Stacy Davis Gates, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, is set to receive a reported $70,000 annual raise as students across Illinois continue to face challenges in reading, according to an NBC Chicago report published Oct. 29.
The IFT Executive Board approved an increase in her pay for that role from $180,000 to $250,000 a year. She also serves as president of the Chicago Teachers Union, where public filings show she earned just under $195,000. Together, the two salaries would amount to about $445,000 annually.
The increase, which is nearly 39%, drew criticism from the Illinois Policy Institute, a free-market think tank. Mailee Smith, the institute’s vice president of policy and litigation, said the CTU spends a relatively small share of its budget on representing teachers. She argued that Davis Gates’ raise reflects a broader focus on leadership pay rather than services for union members.
Smith also pointed to the difference between Davis Gates’ reported compensation and what classroom teachers earn. Teachers need support in their schools and representation during contract negotiations, she said, adding that the raise would not directly address either need.
Davis Gates, the CTU and the IFT did not respond to requests for comment.
The pay increase comes amid continued concern about academic performance in Illinois. In 2024, 30% of the state’s fourth graders and 33% of its eighth graders scored at or above the proficient level in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation’s Report Card.
Chicago’s results showed similar challenges. In 2024, 23% of the city’s fourth graders reached the NAEP proficient level in reading. In math, 60% scored at or above the basic level, up slightly from 59% in 2022 and from 50% in 2003.
The Illinois Policy Institute also said 46% of Chicago Public Schools students in grades three through eight met reading proficiency standards during the 2025-26 school year, citing the 2026 Illinois Report Card. Among CPS 11th graders who took the ACT, the institute reported, 44% were proficient in reading and 28% in math.
The CTU has faced criticism over its political and social activism. The Washington Post editorial board previously questioned the union’s focus on progressive social justice initiatives while students struggled with reading and math. Earlier reports on internal union documents also described spending on progressive political causes.
Smith said state and local leaders should put the needs of students and teachers first. She also criticized Davis Gates over what she characterized as inconsistencies between her public positions and personal choices, including her support for others paying their “fair share,” her decision to send her child to private school while opposing scholarships for low-income families, and the timing of the raise after local teachers rejected a dues increase.
Chicago Public Schools did not respond to a request for comment on the district’s testing results.
