Despite Cuts, Brownsville Schools Protect Chess Legacy
Budget cuts may have taken more than $30 million out of the Brownsville Independent School District’s budget for the next two years, but administrators say they are working to preserve financing for one key pot of money: the chess budget. This academic year, it totals $400,000.
“I don’t think there’s any other school district in the nation that puts dollars of any consequence into chess,” said Jay Harris, who coordinates the district’s program.
But for Brownsville, a border city that is one of the poorest in the nation, the “royal game” serves as an avenue ...
Comments (4)
Steve Coyle via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Glad to see you covered this: I started seeing these students and their teachers showing up in San Antonio Chess Tournaments back in the late nineties. Not a big mystery how they do it: instead of treating chess like some privileged gifted and talented program they make the assumption that any kid capable of being in school is capable of doing well at chess. Take the barriers down for success, give the kids resources they need and big surprise-they do well. It was a model I explained to the PTA and administrators when I started the chess club at Pease in AISD. No fees-no bias in selecting students/ want to learn-follow the rules you succeed.
Anne Solomon via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Probably the best bang for the educational dollar on the planet. Now, get girls to play.
Steve Coyle via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Anne I don't find that hard to accomplish at all. Once you have coaches and teachers involved who don't buy into the whole set of foundational assumptions about chess: White, gifted and talented, high socio-economic status and male I have found it surprisingly easy. I do think starting as young as possible before the negative social programming kicks in makes a difference-I start with Kindergartners and have maintained a fifty-fifty gender balance-some of them having stayed involved for their entire time they have been at the school. Also at Texas Tech Susan Polgar the former chess champ has done a great job recruiting female players for the college team. One thing not made clear in the article-Texas was the first state to go big time into college scholarship money for chess players and it was largely in response to the High School talent (and publicity) of the students coming out of the Valley.
Michelle Smith
I'm so glad you did a positive story on public education in Texas. Unfortunately, some of our legislators will read this article and think that Brownsville can afford to be cut an additional $400,000. Bravo to Brownsville for keeping a "non-essential" program that helps their students become successful in multiple areas of their lives!