CHICAGO – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D- Chicago) along with State Rep. Will Guzzardi, the Kelvyn Park Advisory Council and other community partners hosted a Back-to-School Fair Saturday, featuring free school supplies, COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, dental exams and more.

“It was a beautiful day, and I was so excited to see all the families come out to participate in our Back-to-School fair,” Pacione-Zayas said. “The event was a testament to the importance of coming together as a community to make sure our kids have the resources they need to start the school year off strong.”

Over 700 backpacks full of school supplies were distributed at the event. Additionally, the event saw the launch of a Mercado that hosted various vendors selling new and used goods and yard sale items, as well as an area with food trucks.

Pacione-Zayas and other stakeholders also came together to provide the community with resources for rental and housing assistance, child care options, youth programs and more.

“It takes a village, and this weekend the village came out in full swing to help families and students get ready to start the school year,” Pacione-Zayas said. “I am so proud of all the hard work our volunteers and vendors put in to help this event succeed. I can’t wait to see how this event evolves and grows in the coming years.”

To see more pictures, videos and resources from this weekend’s event, visit the Kelvyn Park Advisory Council’s Facebook page. Chicago Public School students and families can book COVID-19 vaccination appointments or find vaccinations sites on the CPS website.

CHICAGO – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D- Chicago) released a statement following Saturday’s exchange of gunfire that resulted in the death of Chicago police officer Ella French, leaving another officer injured:

“The burning sting caused by any life taken due to violence is felt deeply by the survivors and frustrating to all of us because of the reality that these deaths could be prevented.

“The victims and perpetrators of this weekend’s shooting are not the only ones who will live with loss, pain, emotions, and stress. Their families, friends, colleagues, partners and neighbors will also bear the brunt of processing its unjustifiable outcome.

“This tragedy is yet another affirmation that we need to do significantly more to address the root causes of violence. Communities, especially those historically marginalized by systemic racism, deserve the economic and educational resources necessary to thrive, to foster opportunities to live up to their greatest potential, and to curb and eliminate violence.

“I send my deepest condolences to the family of Ella French and am wishing for a full and speedy recovery to the other officer injured.”

CHICAGO – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) participated in a “walk a day” event to highlight the child care crisis affecting the workforce, parents and children exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the event, Pacione-Zayas shadowed day care provider Lucia Rubio to learn about the scope of work performed daily by child care providers.

“This event has affirmed my concerns about the struggles our child care providers go through on a day-to-day basis, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Pacione-Zayas, a longtime advocate for early childhood policy. “This year, the legislature took up measures to help our early childhood workforce, but we also need to turn our focus toward the federal government to help our state and the nation provide the vital resources needed to help the early childhood workforce, parents, and most importantly, children recover and thrive.”

During the “walk a day” event, Pacione-Zayas learned that Rubio was only a few classes short of achieving her bachelor’s degree focusing on early childhood education but does not have the economic resources to complete it. A law sponsored by Pacione-Zayas that was recently signed by Governor JB Pritzker, Public Act 102-0174, creates the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity to streamline higher education pathways for providers like Rubio to meet her educational goals and foster economic stability.

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SPRINGFIELD – To ensure that all students are able to access online web services for school, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D- Chicago) passed a measure that will require school boards to comply with the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines when contracting with third-party online learning vendors.

“Nearly 18% of Illinois students are reported to have a disability, developmental delay, or use an Individualized Education Plan,” said Pacione-Zayas, who served on the Senate Education committee. “The accessibility guidelines will help districts provide all students, especially ones with diverse needs, the accommodations they need with accessing educational materials online.”

The W3C guidelines are the global standard for determining website accessibility encompassing all disabilities, including auditory, cognitive, physical, and speech accommodations. Currently, most school districts and companies that provide online educational platforms already use these guidelines.

By requiring school districts to use these guidelines with third party providers, more schools can become ADA-compliant and equitably serve all students.

"No student should have to struggle to learn because the materials they are provided are inaccessible," said Rep. Theresa Mah, who introduced the legislation in the House. "Students should not be left behind because of a disability, and this legislation will ensure that all students are able to have the education they deserve."

House Bill 26 was signed into law on Friday. It goes into effect August 1, 2022. The signing of HB 26 coincides with the week of the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.