Chicago School Boycott Moves Downtown

Civic leaders held "teach-ins" at downtown Chicago businesses today to protest uneven education funding in Illinois, the Tribune reports. Educators joined students boycotting a second day of school in the lobbies of buildings including the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Boeing Corp. Most businesses said they would welcome the students during the protest, which is expected to last until Friday.

State Sen. James Meeks, the protest organizer, called on Mayor Richard Daley to address the funding issue during a press conference at City Hall. "I have carried school funding bills for the last 6 years," Meeks said. "Mayor Daley has never spoken about one." The senator also attempted to pressure Daley by gathering students outside the mayor's office. (More Chicago stories.)