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UFEA: Unit Five Education Association

UFEA: Unit Five Education Association

Union of education professionals affiliated with the Illinois Education Association and National Education Association - IEA-NEA, Advocating for Public Education Employees and Teachers in the McLean County Unit 5 School District located in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois

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From the President:  April Update

April 10, 2025 by UFEA President

-UFEA-  

  • 1% County Schools Facility Tax – THANK YOU to all who made it out and voted!! IT PASSED!!  This will provide consistent and reliable funding for the District to help maintain all of our facilities, many of them in desperate need of repair and refurbishment.  
  • Retirement Incentive 9.4.1
    • Contractual deadline to submit a letter with your intent to retire and received the retirement incentive is May 1st.
    • Sample Letter
  • District TRS Meeting – April 17 from 4pm-6pm at Normal Community WEST High School
    • Tier 1 – come and ask any questions you have for TRS about retirement 
    • Tier 2 – come and talk to TRS about the new SSP Savings Program
  • Statewide voting for NEA RA is open.  Please consider voting for the following member of Region 14 and Central Illinois.  Information about voting was mailed to your home address.  
    • Mark Wynters
    • Karl Goeke
    • Amanda Andres
    • Stacy Goeke
    • Kelly Streitmatter
    • Topher Tackman
    • Lilliana Zamora
    • Cassandra Bilyeu
    • Amy Evans
    • Elections close April 23rd at 4:00 pm.
  • NEW! Protect Public Schools Resource Hub – Keep up with our current actions, responses to executive orders, information, and resources to counter the attacks on public education and the Department of Education at www.nea.org/protect. We’ll continue to include updates and information on the value of the Department of Education and how educators can defend public schools.
  • IEA Funding for Professional Development/Conferences

-IEA-

  • Attacks on the Department of Education
    • IEA has a statement prepared and will release it whenever the order is issued. It will be posted here, if you would like to look or share with members.
    • NEA has scheduled a second webinar for 7 p.m. Thurs., March 13 for ALL members, community partners and others who support public education. Please feel free to share information about this second, March 13, webinar with all your members. Click here to register.
  • ISBE ICE Guidance
  • The Resurrection Project, an Illinois-based immigrant justice group
  • Seeking members interested in serving on the 2025-26 IEA committees
    • Committee and board subcommittee appointment procedures
    • Electronic applications are available on the IEA website until April 1
    • All applicants will be required to enter their Members Only login information.
    • Any questions, please direct to Courtney Gillespie.
  • Looking for recipients of the Minority Teachers of IL Scholarship
    • Please reach out to Unique Mickens if you know a recipient of the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship. There is currently a lawsuit challenging the validity of the scholarship. The IEA would like to know who has received the scholarship and its impact. We believe in a diverse teaching force and recognize the need for scholarships such as the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship.
  • Undo Tier 2 

-NEA-

  • Legislative
    • Support public education – Donate to the NEA PAC Fund

-ONLINE REPORTING FORMS-

  • MEMBER RECOGNITION –  Share the details so that we can give them a shoutout on social media!
  • PERSONAL EVENTS – In the event that a UFEA member experiences a significant personal event, whether that be a loss or celebration please complete this form.  Hospitality Chair, Blair Ediker, will consider the request and send an appropriate gift.
  • CONCERN RESOLUTION – Please remember that if there is an issue with another bargaining unit member, we have a negotiated process to address those concerns called Concern Resolution.

UFEA Members, 

I hope you are all surviving Testing Season.  It hits every level in the spring and causes a lot of disruption to the teaching and learning of our students.  Just a reminder that no standardized test can measure the impact that you have in the classroom on the learning of your students and the people they will become.  When we reflect back on our own time in school it isn’t the testing that we remember but the life lessons that our educators have taught us.  Make those lessons the ones where you find your joy!!

Have a great weekend, 

Julie

Category: From the President, News & Updates

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OFFICE: 309.663.6400

president@ufea.org


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  • From the President:  May UpdateMay 9, 2025
  • 2025 UFEA Scholarship Winners AnnouncedMay 9, 2025
  • From the President:  April UpdateApril 10, 2025

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