Join the Movement!

You are here

National Blog

Why I Stand: Adriana Figueroa

+Share
At age 15, Adriana Figueroa started attending her brother’s parent teacher conferences. “My parents went above and beyond to make sure we lived in a neighborhood where the schools were really good,” Adriana explains. “And that came at a cost.” With her parents working around the clock cleaning office buildings and working in factories, Adria was the de facto parent for her younger brother.

Stand parents in Chicago speak up about school closings

+Share

The closing of more than 50 struggling schools in Chicago this year has been a difficult process for many. Whether a positive or negative strategy, parents, teachers and students have voiced their grief and concerns in regards to this difficult issue. But this complex process is not black or white and unlike what is generally portrayed in the media, there are valid concerns on both sides of the debate. 

STRONG SUPPORT, LEGISLATIVE ACTION KEEPS COMMON CORE MOVING FORWARD IN INDIANA

+Share

INDIANAPOLIS – Education leaders and advocates expect implementation of the Common Core State Standards to continue despite legislation labeled by opponents as a “pause” in House Enrolled Act 1427, which was passed by the legislature last night. 

According to HEA 1427, the State Board of Education would be barred from taking further action on the Common Core, but the bill allows any Common Core standards previously adopted by the State Board of Education to continue with implementation.

The specific language in the report is as follows:

Why I Stand: Maria Luisa Ramos

+Share

Maria Luisa moved to the U.S. at age 15 not knowing any English. She was immediately shunted into remedial classes in every subject, even though she was in all advanced classes in Mexico.

“I went to the counselor and I told her that I wanted to go to college,” Maria Luisa says. “She told me ‘people like you don’t go to college’”.

Why I Stand: Toya Fick

+Share

This month, we are launching the "Why I Stand" series to introduce our blog readers to Stand staff members around the country. These folks spend countless hours training parents, organizing campaigns, and supporting other Stand staff across the country. Why do they do it? Read on.

Why I Stand: Felipe Vieyra

+Share

We spend a lot of time here at Stand talking about all of our amazing volunteer leaders who, together, power the movement to improve public education.

But this month, we are launching the "Why I Stand" series to introduce our blog readers to Stand staff members around the country. These folks spend countless hours training parents, organizing campaigns, supporting other Stand staff across the country, and a whole lot else.

Women Who Stand: Sara Garcia Gonzalez

+Share

Who better to round up our March profiles than Sara Garcia Gonzalez, a Stand leader in Reynolds, Oregon and the first Latino ever on the Reynolds budget committee. Tyler connected with her on the phone to talk about her education, her work in Reynolds, and her vision for the future.

Women Who Stand: Shannon Campion

+Share

Next on her Women Who Stand interview series, Tyler talked to Shannon Campion. Shannon founded the Portland, Oregon chapter of Stand for Children in 2002 (where Tyler worked as an organizer and director starting in 2008). Shannon has been the Executive Director of Stand for Children in Washington State for six years.

Women Who Stand: Representative Millie Hamner

+Share

Rep. Millie Hamner has worked in education her entire life: as a teacher, a principal, and a superintendent. In 2010 Hamner was appointed to the Colorado House, where she is the chair of the House Education Committee (a big deal for a representative only in her third year). Colorado Interim Executive Director Sonja Semion wouldn’t let Tyler finish out the month of March without interviewing her.

Women Who Stand: Christian Price

+Share

Christian was recently on our blog (welcoming her to her new job as National Campaigns Director) but that didn’t stop Stand staff from lobbying Tyler to interview Christian for the Women who Stand series as well. What’s Christians’ deal? And why does she have so many fans? Tyler called her for an interview and found out.

Pages