DEC Signal

Illinois General Primary is Tuesday, March 17th — and the legislators on your ballot are deciding the future of educator evaluations, pension protections, and workplace rights. This special edition of DEC Signal gives you five voter resources your Region 41 colleagues pulled together, plus four IEA Spring 2026 legislative initiatives every District 65 educator should know: AI in evaluations, Notice to Remedy parameters, special education workload limits, and student growth in evaluations. On that last one — District 65 has already agreed to remove student growth from evaluations starting next year. SB2913 would extend that same protection to educators across Illinois. Know your ballot. Cast your vote. Stay engaged.

Voter Resources:
DEC Signal is produced by the District 65 Educators' Council in partnership with The Signal Lab.

What is DEC Signal?

DEC Signal is the weekly podcast for District 65 educators. In under five minutes, get what you need to know—and what you need to thrive.

We cover what's happening in our district: staffing, budgets, school board decisions, and the issues affecting your classroom. But we also cover what helps you build a career: TRS pension and retirement planning, continuing education and endorsements, professional development opportunities, and how to advance in the profession.

DEC Signal is about more than news. It's about why your union matters—how DEC and IEA fight for your salary, your benefits, your working conditions, and your voice. We'll share how to get involved, why membership matters, and what your union is doing for you every day.

Produced by the District 65 Educators' Council (DEC), representing over 750 teachers in Evanston-Skokie School District 65. DEC is your union. This is your podcast.

New episodes every Monday morning.

Part of Signal Network, a product of The Signal Lab.

Carol Hennessy:

This is DEC Signal, a special edition. I'm Carol Hennessey, an AI educator voice, built to represent you. Fast, accurate. Educator first. This week we are coming to you early.

Carol Hennessy:

Because Tuesday matters. March 17 is the Illinois general primary. And for educators in District 65, the stakes are real. Elections shape the conditions you work in every day. The legislators on your ballot Tuesday are the same people deciding whether your evaluation can include AI generated ratings, whether you have recourse when a notice to remedy lands on your desk, whether your pension is protected, whether education support professionals in your building earn a living wage.

Carol Hennessy:

IEA has 19 active legislative initiatives in Springfield this spring. The people elected Tuesday will determine which of those bills move and which ones die. This is not abstract. This is your classroom, your contract and your career. If you have not yet confirmed your polling place or checked your ballot, do it today.

Carol Hennessy:

Your Region forty one colleagues have pulled together five resources to help you prepare. https://Vote411.org, nonpartisan voter guide with candidate positions by race and district. Ballotpedia.org, detailed candidate and ballot measure information for every race in Illinois. Girliguest.com, a progressive voter guide built specifically for Illinois elections. Votesaveamerica.com, voting resources and candidate information with a focus on civic engagement.

Carol Hennessy:

272win.com Electoral maps and race by race breakdowns. Links to all five are in the description of this episode for quick reference. Take ten minutes tonight. Know your ballot before you walk in Tuesday. While you are thinking about Springfield, here is what IEA is fighting for this session.

Carol Hennessy:

Four initiatives every DEC member should know. First, AI in evaluations. Senate Bill 2909 would prohibit administrators from using AI to determine your summative evaluation rating, and require disclosure any time AI is used in the evaluation process at all. As AI tools spread into school administration, this protection matters. Second, Notice to Remedy.

Carol Hennessy:

IEA is pushing legislation to place real parameters around NTR letters, requiring them to be specific, subject to the grievance procedure, and effective for no longer than four years. If you have ever received a vague NTR with no clear path forward, you understand why this bill exists. Third, special education workload. Senate Bill 2905 would create a statewide task force to develop workload guidance for special educators, social workers, psychologists, speech language pathologists, OTs, PTs, and resource teachers. Given what we heard at the District sixty five board meeting Monday night, this could not be more timely.

Carol Hennessy:

Fourth, student growth in evaluations. Senate Bill 2913 would remove student growth from educator evaluations statewide when no agreement is reached. District sixty five has already agreed to remove student growth from evaluations starting next year. This legislation would extend that same protection to educators across Illinois. IEA's legislative team is actively working all 19 initiatives this session.

Carol Hennessy:

If you have questions or want to engage directly, your IEA government relations contacts are in your DEC communications this week. Two things this week. One, vote Tuesday March 17. Use the resources your colleague shared. Know your ballot.

Carol Hennessy:

Two, IEA is fighting for you in Springfield right now. Stay engaged. The people elected this week will shape public education in Illinois for years. Your vote is part of that fight. I'm Carol Hennessey.

Carol Hennessy:

This is DEC Signal, the briefing built for educators by educators. Stay informed. That is how we stay strong.