Board President

I am Cassandra Kaczocha (ka-cha-ha); serving as RYH Board President. I am passionate about equity. I believe equity doesn't happen unless we make sure the voices of all communities are involved in crafting policy. Professionally, I work in Information Technology. Personally, I parent two tiny humans whom I hope I am leaving the legacy of faith and works instilled in me by my mother and grandmother. I am also a community member who believes our role is to leave the world a better place than we found it.

Treasurer

I became involved with Raise Your Hand in 2011 when then-Mayor Emanuel pushed to expand the school day. My daughter attended Oscar Mayer Magnet School, one of the Montessori schools in CPS. I was already appalled at the misuse of standardized testing in CPS, and the way it distorted authentic and proven Montessori methods. Since I had graduate degrees in political science, I went through the academic studies that CPS was citing in favor of the longer day and found that CPS was distorting what those studies said. I was relieved to make contact with Raise Your Hand, made up of parents and caregivers who were committed to discovering what policies actually worked. I was also drawn to its volunteers' commitment to work for all schools in CPS, not just the ones their children attended. Although I currently live in Cambridge, MA, I remain dedicated to RYH and its mission.

Secretary

Andrea Tolzmann is the parent of two CPS students and has been actively involved with Raise Your Hand since 2014. She moved to Chicago 23 years ago from Colorado, where she grew up in the foothills and the mountains. She has played violin since she was 4 years old and received her degree in Music Performance at the University of Northern Colorado. She can be found performing in various orchestras and ensembles all over the Chicagoland region. As a CPS parent, Andrea has been active in her neighborhood school for 12 years, serving on the LSC, working with the PAC, and uplifting the voices of parents in her school community. Inspired by her involvement with RYH and other school-related activities, Andrea has found herself on the path to becoming a Special Education teacher.

Elisabeth (she/her) has a passion for public education. For several years, she was the chair of the Local School Council (LSC) at National Teachers Academy (NTA) where her daughter and son are thriving in their school community. As chair of the LSC, she helped to lead the fight to save NTA by speaking at Board of Education meetings, marching in the streets in protest, and ultimately, in becoming a named plaintiff in Greer vs. Chicago Public School. When she's not suing the city, Elisabeth works as a Full Professor of English at Harold Washington College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. Elisabeth is originally from Roseland (wild hundreds, represent!) but now lives about 75 blocks closer to downtown on the near south side.

Aiko is a mother of a CPS student, and has now lived in Hyde Park for over 20 years, almost half of her life. As having received education in Japan, Aiko knew little about how the public education system in the U.S. operated until 2017 when CPS proposed to close her child's school, National Teachers Academy (NTA), a successful majority Black elementary school. She has become a strong advocate of equitable funding for public schools since her involvement in the fight to save NTA, #WeAreNTA, which successfully overturned the district's decision. During the fight she encountered numerous amazing people who committed themselves to empowering communities. Inspired by them, Aiko joined the Raise Your Hand board in 2019. She also serves on the Local School Council at Bret Harte Elementary as a community representative, and on Friends of Bret Harte Elementary as a treasurer. Aiko is a lecturer at School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she teaches cultural and political sociology courses.

I am Nicole Abreu (Ah-breh-oo)- proud daughter of immigrants from La Republica Dominicana, wife to my favorite tech geek and mother to three amazing kiddos in Chicago Public Schools. Born in Queens and raised in Miami, I came to Chicago to study Spanish Literature and train to be a teacher. I am passionate about accessible, culturally relevant public education rooted in social justice. I had the privilege of dedicating myself to that work as an elementary school teacher in public schools for 7 years. Since the birth of my eldest, who has been showing the world there’s #HopeInOneHemisphere for 11 years and counting, I’ve funneled that passion into advocacy and activism, but still dream of finding my way back to the classroom, where I feel most at home!

Soy Nicole Abreu, orgullosa hija de inmigrantes de La República Dominicana, esposa de mi “tech geek” favorito y madre de tres niños increíbles en las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago. Nacida en Queens y criada en Miami, vine a Chicago para estudiar literatura en español y entrenar para ser maestra. Me apasiona la educación pública accesible y culturalmente relevante, fundada en la justicia social. Tuve el privilegio de dedicarme a ese trabajo como maestra de primaria en escuelas públicas durante 7 años. Desde el nacimiento de mi hija mayor, quien le ha estado mostrando al mundo que #HayEsperanzaEnUnHemisferio por 11 años y contando, he dirigido esa pasión hacia la abogacía y el activismo, pero aún sueño con regresar al salón de clases, donde me siento más a gusto.

(they/them)

I grew up in upstate New York and moved to Chicago 20 years ago to study at the University of Chicago. My mom was a teacher and elementary school librarian, so I was steeped in the education world from an early age. I first became involved with CPS as a teaching assistant in Bronzeville, and then as a facilitator in a theater/puppetry program for Hyde Park Academy High School students. Through the university’s UTEP program, I became a teacher and quickly learned the incredible power that comes from collaboration between educators, families, and students. For 14 years I taught middle school Science, Social Studies, and English Language Arts, and I continue to be passionate about developing interdisciplinary and liberatory learning experiences alongside young people. I believe in centering interconnectedness, care, curiosity, and critical consciousness building in the classroom, and that the role of an educator is to guide students as they build the world they want to live in, while engaging with and learning from families as partners in that critical work. Over my career in education thus far, I’ve enjoyed cultivating multiple native plant and food gardens with students and parents, supporting student-led STEM programming for families, and learning together alongside students about the continual work of fighting for environmental and racial justice in Chicago. At home I enjoy collecting fossil rocks at the lake, learning more about disability justice organizing, and cooking for my community!

Treasurer

A proud Chicagoan for the past 22 years, Nicki is passionate about fostering strong communities and ensuring equitable opportunities for all children. As a dedicated parent of two children who attend a neighborhood public school, she is deeply committed to improving public education in the city. 

As a professional, Nicki works in Market Research.  In her personal life, she is  raising 2 beautiful daughters on the far north side. She believes that all children deserve access to high-quality education and fair funding, and she is actively working to advocate for these issues within the Chicago community.