Stand for Children, Illinois

THERE'S NO DENYING IT. THE FACTS ARE STARK IN ILLINOIS: Only 31% of Illinois students graduate from high school college- and career-ready. In 2013, 66% of all Illinois 4th grade students, including 86% of African-Americans and 82% of Latinos, were unable to read or compute at grade level. Illinois taxpayers spend $88,000 per child on incarceration compared to $12,045 per child on education. Children from more-involved families are more likely to earn higher grades, graduate from high school, and go to college. The connection between academic achievement and family involvement is particularly acute in the case of low-income students and African American and Hispanic students. An American without a high school diploma is virtually guaranteed a lifetime of low earnings and poor health and is at high risk for incarceration. We believe our country’s failure to prepare kids for productive adulthood is a persistent civil rights issue that poses a grave economic challenge to American prosperity and productivity. One look at the academic success of our global competitors is proof positive. Access to a quality public education is a basic human right – one we are dedicated to protecting. Stand for Children works across the state – from the classroom to the Capitol – to mobilize the citizens of Illinois around a common goal of improving the odds for American children. To learn more about Stand's impact in schools and communities across the country, read our 2016 Annual Report.