Unless you live under a rock, you already know that Chance the Rapper donated 1 million dollars to CPS recently. A great act by a hometown hero determined to make good, but after my initial happiness and excitement, all I could feel is sadness.
I wasn't sad that long suffering teachers and students had someone to show them that they care with a grand gesture, I wasn't sad that Chance would surely inspire other people or businesses to give as well, and I wasn't sad Chance proved, once again, how much he loves our city. Instead, I was sad that it was even necessary.
Chicago has a long history of not doing right by CPS. As a product of CPS schools I, like many others, emerged as a rarity from the system. I went on to college and I'm 2 months away from getting my degree. But, as a product of CPS schools, I know far too many people that weren't as fortunate. Students that didn't go to Selective Enrollment schools or didn't get the highest test scores and were therefore forced to attend schools that lacked the resources to help them further their education. I know plenty of people around my age that aren't in schools now because CPS failed to help them get to one and it it's only continuing.
My cousins, who are mostly in middle school or high school, all complain that their schools are incredibly overcrowded. They talk about how some of them can't take books home because there aren't enough for everyone in a classroom. And they also talk about many school programs they lack, with many saying they have no art program, no music program, and extracurricular activities that colleges value like debate. Believe it or not, these aren't even some of the worst conditions that children are dealing with. Some schools are open despite being in buildings that should be condemned or don't even have enough desks for all the students. CPS may even have to close schools 3 weeks early this year which can only be to the detriment of every student.
Aside from the students, the teachers are all being underpaid and undervalued. Lacking the benefits or pay fitting of people who do such an important job for the community. As a result, teacher strikes have become a norm for CPS employees with the traditional pattern being they occur, negotiations occur, and then talks conclude with the teachers still not reaching a satisfying end and returning to the classroom.
There's no doubt that Chance's million dollar donation goes a long way, but CPS needs hundreds of millions of dollars to remedy all that is wrong with it. I'm not saying that to downplay what Chance has done because he deserves all the credit in the world for doing something so positive, but I am saying that more needs to be done for CPS.
Children all across the city of Chicago go to school without learning a thing while being taught by teachers who aren't being compensated the way they should be. Chance's money helps, but it won't mean anything if the local and state governments don't give CPS a new budget and more funding to go with it. I hope that Chance gave people in positions to enact positive change a wake up call that more needs to be done. I hope that the work that so many dedicated educators put in on a daily basis isn't completely in vain. And I hope things get better in Chicago because if not we'll all be here a year from now still wondering where to go from here.
