CHICAGO (INCS)—Hundreds of parents of charter school students will gather at the state capitol May 8 to celebrate the successes of charter public schools and to demand equitable treatment from elected officials.
More than 64,700 families in Illinois have selected charter public schools to educate their children, and these parents voices will be heard as part of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools’ (INCS) Lobby Day in Springfield. Senators and House representatives will address charter parents during a noon rally in front of the Lincoln Statue at the Illinois Capitol building.
Nieves Hernandez said she will “raise her voice for the rights of all families” who have chosen to send their children to a charter public school. Hernandez is the parent of a son with autism and a daughter with ADHD, both enrolled at Rowe Elementary—a top-ranked charter public school in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood.
“Rowe has had a great impact on the lives of my children,” said Hernandez, who will speak at the noon rally. “Children with different abilities that often fail to grow or become successful is because someone else said that ‘they would not be able to achieve their goals.’ That is why I will be at INCS Lobby Day—to teach children that someone’s opinion does not determine who they are nor their future. I will raise my voice for an excellent school.”
In their meetings with state leaders, charter public school advocates and parents will ask lawmakers to oppose bills that prevent new charter public schools from opening and that prevent quality public schools from renewing their charters. They will also ask elected officials to support a bill that provides professional training to charter school board members and that requires at least one member of a charter public school’s governing board be filled by a parent.
“Parents want a more active role in their children’s education, and they understand that charter public schools deliver strong outcomes academically, social and emotionally,” said Andrew Broy, INCS president. “These families deserve to be treated equitably, and we at INCS will continue to advocate on their behalf until this becomes a reality.”
About INCS:
The Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) is state’s only advocacy organization for charter public schools. INCS advocates for legislation on behalf of the charter sector, provides support to strengthen charter public schools, and influences education policy for the benefit of all public school students. For more information, visit incschools.org.
For more information, contact:
Melissa Ramirez Cooper
Illinois Network of Charter Schools
312-690-2703 | mramirezcooper@incschools.org