James M. Arey is the current Vice President of the District 214 Education Association, representing more than 880 teachers at six comprehensive high schools and three alternative schools. He previously served five consecutive terms as the Association’s president, leading the efforts to affiliate with the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the state chapter of the American Federation of Teachers. Also, for more than 29 years, he has been a Social Science teacher at Elk Grove Village High School, co-creating and overseeing an integrated, interdisciplinary community-based learning program targeted for at-risk students.
Mr. Arey is a graduate of Concordia University Chicago in River Forest, Illinois, with a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education. He earned his Master of Science in Secondary Education from National Louis University in Evanston, IL, and holds a Master of Science +30 from Northwestern University. He received the Golden Apple Award, recognizing excellence in teaching and leadership in the field of education, as well as the Associate Colleges of Illinois Shining Example Award, the 2001 Illinois Governor Cup Award, and is an Honoree of the American Association for Career Education Award for Excellence and Innovation.
