Our Stories

This is Teacher Appreciation Week, and an important reminder that in these times of “culture wars” to consider what more we can do to support educators. May I suggest that you read the recent op-ed co-authored by Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, and Stand’s Executive Officer Jonah Edelman. In this piece, published by […]

$500 a month with no strings attached might sound too good to be true. In this case, it isn’t. To help Chicago residents recover from the pandemic’s economic impact, the City is giving 5,000 families $500 per month for 12 months, with no limitations on how the money can be spent. Chicago families will decide how […]

Governor Pritzker signed the budget this week, securing another $350 million for Evidence-Based Funding! Legislators adjourned early in the morning just under two weeks ago, bringing the spring 2022 legislative session to a close. Here’s a quick wrap-up on our priority issues and some next steps. Expanding Access to Dual Credit: Both the Illinois House and […]

Download the full News Stand edition as a PDF. See the crossword answers here.

Today marks the final day of spring legislative session here in Springfield. Before things officially wind down, I’m happy to report that both the Senate and House unanimously approved a bill to boost student access to Dual Credit courses and flexibility for districts to launch and grow their own Dual Credit programs. Thanks to advocacy from folks […]

I’ve been so lucky in my life to be where I am today. I am deeply passionate about advocating for my family and my community. Now that I have managed to create better opportunities for myself, I am using my voice to help other families, not turn my back on them. But it wasn’t always […]