Colleagues:

By now, you have heard that IEA, for the first time, will not recommend anyone for the office of governor in the election this November. I want to provide you with information about how and why that decision was made as well as share my thoughts about Election Day.

Why "No Recommendation"

There are two good reasons IEA has never sat out a governor's race; it was never before the best available option and it was never before demanded by members deeply disappointed by the failure of either candidate to propose a comprehensive plan to address the school funding crisis.

A choice between a new casino and the sale of the State Lottery is no choice at all. Neither plan provides the funding stability that will help the school improvement effort, and neither provides property tax relief to homeowners harmed by the state's over-reliance on local property taxes.

The Vote

The weeks leading up to last Friday night's IEA board meeting were filled with discussion and research concerning the governor's race. Immediately before the vote, the board reviewed two internal polls in which IEA members stated clearly and strongly that neither Gov. Blagojevich nor Treasurer Topinka deserved to be recommended.

The last poll was taken after both candidates' education proposals had received a great deal of publicity; yet the sentiment against recommending either of them remained strong.

Over the last few months, through conversation, letters or e-mail, I have heard from hundreds of IEA members who shared with me their thoughts about the election and the IEA recommendation. When the polling data came in, I was not surprised by the support for "no recommendation" as that was, by far, the most popular suggestion I had heard from members.

The IEA board clearly had been hearing the same thing from their members at home. When I informed the board of the IPACE committee recommendation that "no recommendation" be the board position, the response was spontaneous, prolonged applause.

What About Green?

Several of you have asked whether the Green Party candidate received consideration. The answer is "'yes"; however, the candidate was unable to meet a key criterion: electability.

The IPACE recommendation was delayed until Sept. 12, yet in that period the most favorable credible scientific poll showed support level for the Green candidate at 6 percent. The Sun-Times poll, released last Sunday, put Green support at 3 percent.

Single digit support less than two months before the election is definitively "unelectable."

Choosing an unelectable candidate would obscure the message so many members have told us they want delivered through the news media: that we are tired of the lip service the major party candidates pay to education.

Colleagues, the next governor of Illinois will be a Republican or a Democrat. Throwing support behind an unelectable third-party candidate undermines the ability of IEA to rebuild the relationship, as we will have to, with the winner of the election.

While the Green Party candidate may be aligned with elements of our agenda, we must also keep in mind that come January 2007 it is our ability to move our agenda, working with the Republican and Democratic caucuses in the House and Senate, that will matter most.

We're a Union, Let's Stick Together

The board of directors' unanimous vote was a statement. Continuing to send a clear organizational message is crucial to the advancement of the Invest in Excellence agenda. Please take a look at today's Freeport newspaper editorial. The paper understands our message. We hope to see more editorials and columnists weigh in with similar sentiments between now and Election Day.

At least one gubernatorial candidate has suggested driving a wedge between IEA members and the elected members of the IEA board by seeking local political recommendations. Regardless of intent, such efforts would hinder the ability of IEA governance and staff to advocate for members, not only with regard to education funding, but on all matters for which legislative approval is needed.

Prior to Election Day, we plan to make information on the positions of the various gubernatorial candidates available to members via the IEA Web site. Every IEA member will have the opportunity to cast a vote for the candidate of his or her choice on Election Day, but to the public we must speak with one voice.

Colleagues, these are interesting times. By standing together, we can make a positive difference in the lives of our members and students.