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Aug 14, 2008 6:58 pm US/Central
Baptist Pastors Against School Boycott
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
A new group of ministers is weighing in, on the threatened boycott of Chicago Public Schools. As CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports: they're against it - and they're working to keep kids in school.
They represent the Baptist Pastors Conference of Chicago. And unlike high profile ministers like State Senator and Rev. James Meeks, Rev. Al Sharpton and Westside clergy, these preachers don't support a boycott of Chicago schools. The boycott is to protest unequal school funding.
"We want our children go to school," said Rev. Steve Jones, Baptist Pastors Conference. "We're asking that our children not only go to school, but take another child with them."
The ministers plan to deliver their "back to school" message in the pulpit. They'll also include it in their church bulletins and put it on marquees.
"We want our schools filled on September 2nd," said Christopher Hill, Jr., Baptist Pastors Conference.
Although they don't support the boycott, the ministers say they do support the need for equal funding in state schools. Because homeowners in the suburbs pay more in property taxes, students at New Trier in Winnetka have better facilities. At Chicago's Hyde Park High School, football coach Ron James says most of the team's equipment is outdated - and books in his honors history class are limited.
"I don't have enough books to give every kid a book for them to be able to go home and do the homework assignment, so I have to lessen what I do and do more in the classroom," James said.
Yet James is opposed to the boycott, and so are most of his players.
"If a kid is in front of me, I can teach him," Coach James said. "With or without book."
"If we ain't in school, we're out in the streets and that's why we have all these gang-related problems," said student Corey Simpson.
Only one football player planned to take part in the boycott. But he said it's because his mother supports the protest. Ministers who are against the boycott say parents should lead the fight for better funding and let the children go to school.
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