Vote for Chicago at SXSW EDU
Three TFA Greater Chicago–Northwest Indiana ideas are up for a vote at SXSW EDU 2027, and we need your help! Public voting counts for 30% of the selection process, so every single vote truly matters. Below you'll find a quick description of each session and a direct link to vote. It takes less than a minute per session, and you can vote for all three. Help showcase the leadership of our regional TFA network by voting their proposals into Austin. See below for a list of Chicago alumni- and staff-led sessions. Then create a free account at panelpicker.sxsw.com, select the “Browse SXSW EDU Proposals” button, and get voting!
Showing Up: A Chicago Model for Fighting Absenteeism
What if the way we're trying to solve chronic absenteeism is part of the problem? Drawing on new research and results from a school with 96% attendance, this session argues that absenteeism is a lagging indicator, not a root cause. We'll explore what actually drives attendance: school climate, trusted relationships, responsive support, teacher stability, and the flexibility to meet community needs.
🗳 Vote for Showing Up: A Chicago Model for Fighting Absenteeism
Featuring Barton Dassinger, Principal, Back of the Yards Academic Center, Chicago and Heather Anichini, EdD, CEO of The Chicago Public Education Fund.
How High Dosage Tutoring Is Transforming Urban Schools
Urban school leaders are confronting overlapping challenges: learning loss, chronic absenteeism, and persistent staffing shortages. Yet some schools are seeing meaningful gains by embedding high dosage tutoring into the school day. This session explores one school's implementation journey and early results, including improvements in reading, attendance, and student engagement.
🗳 Vote for How High Dosage Tutoring Is Transforming Urban Schools
Featuring Alex Connell, Principal of Horizon Southwest Academy Belmont and Jetaun Whittlesey, Senior Managing Director of Program on the Greater Chicago Northwest Indiana team at Teach For America.
Why Great Students Still Miss Great Careers: Closing the Gaps From High School to First Job
Getting students into college is no longer enough. Today's students must navigate a fragmented journey from high school to higher education to the workforce, where too many capable graduates still miss strong career opportunities. This panel brings together leaders from K12, college access, and workforce development to explore how we build connected pathways, from a college-going culture to financial aid, scholarships, social capital, and career readiness, so more students thrive from classroom to career.
🗳 Vote for Why Great Students Still Miss Great Careers: Closing the Gaps From High School to First Job
Featuring Tierionna Pinkston, the Principal of The Noble Academy in Chicago, Brittany Parks, Manager of College Access at Noble Schools in Chicago, and Jonathan Chaparro, the Chief Regional Success and Innovation Officer at Braven.
How to Vote
Visit any of the links above.
Click the heart icon next to the session title to cast your vote.
You can vote for as many sessions as you'd like, so feel free to support all three.
📅 Voting runs from August 5 to August 23, 2026.
Your vote helps ensure these conversations get the platform they deserve at SXSW EDU!