What are we? Who are we?

Welcome to the Raise Your Hand Coalition.

Raise Your Hand is a growing coalition of Chicago and Illinois public school parents, teachers and concerned citizens advocating for equitable and sustainable education funding, quality programs and instruction for all students and an increased parent voice in policy-making around education.

The coalition provides shared tools and methods to enable schools and organizations, in Chicago and throughout Illinois, to effectively mobilize their own stakeholders using their own member distribution lists and communication avenues.

Significant Accomplishments

• Sent over 150,000 emails to Illinois legislators in 2010, which played a critical role in halting a $1.3 billion budget cut.
• Created and hosted the only mayoral candidate forum on education, December 2010
• Successfully advocated for the return of $200 million of tax increment financing money (TIF) to CPS
• Built consensus with CPS and CTU, developed toolkit and provided technical assistance to bring recess to more than 8,000 CPS students for the first time in decades in 2011 
• Convened Chicago Parents for Quality Education - coalition of 16 parent/community groups from across the city working together to advocate for a better curriculum and quality day

 Current Initiatives

• Represent parent points of view on CPS extended day task force
• Advocate for well-rounded school day balanced with arts, recess, language and physical education
• Empower parents across Chicago and Illinois with information and viable actions to affect positive change in education
• Ensure parent voice in policy decisions related to the quality of education for our students
• Influence and advocate for overhaul of TIF program; annual return of surplus to CPS    

 Join “Raise Your Hand” Today!

• Strength in numbers: lend your voice to help improve schools
• Join the party of parents – over 500 Chicago schools and hundreds more statewide are part of the RYH “voice”
• Become part of the decision making process at CPS, and at your school
• Help schools and other organizations effectively mobilize their own parents & citizens, using their own member distribution lists & communication methods
• We will never sell or give away your email address
• Membership is free! 

 Click on the “join us” tab and enter your email at www.ilraiseyourhand.org

 Raise Your Hand: Empowering Parents, Advocating for Children

RYH Board

  Current Board Members:

June Coutre serves on numerous boards in Chinatown, including the Ping Tom Advisory Board, the Chinatown Public Library Advisory Board and the Pan Asian Advisory Board. She is on the LSC at her daughter’s school, Haines Elementary.

Matt Farmer is a Chicago lawyer who writes frequently about public education for The Huffington Post. He has served on the local school councils of two Chicago elementary schools, and he volunteered for many years as a lawyer-in-the-classroom at a third school. He has also served on the faculty (Midwest region) for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. Matt has two daughters. His oldest child is a 2010 CPS graduate, and his youngest figures to graduate from a CPS school in 2020. In his spare time, Matt plays music around town. Matt lives in Rogers Park.

Heather Hootmanis a parent of three sons attending three CPS schools, including two high schools. Her training in architecture focused on the need for educational buildings to support broad and progressive curricula in an ecologically sustainable manner. Heather is a CPS graduate. 

Wendy Katten is a parent of a third grader in CPS. She has worked in social services for eleven years and has a BA in English and an MFA in Creative Writing. She has published short-stories, volunteered at many organizations around Chicago from Cabrini Green Tutoring to Little Brothers, Friends of the Elderly, and has served on the board of the Friends of group at her son’s school for four years. Wendy is the Director of Raise Your Hand.

Sonia Kwon, a graduate of CPS, is a parent of two children who attend their neighborhood CPS school. She is actively involved in her community and local school and served on the school’s “Friends of’ board. Sonia recently served as the head of the Education transition committee for Ameya Pawar, 47th ward alderman. She is president and owner of Cipo, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in Microsoft ERP and CRM systems. Sonia is the Treasurer of Raise Your Hand.

Linda Lesondak is a parent of a Kindergarten and second grade student in CPS. She has served on the Local School Council and is a co-founder of the “Friends of” group at her neighborhood and now her children’s school. Linda has a PhD in Community Psychology and over 20 years of experience in public health and community planning at both the local and national level. Her current work focuses on health and education research and survey implementation. 

Clifford Meece is an IT professional with two children in the Chicago Public School system, and is a former Local School Council representative at Inter American Magnet School. Clifford is responsible for the technology supporting Raise Your Hand, including the website, live webcasts, and electronic outreach to constituents. He and his family are currently on a year-long sabbatical in Oaxaca, Mexico.  

Amy Smolensky is a parent of a second and third grader in CPS. She served for four years on the “Friends of” organization at her children’s school, including one year as vice president, and helped to raise over $500,000 for the school during that time. Amy is a seasoned communications professional who has directed public relations and helped to elevate the Raise Your Hand name and its initiatives in the media.

Dwayne Truss has been involved in education advocacy in the Austin area for over fifteen years. He serves as a community representative on the LSC at Ella Flagg Young Elementary and raised five children who attended CPS schools. Dwayne is the Assistant Director of Raise Your Hand.

Jill Wohl has been involved in school reform and Local School Council governance since her daughter entered a CPS dual language program in 2004. She has public policy experience in early care and education, multilingual and multicultural education and special needs advocacy. Jill is currently Director of Development and Communications at Health & Disability Advocates, a national nonprofit that leverages public-private partnerships to improve equitable access to jobs, education and health care. Jill is the secretary of Raise Your Hand.

RYH also has parent reps in many of the schools. These members help inform schools of our initiatives, help get parents informed on how to have a stronger voice at the school, local and state level. If you are interested in becoming a RYH parent rep, contact us!