Celebrate the education champions elected in IPS

I know the national election is likely top of mind for everyone, but I wanted to take a moment to celebrate the education champions who were elected in IPS on Tuesday and honor the many Stand Indiana parent advocates who worked tirelessly to support those candidates.   

We are so excited Stand-endorsed IPS board candidates Deandra “Dee” Thompson, Ashley Thomas, and Allissa Impink all won this week. And while District 2 candidate Hasaan Rashid lost, the entire Stand organization is so proud of the race he ran. 

We’re especially proud of Ashley Thomas, who is one of Stand Indiana’s original parent advocates. Ashley joined Stand’s first Stand University for Parents workshops in 2014 and went on to become one of this movement’s most effective advocates and leaders. She personally taught me a lot about advocacy and how to help volunteers and parents use their voices to make positive change. Nearly every person I know that cares about equity in education and closing opportunity gaps has a heartfelt story to share about Ashley and her tireless work and uplifting spirit.   

Ashley will now join two amazing leaders in Allissa Impink and Deandra Thompson – who both bring tremendous experience to the board as mothers, educators and community voices. We are so fortunate to have all three of these extraordinary women on the IPS board.   

Lastly, I want to make sure to thank the numerous Stand advocates who spent thousands of hours supporting our endorsed candidates. Look for information next week showcasing the data behind all of their hard work, which absolutely made a difference in the results on Tuesday.