Efforts to revive or start chess clubs at Detroit public schools "are starting to pay off," Lori Higgins writes at Chalkbeat Detroit.
"Our students are brilliant," boasts Supt. Nikolai Vitti. (Photos: Detroit City Chess Club)Detroit school district is making big investments in chess — restoring "a point of pride for the district that was stripped away under emergency management' [from 2009-16], Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said. . . .
There are far more teams and clubs today than there were even just a year ago — from fewer than 20 to nearly 35. Since Vitti took over, the district has purchased chess sets for schools with clubs, covered memberships in state and national chess federations, covered registration fees for tournaments, and recently, allocated nearly $160,000 — using federal Title I grant money — for trips to national competitions. . . .
"Chess represents discipline, thoughtfulness, strategic and critical thinking, patience, and mindfulness — all of the qualities we want to instill in our students," Vitti said. "Our students are brilliant but we do not always provide them with multiple opportunities to demonstrate that brilliance. Chess is another pathway we are offering students to shine."
Overall, the longtime education journalist adds, "Detroit already has some top chess teams representing district, charter and private schools."
The district is sending nine teams to national tournaments in the next few months (up from six last year), and covering major costs such as transportation, registration and lodging. Teams from Davison and Bethune, made it to the national competition in their first year. . . .
Other schools with teams heading to a national tournament include Bates and Chrysler at the elementary level; Bates and Munger at the middle school level; and Cass Tech, Renaissance and Ben Carson at the high school level.
Higgins joined the local staff of Chalkbeat, a nonprofit network of seven news sites, last November after covering education at the Detroit Free Press for 19 years..
