Illinois teachers union boss Stacy Davis Gates gets major pay bump as state reading scores lag

The president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) received a reported $70,000 annual pay raise while many Illinois students continue to struggle with reading proficiency. 

The IFT Executive Board approved a pay increase for IFT President Stacy Davis Gates, raising her compensation for that role from $180,000 to $250,000 annually, according to an Oct. 29 report from NBC Chicago.

The state-level raise comes on top of her existing salary as president of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), where public records show she earned just under $195,000, based on that figure and her newly reported IFT salary, her combined annual pay would total approximately $445,000.

HOUSE GOP LAUNCHES PROBE INTO 5 MAJOR LABOR UNIONS OVER DEM SPENDING DESPITE MAGA MEMBERSHIP BASE

The nearly 39% pay increase drew criticism from the Illinois Policy Institute, a free-market think tank.

"The Chicago Teachers Union spends more money running itself than it does representing teachers. According to its own reporting, less than 19% of CTUs spending went toward representation," Mailee Smith, vice president of policy and litigation at the Illinois Policy Institute, told . 

"Davis Gates raise reflects the same misplaced priorities seeping into the Illinois Federation of Teachers: more dues money going toward leadership compensation instead of serving members," she continued.

Smith also criticized the disparity between Davis Gates' reported compensation and the salaries of classroom teachers.

"Teachers look for support in their classrooms and representation at the bargaining table," Smith added. "A nearly 39% raise for a leader does not help with either of those, especially when the average Illinois teacher only makes a fraction of Davis Gates total combined annual salary of $445,000."

Neither Davis Gates, the CTU nor the IFT responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.

WATCHDOG REPORT EXPOSES TEACHERS UNION 'POLITICAL MACHINE' FUNNELING MORE THAN $1 BILLION TO LIBERAL CAUSES

The compensation boost comes as Illinois schools face questions about student reading and math proficiency.

According to 2024 results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) — often referred to as the Nation's Report Card — only 30% of Illinois fourth graders scored at or above the proficient level in reading. Among eighth graders, 33% scored at or above that benchmark.

Chicago Public Schools' results also show significant proficiency gaps.

In Chicago, 23% of fourth graders performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level in reading in 2024. Meanwhile, 60% of fourth graders scored at or above the NAEP Basic level in math, a slight increase from 59% in 2022 and up from 50% in 2003.

The Illinois Policy Institute reported tha