Word: protest
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...school. Instead, on that day many of the students and some parents will board a fleet of 100 school buses bound for Winnetka, about 25 miles north of downtown, to try to enroll in its public schools, some of the best in the nation. Others are planning to protest outside prominent office buildings in Chicago, including the landmark Mercantile Exchange. In doing so, all involved will echo Paul Perry: "I'm going to say, 'Open these doors and put my kid on equal footing...
...heart of the protest is one of the most daunting challenges facing American public schools: how to resolve the ever-widening gap in funding - and performance - between poor and wealthy districts. In Illinois, local property tax revenues fund a neighborhood school system, leading to vast differences in the education dollars one district receives compared to another. Chicago each year spends just $10,000 per pupil whereas suburbs like Winnetka can spend as much as $17,000. "Public education is supposed to be the great equalizer," says Arne Duncan, CEO of Chicago's public-school district. "But the fact that...
...Chicago, the boycott protest is also drawing some criticism. Questions remain as to whether Chicago students will even be able to enroll in Winnetka schools - in light of recent changes to the district's student residency requirements - and if so, how they will get there after the Sept. 2 protest. And some educators caution that keeping kids out of class, for one day or longer, could ultimately do more harm than good. Since school funding is in part tied to student attendance rates, Chicago Public Schools estimates it will lose $110 a day for each student who doesn't attend...
...Some educators also worry about the symbolic impact of the protest on students who presumably will return to their inner-city classrooms. "Telling them to go to another district and enroll sends the message that your teachers aren't as good as those in the suburbs," says Kia Banks, a literacy teacher at Chicago's Kohn Elementary School. "I bring the same level of competence to my classroom as any other teacher...
...fact that the most controversial debate in the party this year has revolved around a women's issue does raise the question of whether the frustrated supporters of Clinton will eventually lend their numbers to Obama or whether they intend to be heard through protest votes this year. The recent news that Clinton was never even vetted to be in the running as Obama's vice-presidential pick hasn't helped heal divisions; some Clinton allies like James Carville have suggested that Obama "disrespected" Clinton by not even consulting her on his veep choice. Even so, the Clintons recognize that...