Stacy Davis Gates, president of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), has received a significant raise for leading the statewide organization. The IFT board decided in early October to increase her salary to $250,000 a year. Combined with her pay from the CTU, her total annual earnings come to $445,000.
Raise for the IFT President
According to information obtained from several sources, the board of the Illinois Federation of Teachers approved a raise for Stacy Davis Gates from $180,000 to $250,000 a year.
Davis Gates became IFT president in October 2025. She had previously served as the organization’s vice president. The federation brings together more than 200 local unions and represents more than 100,000 teachers, college and university faculty and public-sector workers in Illinois.
$445,000 a Year in Total
Her pay from the statewide federation is not Davis Gates’ only union-related income. She also draws a salary as president of the Chicago Teachers Union.
Published reports show she earned $195,000 in that post in 2025. With the new IFT salary included, her total annual pay from both positions comes to $445,000.
What Did the Previous President Earn?
By comparison, the previous head of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Dan Montgomery, was paid nearly $280,000 a year toward the end of his tenure. He led the organization for more than a decade and then retired.
Davis Gates’ new pay for leading the IFT is lower than her predecessor’s salary in the final period of his work, but when her CTU earnings are added, her total pay is significantly higher.
Source: Polski.FM
