Joseph Ocol, a Chicago public school math and algebra teacher, was left “traumatized” when one of his students was shot while leaving a school building in 2005.
Since then, Ocol, who has been with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system for 17 years as both a teacher and after-school chess mentor, has promised himself and his students that he will come into class whenever possible.
“Police surveys [show] that the most dangerous time for a student to be outside a school building is from 3 to 6 p.m.,” Ocol, who is originally from the Philippines, told Fox News Digital. “So that’s when I opted to start the chess program after school to keep kids inside the building. It’s not just about winning games, although later on, the kids were winning medals and trophies, but it’s more about saving lives. That was my goal then.”
Joseph Ocol (Credit: Illinois Policy) (Illinois Policy)
Ocol’s chess team at Earle STEM Academy won a national championship trophy in 2016 and got to meet former President Obama.
Three weeks earlier, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) of which Ocol was a member, held an unplanned strike, demanding an increase in pay, which he chose not to attend — a decision that led to his expulsion from the union.
“I learned about the end of life what really matters,” Ocol explained. “Not what we vote [for], but what we do. Not what we got, but what we shared. … More about our success with our significance in the lives of others. I want to live a life that matters. And that’s very important for me.”
CPS announced Thursday that “a small number of schools may be able to offer in-person activities for students” while the remainder of the district remains closed. The school system is offering in-person meals, “Safe Haven” sites and high school sports while classes are canceled.
Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Email tips to audrey.conklin@fox.com or on Twitter at @audpants.
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