Every CPS student deserves more than a desk and a textbook, they deserve to live and learn in dignity. We cannot expect children to learn when their basic needs go unmet.

I will advocate for universal pre-K and guaranteed wrap-around services at every single school, connecting students and families to the mental health, social, and basic needs that make learning possible. Our district has a growing number of students and families who are housing and food insecure. I will work collaboratively with district and school leaders to ensure that families are connected to existing services to support continued engagement in the CPS learning community.

I’ll take on chronic absenteeism head-on with data-informed strategies that address its many causes, not just the symptoms. And, I’ll use data not as a weapon to punish schools, but as a tool to identify needs and deliver targeted services for every student to get holistic support to reach their full potential.

I will work in collaboration with community-based organizations and district leaders to ensure that the inclusive sex education curriculum is not only updated but implemented throughout the district. This collaboration includes training school leaders on the curriculum and ensuring that students in our district receive age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health education. For example, this will include everything from gender-inclusive and gender- affirming content to working with state legislators to expand high schoolers’ access to condoms and other forms of contraceptives, STI testing, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).