Filtered Stories
My Why: MLK Day, the PIE Summit, and the Call to Good Trouble
This MLK Day reflection connects a pivotal college experience, the PIE Summit in Atlanta, and a visit to Dr. King’s home to a renewed sense of purpose in the fight for educational equity. It is a personal reminder of why standing on the front lines for families and students matters now more than ever.
A Year at Kids First Chicago: What I’ve Learned from Listening to Chicago Families
My first year at Kids First Chicago has been a journey of listening, learning, and connection. Every conversation with parents, caregivers, and community members has deepened my belief that those closest to the challenges are best equipped to create the solutions.
A New Chapter: Northwest Parents In Action Graduation and Their Paths Forward
Kids First Chicago’s (K1C) Parent Leadership Fellowship (PLF) has officially graduated the Northwest Side Cohort, named “Northwest Side Parents in Action.”
Make Funding for City's Public Schools Equitable
As a parent of three elementary-age students in Chicago Public Schools and a member of the local school council, I’m asking our state and local governments to consider how extra funding that’s coming into our district is allocated.
Parents, Teachers are Partners
As a Chicago Public Schools parent for over 20 years, I have taken pride in being involved with my children's success in school.
Natalie N. West Side
A former Chicago Public School student herself, Natalie has over a decade of teaching experience in Chicago and is now Chicago International Charter School’s Chief of Academic Accountability.
Brandon H. Lawndale Alumnus
Brandon H. was the student with a lot on his plate. He balanced school with National Honor Society, Louder Than a Bomb competition, Mikva Challenge, student government, policy debate, and the entrepreneurship club to name a few.
Michael N. South Chicago
Before discovering CICS-Avalon, at the New Schools Expo at Soldier Field, Michael and his family looked at the neighborhood traditional school when their son was about to start kindergarten, but didn’t feel that the environment was right for their son.
Sheryl D. South Shore
Sheryl D., has lived in Chicago since 1972, and is the mother of one daughter and one son. Both her daughter, Sherri, and son Stephen were students of Skinner Elementary School and Whitney Young Magnet High School.