u...
Justices Let Parents Opt Children Out of Classes With L.G.B.T.Q. Storybooks
www.nytimes.com
June 27, 2025 at 3:59 PM
SCOTUS continues its entirely ideologically driven destruction of separation of church & state. Expect corrosive, discriminatory effects on schools & freedom of all children to learn
Supreme Court Requires Schools to Allow Opting Out From L.G.B.T.Q. Stories www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/u...
Supreme Court Requires Schools to Allow Opting Out From L.G.B.T.Q. Stories www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/u...
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
If you think it can’t happen here, remember that it already did. In 1942 soldiers came with rifles to our home and ordered us out. They put us in internment camps. Most of us were citizens.
June 20, 2025 at 8:10 PM
If you think it can’t happen here, remember that it already did. In 1942 soldiers came with rifles to our home and ordered us out. They put us in internment camps. Most of us were citizens.
Reposted by Dan Montgomery
While we wait for the Supreme Court to rule in a critical redistricting case from Louisiana, this is what the GOP is up to in Texas and Ohio. Remember the GOP's plan is to make it harder for you to vote and easier for them to cheat.
June 20, 2025 at 1:50 PM
While we wait for the Supreme Court to rule in a critical redistricting case from Louisiana, this is what the GOP is up to in Texas and Ohio. Remember the GOP's plan is to make it harder for you to vote and easier for them to cheat.
I think @chicagosmayor.bsky.social would be right to veto this. I’m all for public safety but a curfew anywhere w/just 30 mins. notice sounds Trumpian to me & unlikely to make us safer.
The Chicago City Council voted 27-22 to allow CPD to impose a curfew anywhere in the city and begin enforcing it with just 30 minutes notice.
Chima Ikoro, community engagement editor at @southsideweekly.bsky.social, talks about the impact of these curfews.
to.wttw.com/3TvANi6
Chima Ikoro, community engagement editor at @southsideweekly.bsky.social, talks about the impact of these curfews.
to.wttw.com/3TvANi6
June 20, 2025 at 4:24 PM
I think @chicagosmayor.bsky.social would be right to veto this. I’m all for public safety but a curfew anywhere w/just 30 mins. notice sounds Trumpian to me & unlikely to make us safer.