Meeks takes school funding reform to Cubs game

State Sen. James Meeks, D-15th, brought his message of school funding reform to the Friendly Confines.

State Sen. James Meeks, D-15th, brought his message of school funding reform to the Friendly Confines. One month after leading a two-day boycott of Chicago Public Schools, Meeks and hundreds of his supporters protested outside Wednesday’s playoff game between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field. "We do not want the city of Chicago to pay more attention to the Cubs and the White Sox than they do to fixing our schools," Meeks said in Wrigleyville, surrounded by hundreds of protesters wearing orange T-shirts that said "Save Our Schools" and ”Our schools should be number one." Before the protest, Meeks said the game would have the attention of not just the state but the country, and he wanted to draw some of that publicity to the issue of school funding reform. Meeks wants an overhaul of the current school financing system that relies heavily on local property taxes, giving well-to-do districts an advantage over poorer ones. The senator from Chicago also raised the issue last month at a breakfast attended by the chief organizer of Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Games. "I find it ironic that the Cubs are playing the Dodgers tonight," said Pastor Cy Fields of the New Landmark Missionary Baptist Church on Chicago’s West Side. "Did you know that we have true dodger players in the state legislature? A dodger is someone who shucks their responsibility." Not everyone has been a fan of Meeks’ protest plans, including Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, who has said the protesters shouldn’t disturb the Cubs on such a special night. "He’s talking about ruining the Cubs’ night, and we’re talking about ruining three generations of people’s lives," Meeks said. "It’s not the Cubs’ night that we’re concerned about, it’s our kids’ future." A message left for Daley’s press office was not immediately returned Wednesday afternoon. A student leader from New Trier High School attended the protest, saying students from the wealthy suburban school district planned to organize with students from Chicago Public Schools to work on school funding reform. On Chicago’s first day of classes this fall, Meeks took busloads of CPS students not to their own schools but to New Trier High School, where they symbolically registered. He said a protest outside U.S. Cellular Field for Sunday’s White Sox game also is possible.  AP ______ Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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