Philanthropist Joins Coalition for CPS Chess Reform, Calls for New Nonprofit

 

Ted Oppenheimer, the president of the Oppenheimer Family Foundation and a major contributor to CPS, has joined those calling for a new chess program in the city's schools.

In a letter sent by email on January 23rd to David Vitale, the President of the Board of Education, Oppenheimer offered to help set up a new nonprofit which would work in a partnership with CPS to spearhead a new program.  The letter was co-signed by Jerry Neugarten, who heads ICA's Youth Committee.  ICA has been advocating a new program for Chicago for four years.

The Oppenheimer Family Foundation, founded in 1933, has been giving grants to Chicago Public School teachers for the past 37 years through its Teacher Incentive Grant (TIG) program.  The Foundation has also supported chess programs in a half dozen CPS elementary schools.

 

The email was sent after reports that meetings are underway in CPS looking into the possibility of setting up a new program patterned after the Chicago Debate League, headed by the independent Chicago Debate Commission.

According to the letter, several people have offered to serve on the board of a new chess organization including Oppenheimer; Mike Cardinale, an ICA board member who is president of the Youth Chess Foundation of Chicago; and Steven Walsh, a teacher at Tonti Elementary School with strong ties to the Community Schools Initiative unit at CPS.  Oppenheimer and Neugarten said they hoped at least one member of the CPS management team would join the new board, and said they would extend an invitation to the Debate Commission to provide a member as well.

The new nonprofit would be primarily tasked with raising the funds needed for a new program and support the existing coalition of coaches, titled players, volunteers and chess parents devoted to “bringing thousands of new CPS kids into chess, building excellence, and making Chicago competitive with New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, Seattle and Los Angeles.”

As part of the effort, Oppenheimer signaled his willingness to make an initial contribution and to seek support from members of the Donors Forum. The efforts would dovetail with those of ICA’s existing finance team, the Chicago Schools Advisory Board.