Due to inaction in Illinois’ legislature, a coalition of ministers plan to escalate their demand for education reform by taking the issue to Wrigley Field during the Chicago Cubs playoff game on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. The ministers, their congregants and supporters will rally in the middle of the street in front of the ballpark.
The Clergy Coalition for School Funding Reform’s (CCSFR) latest action is to bring attention to the school funding inequities, which have plagued Illinois’ students for more than 30 years. On September 2, the group, led by Rev. Senator James T. Meeks, staged a two-day protest of Chicago Public Schools where more than 1400 children didn’t attend the first day of school and attempted to enroll in the wealthy, property rich school district of Winnetka. Meeks is the pastor of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago, the largest African American church in Illinois with over 20,000 members. He is also a state senator.
Illinois has the largest unaddressed district to district funding gap in the nation, according to Education Trust, a think tank out of Washington, D.C. Illinois currently ranks 49th out of the 50 states when it comes to funding education. As a result of the funding inequities, New Trier High School in Winnetka receives $17,000 to educate a student while children in Chicago Public Schools, who are predominately low income, African American and Hispanic receive only $10,000. Because of the property tax driven formula, students in Chicago have languished in a school system where only 6 out of every 100 CPS students will graduate from a four-year college, dropout rates of more than 50%, below average test scores and dismal high school graduation rates.
The Wrigley Field rally is not aimed at the Chicago Cubs in their historic bid to win a World Series title after 100 years, but Meeks and CCSFR believe it’s time for the children of Illinois to gain a world class education and they’ve waited just as long. Between a game and the future of children, the ministers have decided to work on winning more funds for schools. Since the ministers have raised the issues, others have joined the fight including the Chicago Urban League, which filed a lawsuit against the State and the State Board of Education, citing the current funding system violates the civil rights of Black and Latino children.
“Everyone agrees that the way Illinois schools are funded is wrong and the fact that our children can barely read or write at grade level is wrong, but there isn’t a will in Illinois to change the system,” said Rev. Senator Meeks. For more information, please visit saveourschoolsnow.com.
