Illinois’ largest teachers union has a new president

Posted on April 6, 2023
Al Llorens, a math teacher from Dolton, is the new president of the Illinois Education Association. (Photo courtesy Illinois Education Association)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois’ largest teachers union has a new president.

It’s Al Llorens, who has been a math teacher and girls’ track and cross country coach at Thornridge High School in Dolton. He says teaching is not getting any easier.

“Certain things that are coming in the door are unexpected at the preparation level are unexpected at the preparation level,” Llorens said. “After the pandemic, folks are not quite acting right, and there, to me, is a mental health crisis on a lot of levels that we didn’t see before.”

The new Illinois Education Association president, succeeding the retired Kathi Griffin, says evidence-based funding looks better when you look at what it adds to a district.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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