Our Stories

Our Stories

Time to Act

Feb 3, 2022 0 2 min read
Time to Act
I’ve heard some folks describe learning to read as a “neurological backflip.” Teaching something like that takes a huge amount of skill and persistence – something I’ve seen first-hand as my young daughter has started reading more and more this school year. But when only 33% of Illinois fourth-grade students are proficient readers, we know […]

Our Schools Need This

Feb 2, 2022 0 1 min read
Our Schools Need This
While much of the state is getting blanketed with snow today, the work of government goes on. Today, Governor JB Pritzker delivered his budget address and proposed to include $350 million in additional funding for the Evidence-Based Funding formula for Illinois schools. Gov. Pritzker’s proposed funding is a strong signal to the importance his administration […]

News Stand: Jan. 2022

Jan 21, 2022 0 3 min read
Cartoon of a small child standing on a stack of books to look at fireworks. the fireworks are embedded in the stars of the American flag.
Download the full News Stand edition as a PDF. See the crossword answers here. — 2022 Priority Legislation ADEQUATE AND EQUITABLE FUNDING SPENT WISELY The Evidence-Based Funding Formula enacted in 2017 established a minimum funding goal of adding $350 million in new funds each year until adequate funding is reached. The State Board of Education has requested this increase […]

They Need to Hear From You

Jan 14, 2022 0 1 min read
Father reading to his son
The New Year brings with it a sense of new things to accomplish and new places to engage. I hope you’ll take this time to engage with an important survey from CPS. The district continues gathering community feedback on how they measure school quality. They need to hear from you today! This survey is voluntary and […]

Kids Deserve the Right to Read

Jan 7, 2022 0 2 min read
two elementary school students reading
At my house, we read all the time. I push my foster daughters, who are teen moms, to read to their children. While we might grow frustrated with the accumulation of toys to trip over, we are always excited for new books to read. It’s the best part of our daily bedtime routine. Imagine my […]

Adding to the Gratitude Jar

Dec 30, 2021 0 2 min read
Adding to the Gratitude Jar
As a little girl, my mother and grandmother taught me to treat people how I wanted to be treated. I think most of us have someone special in our lives who taught us that lesson. As a teacher at Carver Elementary School in Chicago, I try to model that lesson and pass it down to […]