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As a math teacher and chess coach at Ella Flagg Young Elementary School within the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), I feel the urgent need to shed light on a deeply troubling situation. Despite personal health and financial obstacles, I bought plane tickets for 10 of my students in January to enable them to participate in the 2024 National K-8 Chess Championship in Atlanta.
However, the dreams of my students have been devastated by some deceptive union members within CPS who have spread false stories to undermine me and prevent my students from competing. Despite tremendous support from donors and the United States Chess Federation, CPS inexplicably refuses to allow my students to compete.
Many of these students come from low-income households and foster care. They’ve shown extraordinary talent and commitment to chess, achieving impressive success in local and international tournaments. Recently, they made history as the first “non-Canadians” to top a Canadian tournament, by winning 1st and 3rd place trophies.
Denying these students this opportunity is not only unfair, it also goes against the ethos of inclusivity and equality that we should promote in our education system. As educators, our primary responsibility is to our students, a principle I have embraced throughout my teaching career.
In 2006, after tragically losing one of my students to street violence, I established an after-school chess club to provide a safe space for my students outside school hours. This initiative went beyond teaching chess as a game of strategy; it became an endeavor to save lives.
Despite their individual circumstances, these chess champions have enormous discipline and potential. Unfortunately, they come from families that cannot afford to support their participation in such events, so these opportunities are funded by generous donors who donate for such purposes.
I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of providing equal opportunities to all students, regardless of their situation. Despite my efforts to convince CPS leadership to let these young talents compete, my pleas were ignored. Even the principal of my school who has supported the trip was ignored.
In this championship in Atlanta, these students would have the opportunity to inspire others with their dedication and determination. We must stand together to champion the rights of these underprivileged kids and help them compete at the 2024 National K-8 Chess Championship in Atlanta this May.
I’ve been teaching mathematics in Chicago Public Schools for two decades, and leading chess champions in the after-school club for 18 years. My chess students have won national championships and earned recognition from the White House, a U.S. president, and the U.S. Congress. The decision to bar these students from the championship is an injustice against their talent and hard work.
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