At some schools in Illinois, true success stories are few and far between. In Chicago, we’re so used to hearing about what’s going wrong, about low test scores, about kids killing kids and about low graduation rates, I think we forget what is
At some schools in Illinois, true success stories are few and far between. In Chicago, we’re so used to hearing about what’s going wrong, about low test scores, about kids killing kids and about low graduation rates, I think we forget what is possible in the public school system. We forget that every student should be guaranteed a quality education.
But the way schools are funded in Illinois, a quality education is outright denied for some students, especially if they live in a poor rural or urban community. Because our funding scheme is based on property values, schools in wealthier communities get more money.
And that folks is one of the main reasons behind the headlines you have read over and over again about underperforming schools, low test scores and poor graduation rates in the inner city. The Chicago Urban League is working to change that. But I’ll talk more about that later.
Right now, I’d like you to meet Chivone Smith. She’s a Chicago Public Schools success story, but she almost wasn’t. For the first five years of her education, Chivone attended a failing school. Morale, attendance and parental involvement were low, she said. Books and materials were limited. Even as a child, Chivone knew something wasn’t right.
“We weren’t really learning that much,” Chivone recalled recently. “The teachers weren’t as involved with us. Grades were low. And there was no support from the parents from what I saw. I don’t feel we had the right resources to compete with other schools. We were so behind academically.”
Then, fate intervened and Chivone’s failing school was closed. She was transferred to a better Chicago public school. There, she thrived in the 6th through 8th grades.
“They were extremely advanced,” Chivone said, her voice rising with excitement. “It prepared me. It was a much better school.”
Today, Chivone is a senior about to graduate and has a 3.5 GPA. She’ll be attending Clark Atlanta University in the fall and will major in journalism. Chivone is attending on – get this – a full scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The award will pay for Chivone’s college education, anywhere she wants to go, all the way up through a Ph.D., if she decides to pursue one.
We’re so proud of Chivone at the Chicago Urban League. Chivone has interned with us throughout her high school years, most recently in our multimedia department with vice president Tracey Scruggs Yearwood.
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