Meet the Candidates. Make Your Voice Heard.
Join Kids First Chicago and community partners for two nonpartisan opportunities to hear directly from candidates running for Chicago’s Elected School Board.
Join us September 15 at Malcolm X College for a community watch party of the Elected School Board President Candidate Forum, or September 19 for a district-level candidate forum focused on local candidates and communities.
Our Work
Learn more about our work from the people who lead Kids First Chicago.
Activate Families
We bring parents to the decision-making table, providing transparent and digestible information to fuel their engagement and supporting them as they lead work to transform Chicago schools.
Shape Policy
We work with parents to address the root causes of inequitable education outcomes and partner with CPS, the City of Chicago, and others in implementing solutions supported by families and the facts.
Share the Facts
We offer independent, transparent data about Chicago schools so all families can evaluate schools’ performance and their kids’ needs as well as participate in decision-making.
Where We Engage
We focus our community engagement in the city’s South and West Sides, where far too many Black and Latine parents have been left out of the conversation for far too long.
Upcoming Events
SEP 15, 2026 • 4:00 PM–7:00 PM
Elected School Board President Candidate Forum Watch Party
Location: Malcolm X College
Audience: General Public, Parents
Category: Info Session
Join Kids First Chicago and community partners at Malcolm X College for a community watch party as the Elected School Board President Candidate Forum is broadcast live from WTTW Studios.
SEP 19, 2026 • 10:30 AM–12:00 PM
2026 Elected School Board District Candidate Forum
Location: Intentional Sports
Audience: General Public, Parents
Category: Info Session
Join us for a nonpartisan candidate forum to meet the candidates running for the Chicago Board of Education. Hosted by a coalition of education partners, this event brings candidates together with the communities they want to represent: parents, students, teachers, principals, and neighbors.
SEP 22, 2026 • 6:00 PM–7:30 PM
Living Room: Absenteeism & Student Belonging
Location: Virtual
Audience: Parents
Category: Info Session
Examining attendance data, root causes of absenteeism, and fostering belonging.
A Resilient Chicago
Together, we can create a system where every kid defies gravity—a system that ensures equitable access to quality schools, funding, and transparent information in all communities.