Our Stories
During this most difficult-of-difficult years, educators and parents/caregivers representing 16 Chicago Public Schools partnered with us to build trust and connections with one another. They participated in Connection Conversations, a family engagement program of Stand. Connection Conversations is a COVID-driven innovation of our in-person, parent-teacher home visit program. It is centered around voluntary virtual visits, supported […]
Download this column as a PDF. UPDATE: Changes related to this issue have been included in SB 2017, the Budget Implementation Bill that recently passed both houses of the Illinois legislature. The teacher pension provisions of that measure include: Changing the calculation of Final Average Salary to the highest four of the last 10 years, rather than […]
In my home state of Texas, as far back as I can remember, Juneteenth has been a celebration. Juneteenth parades and pageants and oratory contests all shine a spotlight on the beauty of Black culture and the community. We eat barbeque, drink “red” soda and spend time with family and friends. Most importantly, we celebrate […]
Kim Payton was a force of nature when it came to speaking up for children and her community. She put in the hours, knocked on the doors, made the connections, and kept pushing for what’s right. She was like a superhero, standing up to make things better for everyone. She was also a genuine and […]
One of the most remarkable parents I have had the privilege of knowing during my time at Stand is Kimberly Payton. Many folks called her Kimmie, and the passion and depth of caring she brought to her advocacy was infectious. I am terribly sad to tell you that Kim recently and suddenly passed away. She […]
It’s not very often that we get to send happy notes like this so early in the year, but today is one of those days. Thanks to the support from education advocates like you, Illinois took a big step forward in the fight to dismantle systemic racism and move toward education equity. Gov. JB Pritzker […]
