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Our Stories

Confused About Property Tax Relief Pool Grants?

Jun 4, 2018 0 3 min read
Illinois state capitol
The Governor signed the budget today (yay!) and we’re all praising the legislature for adding another $350 million towards the evidence-based funding formula enacted last year. Let’s break down that $350 million a bit more. $300 million of that figure will be equitably distributed first to the school districts that are the most under-funded (i.e., furthest away […]

Progress

Jun 1, 2018 0 2 min read
Progress
In our office are photos taken over the last couple of years of Stand members holding rally signs with messages like “Our Students Our Future” and “Illinois Kids Need Fair Funding.” Nearby are pictures taken 22 years ago today of Stand for Children Day, the largest rally in support of children’s rights in the history […]

Policy Fellows Bring Advocacy to Springfield

May 1, 2018 0 4 min read
Policy Fellows Bring Advocacy to Springfield
Last month, Stand for Children Policy Fellows Cymone Card, Abby Schultz, Dovie Shelby, and Kayla Valenti joined Stand staff on a visit to the state capital. This was a prime opportunity for the Fellows to meet up and make a difference together at the Capitol and also attend an insightful event that evening. While in […]

Confused About the School Funding Trailer Bill?

Jan 12, 2018 0 6 min read
IL state capitol
Recently, the Governor issued an amendatory veto of the school funding trailer bill, which begs the question: what happens next so schools can finally start getting their new funding? But before we answer that, we’ll walk through a few other questions for background: What was the funding bill? What does “trailer bill” mean? What is […]

A Better Recipe

Sep 28, 2017 0 2 min read
A Better Recipe
One of my favorite desserts is a piece of good chocolate cake. Plenty of ingredients go into making a cake. And plenty of ingredients go into grading schools. As a new parent, it’s important to me that those ingredients make our schools better. But for too long, Illinois schools have basically been graded on a […]

Confused About the New School Funding Reform Law?

Sep 1, 2017 0 6 min read
Confused About the New School Funding Reform Law?
Yesterday was the historic bill signing for SB1947, which fixes the worst school funding system in the nation and puts all Illinois schools on the path to adequate and equitable funding. Its predecessor, SB1, had been called the most thoroughly vetted bill in recent Illinois history, given the sheer number of public task forces, working […]