Boycott Disrupts Chicago's 1st Day of School

Hundred of Chicago students missed the first day of school today as they tried to enroll in more affluent suburban schools, the Tribune reports. Students and parents are protesting the uneven division of wealth among Illinois public schools by attempting to enroll en masse in top-rated North Shore schools. It’s a symbolic gesture; residency is required to enroll.

“We do not believe a child's education should be based on where they live,” said state Sen. James Meeks, the Baptist pastor who organized the boycott. “Three decades of underfunded schools have led to the social ills we face today.” But Mayor Richard Daley blasted Meeks for using children to make his point. “It’s very selfish,” he said. “It does not serve anyone.” (More education stories.)