Monday, July 28, 2008

Meeks Plans Student Protest On First Day Of School

From CBS 2 Chicago. I think I might have heard something about this on a broadcast from Meeks' church. You can watch Salem Baptist Church services on WJYS-TV Channel 62:
Firebrand minister Rev. James Meeks has asked Chicago high school students to ditch the first day of school next month to make a point about school funding.

Meeks said he wants the students instead to show up in affluent Winnetka, at New Trier High School, as a protest over unequal school funding.

Chicago Public Schools officials said that would be a costly mistake.

Ninety percent of students at CPS high schools are minorities; per pupil spending is about $10,000. At New Trier High School, enrollment is about 90 percent white and per pupil spending is about $18,000. Meeks said there's a connection.

"As African Americans and Hispanics, we're asking all parents of Chicago Public School students to not send their children to school on the first day. ... join us to board buses and enroll your child in the wealthy, well-funded Winnetka school district," Meeks said.

The move could cost Chicago Public Schools a lot of money. For each absent student on the first day of class, Chicago would lose out on $110 in extra state funding.
This is an issue mind you, funding of public schools. There is surely bellyaching over the fact that the public schools are funded largely by local property taxes. In addition to that I understand that the state isn't offering a lot of money for public schools. Hmm maybe I should research where Illinois is at as far as educational funding.

Of course, there are those people who don't agree that more money for the schools will solve the problems of the schools. At the same time we should consider that there is inequalities between school funding between poorer communities vs. affluent communities.

1 comment:

  1. Oh wow...well, if the facts ring true in regards to the 8K difference, then Meeks should protest!

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