Why is public education advocacy important to you?
Education advocacy is important to me because the more we educate the people who care for and about children, the more we keep moving the message forward. After being involved for nearly three years, I feel powerful, knowledgeable, and capable. By joining this movement, I have empowered myself.
As an advocate, what accomplishment have you found most satisfying?
The accomplishment of which I am most proud was the creation of our Neighborhood Schools Fair. This event was created by 16 mothers. Sixty three schools participated, and approximately 600 parents and children attended. What was most rewarding for us was the web of connections which we created across the city. That was inspiring and beautiful. The Fair was not about competition; it was about collaboration.
What are some of your frustrations or obstacles that you have met or overcome?
The biggest frustration that I encountered was to have been banned by the CPS Board of Education. My voice was silenced, and my issues were not allowed to be heard.
What keeps you going?
What keeps me going is the knowledge that if I don’t fight today, we won’t have public schools tomorrow.
What do you want parents to know about public education issues?
I want parents to know that public education is under severe attack. As parents it is our fight and our responsibility to stand up for our schools, our children, our teachers, and our neighborhoods. I fear that public education will become destroyed if we don’t stand up and fight for it. Parents can get involved by showing up at meetings, by signing up to speak at Board meetings, by being involved in rallies, by speaking to politicians. The list is as long as you want to be involved.
Why are public schools important to everyone in a community?
Schools are important to the entire community because schools are where the community begins. Schools are the anchors of our neighborhoods.
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