Distributing School Resources in Chicago
The Rev. and State Senator James Meeks wants everyone to believe that Chicago schools don’t have enough money.
Maybe it’s not that Chicago schools don’t have enough money.
Maybe it is a repeat of what Harold Washington proved was happening in Chicago parks when he and I were state representatives in the 1970’s.
Washington sponsored a bill that would require the Chicago Park District to spend its money equally across the city. You can imagine that the ethnic Chicago Democrats were none too pleased at Harold’s attempt to intervene. There wasn’t even the ”hook” that parks got state financial assistance.
Washington passed the bill, but only with the help of suburban whites like me.
What I heard over two years ago on WBEZ-FM makes me wonder if the same disparity is not occurring with money the Chicago school system spends.
On the way home from swimming, my 8-year-old son and I listened attentively to Chicago public radio’s “Science Sisters” documentary.
It featured two girls from 100 year-old Farragut High School (now called a “Career Academy”) who entered the city’s science fair.
They were compared to the traditional big winners in the competition from 100-year-old Lincoln Park.
What astounded me was that Farragut only has one modern science lab, while Lincoln Park has 10.
Guess which school won the Science Fair.
(Farragut didn't have a web site or I would have put its picture up opposite Lincoln Park's.)
Is it time for some Black or Latino Caucus member to follow in Harold’s footsteps?
Posted first on McHenry County Blog.
