{{Short description|American education advocacy group}} {{Infobox organization | name = Stand for Children | logo = C4 logo - white bkgd.jpg | logo_size = 300px | founded = 1996 | founder = Jonah Edelman | origins = | key_people = Jonah Edelman, co-founder and CEO | region_served = Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington | focus = | method = | revenue = | endowment = | website = {{URL|https://stand.org/}} | owner = }} '''Stand for Children''' is an American education advocacy group. Founded in 1996 following a Children's Defense Fund rally,<ref name="Swanee Hunt 2005">Swanee Hunt. "Young Man with a Strong Voice for America's Children." ''The Beaufort Gazette'', June 11, 2005.</ref> the non-profit advocates for equity in public education. Stand for Children's mission is as "a unique catalyst for educational success and social progress, to create a brighter future for us all."<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=National |url=https://stand.org |accessdate=November 19, 2019 |website=Stand for Children}}</ref>
The organization includes both a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization called Stand for Children,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stand.org/Page.aspx?pid=1268 |author=Stand for Children |title=About Stand for Children |accessdate=August 4, 2010}}</ref> as well as a 501(c)(3) training organization called Stand for Children Leadership Center.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.standleadershipcenter.org/Page.aspx?pid=1582 |author=Stand for Children Leadership Center |title=About Stand for Children Leadership Center |accessdate=August 4, 2010}}</ref>
==History== On June 1, 1996, over 300,000 people rallied in Washington, D.C., for "Stand for Children Day" at the Lincoln Memorial. This event was the largest demonstration in support of children in U.S. history.<ref name="Swanee Hunt 2005"/> Rosa Parks made a statement that challenged people to commit themselves to improving the lives of children, saying, "If I can sit down for justice, you can stand up for children."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blackvoicenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=38754:remembering-and-following-mrs-rosa-parks&catid=8:commentary&Itemid=69 |author=Marian Wright Edelman |title=Remembering and Following Mrs. Rosa Parks. |publisher=Black Voice News |date=November 4, 2005 |accessdate=May 28, 2010}}</ref> Two days later, ''Time'' featured a cover with the headline, "Who Speaks for Kids?," and an interview with children's activist Marian Wright Edelman, the mother of Stand for Children's CEO and co-founder, Jonah Edelman.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,984640,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713180536/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,984640,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 13, 2007 |author=Elizabeth Gleik with Marian Wright Edelman |title=The Children's Crusade. |date=June 3, 1996 |magazine= Time |accessdate=May 28, 2010}}</ref>
Following their work at the rally, Jonah Edelman and Eliza Leighton founded Stand for Children. The organization backed hundreds of rallies nationwide over the next two years,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.commondreams.org/pressreleases/may99/052499c.htm |author=Laura Faer |title=Communities Across America to Take a Stand for Children. |publisher=Common Dreams NewsWire |accessdate=May 26, 2010}}</ref> before moving toward more systemic changes. Today, Jonah Edelman is the CEO of Stand for Children and Eliza Leighton is a member of the Board of Directors of Stand for Children Leadership Center.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://standleadershipcenter.org/national/about-stand-children-leadership-center/leadership |author=Stand for Children Leadership Center |title=Stand for Children Leadership Center Board of Directors |accessdate=April 10, 2012}}</ref>
Stand for Children opened a series of affiliates around the United States that have a local focus. Over time, Stand began focusing on statewide issues—particularly public education funding.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archive.mailtribune.com/archive/2005/0127/local/stories/09local.htm |author=Anita Burke |title=Amrhein to Lobby for Children |date=January 27, 2005 |newspaper=Mail Tribune |accessdate=May 26, 2010}}</ref>
==Affiliate offices== Currently,{{As of?|date=August 2025}} Stand for Children has seven state affiliates: Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington. The affiliates are supported by the national office in Portland, Oregon.<ref name="Stand for Children">{{cite web |url=http://www.stand.org/Document.Doc?id=1884 |author=Stand for Children |title=Annual Report 2008 |accessdate=August 4, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stand.org/Page.aspx?pid=1260 |author=Stand for Children |title=Welcome |accessdate=August 4, 2010}}</ref> While Stand for Children and Stand for Children Leadership Center are jointly led by CEO Jonah Edelman, they have distinct goals and methods of execution aligned with the sections of the federal tax code under which they are each described. Stand for Children, which is described under section 501(c)(4) is a grassroots advocacy group that operates at the local and state level to convince elected officials and voters to pass education reforms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stand.org/Document.Doc?id=1268|author=Stand for Children |title=About Stand for Children|accessdate=August 4, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coloradostatesman.com/content/991262-dps-candidates-rate-stand-children|author=Ian B. Murphy|title=New Stand for Children Head Wants More Ed Funding Reform.|publisher=Colorado Statesman |date=April 9, 2009|accessdate=August 4, 2010}}</ref> Stand for Children Leadership Center is a section 501(c)(3) organization that provides training on children's advocacy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.standleadershipcenter.org/Page.aspx?pid=1582|author=Stand for Children Leadership Center|title=About Stand for Children Leadership Center|accessdate=August 4, 2010}}</ref>
In 2011, Stand for Children was praised in ''Time'' for "delivering results and changing how politicians think about grassroots education reform." The praise was attributed to the group's work to improve school funding in Oregon, teacher evaluations in Colorado, and teacher policy in Illinois.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2040867_2040871_2040928,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109151203/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2040867_2040871_2040928,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 9, 2011|title=School of Thought: 11 Education Activists for 2011.|publisher=Time|date=January 6, 2011|access-date=January 6, 2011|first=Andrew J.|last=Rotherham}}</ref>
== Activity == Stand for Children was the top donor in support of Measure 98 in Oregon in 2016, which provided funding for dropout prevention and post-secondary assistance.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Oregon State Funding for Dropout Prevention and College Readiness, Measure 98 (2016)|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Oregon_State_Funding_for_Dropout_Prevention_and_College_Readiness,_Measure_98_(2016)|access-date=2021-02-19|website=Ballotpedia|language=en}}</ref> In 2020, it supported Proposition 208 in Arizona to provide funding for hiring teachers and social workers as well as for career and technical education courses.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Altavena|first=Lily|title=Arizona voters approve Prop. 208, education tax on state's highest earners|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona-education/2020/11/03/proposition-208-invest-education-act-election-results-raise-taxes-high-earners/6041668002/|access-date=2021-02-19|website=The Arizona Republic|language=en-US}}</ref> Stand for Children is controversial among educators and education advocates. It has stood in opposition to unions, and critics accuse it of eroding workers' protections.<ref>{{cite news| last =Levenson| first =Michael| title = Stand for Children Has Record of Winning Concessions | newspaper = The Boston Globe | date = June 8, 2012 | url =http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/06/08/stand-for-children-has-record-winning-concessions-from-teachers/4CYQW2XqzrLLnPBvKOs8HJ/story.html| accessdate = June 8, 2012 }}</ref>
==See also== *Geoffrey Canada
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== *[https://stand.org/ Stand For Children] (official website)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stand For Children}} Category:Non-profit organizations based in Oregon Category:Children's rights organizations in the United States Category:Organizations based in Portland, Oregon