As we all know, yesterday we had visitors from CPS (parents, students, activists) at the Northfield Campus to protest inequities in school funding in the state of Illinois. They believe that our system of primarily funding a school's budget with property taxes is unfair, and, in essence, leads to better schools in more affluent areas while poorer areas have poorer schools.
In a recent class discussion we asked two questions that tie into this issue: 1 - is public education a right in the United States? and 2 - Is a quality education a right in the United States? We'd all probably answer "yes" to the first question (we are, after all attending and working in a public school), but the second question seems to be the most compelling. If we say "no," then how do we determine who gets the better education? If we say "yes," then how do we go about making sure this is the case?
In general, let's consider Reverend Meeks and the visitors here on Tuesday as individuals offering an alternative voice to this very important issue. Maybe their statement would read, "What to think of school funding for a person like me and all who look like me..."
