*** UPDATE *** No meeting yet, but they’ve apparently narrowed the possible days down to two…
Now that state Senator James Meeks has called off his Chicago school boycott, he and Governor Rod Blagojevich are working out a meeting date to discuss plans to help underfunded schools.
Meeks says the governor’s office has suggested Monday or Tuesday as possible dates. […]
Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero says the governor is happy to talk with Meeks but it’s up to the legislature to approve funding.
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* After weeks of claiming that Gov. Rod Blagojevich had broken his promises to adequately fund education, Sen. James Meeks now calls the guv a man of his word…
A controversial, four-day Chicago Public Schools boycott ended on Day Two — after Gov. Blagojevich said any meeting with its organizer, the Rev. James Meeks, wouldn’t happen during a boycott.
“We’re asking all students to return to their schools,” Meeks said Wednesday night after about 500 protesters converged on the lobbies of 18 corporate and government downtown buildings during the day.
“We believe the governor is a man of good will and a person of his word,” Meeks said. “So, we are therefore seeking a meeting on Thursday to discuss school funding reform.”
* But…
Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero was noncommittal. “We said we would not meet during the boycott. If the boycott’s over, that’s another thing,” Guerrero said. “But it has to be when all the legislative leaders are available.”
* The governor got away with one on ABC 7…
The governor says Meeks is pointing the finger in the wrong direction.
“I can’t rewrite the school funding formula the legislature has to do that. And I’m with him, we should work to get the legislature to do it,” said Blagojevich.
Apparently, the reporter forgot that Blagojevich just launched the “Rewrite to Do Right” campaign. RRB thinks he can rewrite anything, especially ethics bills. Why not the school funding formula?
* Anyway, the dropoff in the number of school boycott participants is probably what motivated Meeks more than his newfound trust in Blagojevich…
Earlier Wednesday, fewer protesters than Tuesday boarded 20 buses at South Side and West Side churches, headed for destinations such as City Hall and the Thompson Center, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Aon Corp.
* More details of the attendance drop…
At City Hall, 18 children sat outside Mayor Richard Daley’s office as two retired Chicago Public Schools teachers asked them fill out work sheets and draw pictures. At the James R. Thompson Center, student Shalafonte Walls, 10, worked on a math sheet as people walked past the children. […]
About 10 children were turned away at the Aon building, but later were allowed inside to conduct classes and eat lunch paid for by Aon.
* This, however, has some truth to it…
Organizers said the two-day boycott was effective and brought attention to the issue of school funding at the country’s third-largest school system with more than 400,000 students.
“Everybody in the state is talking about school funding and the inequities between high property value districts and the kind of education they get and low property value districts,'’ Meeks said.
* Related…
* Blagojevich, Daley also use children when pushing political agendas
* McQueary: No hugging in this 10-step program
* Brown: Meeks right about the bottom line