yanno... maybe its just me... but, in the black community, the first thing we want to complain about is the miseducation of our chidren...

yet, here is a man who is advocating having all the miseducated children in the chicago school district stay home Tuesday ... instead of showing up to begin the school year and attempt to learn something...

doesn't anyone else see something WRONG with this? How does staying home fix the money issue?
hello?

hey G!!

What do I think? I think there are a bunch of kids sitting at home right now not worried about going to bed early staying up late playing brain deadening video games.

BUT...Hooray, Hooray! I guess the Senator is making his point.

Hmmmm.

The CPS Boycott holds a message that needs to be heard. The Boycott does not advocate for children to stay home and "play video games or do nothing, it advocates for children and their parents to participate in the Boycott. Children who are participating in the Boycott will receive tutoring from Retired CPS Teachers as well as an oppotunity to participate in a movement that for too long has been inadequate. Were Civil Rigts Leaders sending an incorrect message when children participated in marches and rallies to fight inequalities?

I think what my Pastor is doing is remarkable. Black people need to stand up and be accounted 4. He is fighting for funding for computers, books, and the tools our children need to make a difference. Afro-American & Hispanic kids are being bounced into graves at record numbers, because we as a people & parents as a whole have failed to educate our kids. Television, video games, and the Internet are raising them. My Pastor is all about change not just for today's children, but generations to come. If we as a people do see his vision & share his passion then why complain about everything that is going on. Pastor Meeks could've easily done & said nothing about it, most of his kids are pretty much done with school,& he got his! So why fight this fight? Because GOD sent his word & HE's using My Pastor & Salem to say i cares about us and i want us do to better as a whole!
Change!!!!YES WE CAN!-OBAMA 08

There is no doubt that more funding is needed for equal education within the urban community, but Rev. Meeks is going about it all wrong. I do not think the boycott is going to influence the minds of the legislators to give in to his quest.
This morning my two sons went to school because I feel education is important. Meeks is definitely sending out the wrong message. He has his supporters thinking a boycott is the solution but it's only going to make matters worse-for the children. Every child needs to go to school and if that child is not progressing then parents need to get more involved in their chldrens education. There's also tutoring programs at school and centers for after school programs.We can find a way to give our children the proper education they need and it's going to take more than money!

I am a memeber of House of Hope and have been for 15 years.

I have supported Rev. Meeks on many things.
I support his vision on this problem today, however I don't think keeping the kids out of school was the best choice to make.

I drove to the church after I taking my own child to school at Murray Language Academy. My reason fro coming is to volunteer if needed.

I worry for those kids. They need their education TODAY!!!

I think that it was pass time that someone stood up and brought attention to this issue of school funding, or continue dealing with the same ole unequal education. If he wasn't my pastor, I would still praise Rev Meeks. When other pastors are busy counting money and memberships at their church. This man's passion for the future of our children should be aplauded. It takes a lot of faith and guts to stick your neck out like Meeks has done.
All of the shootings and crime in this city, is a result of individuals who attended public schools. Either they dropped out, or the schools could not give them a quality education. This results in the child feeling cheated, then they give up, because they know they don't have a chance competing with students from better schools. He has said he's not against CPS, but he is for the children. So what all the buses weren't full, but one thing has happen, the attention towards the future of education in Chicago. What! So to those parents who took their kids to school, don't complain about the education funding, because when it was time to stand you stooped. If you care about the lives of children, you should be doing somthing. For your info, my children are in the suburbs attending school, but I am volunteering my services for the future of children everywhere. One day or two of not attending school, won't damage the future of a child, but a lifetime of this kind of education will.

thanks

I have no problem with Rev Meeks calling for more funding for schools. In all reality someone has to pay for it. In some of the poorer area's where the kids live they are living with Grandma. Lots of the parents are not footing there share of the tax bill. Grandma is probably getting a senior tax freeze and a home owners exemption on property taxes.

I have a great solution for the additional funding. We have a lot of tax exexempt churches all throughout the City of Chicago including Rev Meeks church that takes in a lot of money. Lets remove the tax exempt status from all of the churches in the city and put that money towards additional funding for the schools. John Q tax payer has carried enough of the tax burden. The churches have been given a free ride for a long long time. Now is the time for them to help carry some of the burden.

Its time to stand UP and lets parents know when you take your children down the WRONG path, do not be surprised where they end up.

It is the elected Senators job to fix this problems, I do not know how many YEARS!!!!! Mr. Meeks has been a Senator but I do know if your not doing your job you need to be fired, and if this person can brain wash you to NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO SCHOOL you need to fire him as your friend/pastor. HE IS NOT YOUR FRIEND/PASTOR HE IS YOUR ENEMY.

I cant believe parents today teach there children to be followers and not leaders. Using adults and children as political pawns to get on the front page of a newspaper and the 10 o’clock news is embarrassing for the politician, parents, and the whole State Of Illinois!!!

Back in the 60's and 70's when people boycotted and had sitin's, it got people to stand up and take notice especially the ones who had no idea what was going on around them. Well it is the same thing now! We need to take a stand, and if it means to have the children out of school to have someone to stand up and take notice then so be it. No, Rev. Meeks doesn't have all the answers, hell neither does the Governor, the Mayor or Arnie Duncan. CPS parents should be proud the someone has taken a stand for equality for their children.

I think its a shame we are not expensing our energies to real solutions. Progress is not measured by who can shout the loudest nor who has the attention of a large audience. Progress begins with the introduction of innovative solutions. Additionally, it is fueled by embracing the visionaries or trendsetters who have the foresight to push forward progressively.

The massive waves of this economic tsunami (financial crisis) are just beginning to strike. Time is of the essence and we must begin to expense that time wisely.

We are in the forshadows of major crisis from infrastructure to global warming and yet our energies are being expensed based off old boycotting models. I believe old boycott models are obsolete and antiquated.

Kenneth White
kwhite@choiceiii.com

I am a teacher at a North Shore high school and we just had our first day of class today! It is an abomination to get children involved in missing the first day of school because it does a disservice to the students who missed the first day as well as ALL of the students who showed up on the first day. I constantly play catch-up with my students who are absent and those who miss the first day, which sets expectations for the rest of the year, are at a serious disadvantage. And in order for me to catch them up, I may have to redo everything I did the first day...Vote the bums out of office, don't hold the students' education hostage!

Our ancestors fought and some DIED for the RIGHT to get an education, to be taught to read, and to be free. We, as adults need to take the struggle to the legislature for our students, but we shouldn't use our students as weapons.

What many posters overlook is that children are required by law to go to school. Some children do not deserve better or worse schools than others. All children need to be adequately educated to participate in a democratic society.

I don't agree with the action of keeping children out of school. However, Phelps had first tried other ways of getting the attention of the state legislature.

I totally agree that something needs to be done to fight the inequities in educational funding, however, when you use children as political pawns, what really are you accomplishing? Nothing at all.. It would be different if the other school was going to actually enroll the students, then you would have some leverage in your fight. Just because something is symbolic doesnt mean it has practial application.

Rev Meeks is an IDIOT as welll as his followers on his "compound". I agree w/the cause but the means do not justify.
WHy go to New Trier? Why not go to Walter Payton or Northside Prep? The last time I checked these schools were part of the CHicago School system. The fight is not with the suburban school districts.
There are soooo many programs available for the neighborhoods, people just need to do a little research to take advantage of them

Wow, once again the african-american community is divided! I can't believe people are making such a big deal about kids being out of school on the first day.......or the first week for that matter! I challenge you to poll a few kids and ask them what they did in school today, or if they did ANYTHING in school today. My son went to school for 2-weeks last year before receiving any books. Do you think he learned anything during that 2-week period? I think not! I know of several CPS kids who graduated last year with good grades but could not pass the entrance exam for colleges right here in Chicago. The boycott is necessary. I imagine that people complained during the bus boycott in the South, "I need to go to work. I'm not walking. I don't want to ride with so-and-so." And on and on and on but look at the effect the boycott had .... we no longer have to sit on the back of the bus. Get real people!

This is a joke and should be an insult to the community. Encourage your kids to take a day off of school for some pastor's political gain? The CPS is in the top 38% of spending per child. Yes the CPS is not as high as Winnetka's but who's is? Money doesn't build character. Education starts in the home and this political show that the pastor is putting on is exactly what is wrong with his community.

I agree with the issue at hand. We need more money for the schools. I disagree with keeping students out of school to make that point. Why not use the resources of the church to help the communities build themselves up economically with showing us how to get jobs, keep jobs, and buy property which will ultimately positively effect the school, its culture, and its finances. We need to stop having our hand out all the time and making changes that will not put a band aid on the real issues in our communities.

I'm sure we all are in agreement that the school funding is a issue well worth addressing BUT are the same Cook County residents who deemed it necessary to keep their kids out of school, willing to pay an increase in property taxes to assist with establishing more school funding? (like those in the "burbs" who feel it's worth it to pay several thousand a year for a decent school district.)

Or is it the same ol story, wanting something for nothing?

Thanks to Rev. Meeks for not "Punking Out"; like so many of the other so-called "reverends, ministers, bishops and pastors" did, who make up the core voice and persuasion in the black communities.
Lets face it "black people", to rely on the Illinois Legislatures to give us equal education under their law is unheard of. In truth, it's against the law to do so; just read their history books and other documents pertaining to this century old matter/issue.
Its time we, "Educate" our own children; and take them from the poison education that only makes them a perpetual slave and not self sufficient.

OK, Dominic, I think calling Rev. Meeks an idiot is a very harsh statement. I don't know him personally, but I do give him kudos for taking a stand. Whether you agree or not, did you contribute anything positive to making the educational system better. I sent both of my children to school instead of them boycotting. I took a trip to my aldermans office to try to get an understanding of how the city, state and federal government plays a role in budgeting schools. I talked with members of he LSC and PTO about what could be done without keeping children out of school. I do believe there is a problem with inadequate funding. And as someone stated before, why are schools like "Payton, Northside college prep and Whitney Young" more equipped and staffed than other schools. I think we need to focus on cleaning up Chicago instead of bringing other districts into our problems. I also found out the Chicago receives more funding than many rural areas and Suburban districts such as Naperville. "Is Chicago mismanaging funds?" Hmmm.

Also, Steven states that his child did not receive books for 2 weeks and no homework or learning experience. What did you do Steven? This is day 2 and both of my children have homework assignments. PARENTS need to stand for something or they and their children will fall for anything.

Can Meeks tell me why the City Of Chicago Schools receive 35 percent from the State Of Illinois and New Trier only receive 3 percent from the State Of Illinois as far as funding?

Is Mr. Meeks misleading people (Again)???

I personally know a Senior Citizen that receives all of her Senior discounts on her Real Estate Tax Bill. This Tax Bill for twelve months is $374.75. She has three of her grandchildren living with her since they were born. One now goes to Public High School in the Chicago Of Chicago, the other two go to Public Grammar School in the City Of Chicago. Now is that house hold paying the correct taxes??? We need Cook County Treasurers office to flag these address through the Chicago Public School system and FULLY tax these address for the services rendered. And can you please tell me how many address in the City Of Chicago are doing the same thing, we all know many grandparents are raising there grandchildren today - does that need fixing ??? Mr. Meeks needs to fix that problem first...

Meeks is using children as politcal pawns and it is shamefull. This boycott along with all the other money the goverment gives to low income america. Only stregthens the sad mindset of take take take and give nothing back to your country. Which is alive and strong in our inner city poor population. When you have a goverment that financially supports every poor behavior and decision. You actually cant blame the product it produces. Which is our poor CPS and our ghettos across this city. The only people who should be held accountable to the level of our goverment when it comes to furthering this mindset. Are the "meeks" out there who are educatied and know better. Instead of installing discipline they feed into it with BS boycotts so they can stregthen their power base........Good parenting yeilds good children. If american citizens are going to treat uncle sam like uncle pay me. Then uncle sam needs to act like a leader not a bottomless pit of here's money to make up for your lack good decisions. We all complain of parents who spoil their children rotten but if the goverment does it its ok???

Being in school is great....thinking back, the first day of school was very important, not just for the numbers...but for me...However, it can also be the worst day of school and the worst year of school when education was not at 100%. Tools needed for everyday lessons, like "books", not enough or a shared situation. True, our people may have fought for education and attending school is a right, but...HOW LONG do you simply accept that the "Right To Be In School" is enough??????????????