Dan Montgomery

Dan Montgomery

The Myth of "Choice": A conversation about charters, public schools, and our priorities Dan Montgomery has worked on behalf of public education and the rights of working men and women for more than two decades. He was elected to a three-year term as president of the 103,000-member Illinois Federation of Teachers at the union’s Convention in October 2010 and unanimously reelected in 2013. A veteran educator and union activist, Montgomery has been an IFT member since 1993. He served as head of the 1,700-member North Suburban Teachers Union, Local 1274, for nearly 10 years and was a vice president on the IFT Executive Board from 2002 until his election to the IFT presidency. As a board member, he chaired numerous Executive Board committees, including the Personnel, Negotiations and Locals Committees and was a member of the board’s 12-member Executive Committee. He also served as chair of the union’s PreK-12 Constituency Council and the 2009 IFT President’s Conference Planning Committee. Montgomery is active at the national level, as well. He is currently an elected vice president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). He previously served as the co-chair of the American Federation of Teachers Pre-K-12 Teachers Program and Policy Council. He also served on two AFT ad hoc committees on the Common Core State Standards and Retirement Security. A dedicated and experienced educator, Montgomery taught English for 18 years at Niles North High School in Skokie, Ill. He also taught in the City Colleges of Chicago, at Northwestern University, and at the Francis Parker School. His teaching expertise has earned him a place as a member on the board of directors of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. He also serves on numerous boards including the Chicago Talent Development High School, the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, and the Illinois AFL-CIO. Montgomery is married with three children. He and his family are heavily involved the community in which they reside, Evanston, Ill.