This Tuesday, Rev. Meeks is going to, with maybe three thousand people, protest the lack of funding for Chicago public schools at New Trier West. New Trier spends $16,000 per student, whereas in Chicago public schools, only $10,000 per student is spent, and in some schools on the south side of Chicago, only $7,000 per student. Rev. Meeks is a senator, who is trying to get two bills passed; one will create equal funding for all Illinois public schools, and the other, which will most likely not get passed, which Meeks knows will not get passed, will allow any student to go to any public school. Hyde Park, on the south side of Chicago is a rich neighborhood. However, it's an economically diverse place. Most upper middle class Hyde parkers, however, would send their children to private school rather than one of the three public grade schools, which are nice schools, but have more kids in each class, and aren't nearly as advanced as any of Winnetka's three public schools. ( When I moved from Hyde Park, though I went to the private school only because my dad taught there, I was surprised to hear that dance and service classes.) Also, even in the private school, there were no anti-bullying programs, or special education for kids with special needs. There are also neighborhoods on the south side that are far worse off than Hyde Park, with schools that don't have drama classes, or plays, or many different clubs to choose from. Schools with outdated books and few teachers and very few counselors to turn to if a student was having problems. Because of few supplies and teachers, students won't be as eager to learn or to get an education. I think that Winnetka should do more to help underfunded schools, because, and I'm not trying to send the "count your blessings" message, despite the stereotypical spoiled brats that people think of when Winnetka comes to mind, there are a lot of kids at New Trier who, if they could, would march with the protesters tomorrow.