Special Report IV JAMES F. O'NEIL, MEMBER STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF MICHIGAN 16057 ALPINE DRIVE LIVONIA, MICHIGAN 48154 'Cures for the Crises' Common Goals for Schools and Society "The entire object of education is to make people not merely do the right things, but enjoy the right things; not merely learned, but to love knowledge; not merely pure, but to love purity; not merely just, but to hunger and thirst after justice." Recently, Governor Milliken of Michigan stated, "There is a Crisis of Confidence in our educational system." At that time, he indicated that the crisis of confidence extended to elementary and secondary schools as well as higher education. He also referred to the increasing prevalence of student disorders as one example of this crisis. I agree with his assessment of education and I believe one of the major reasons for this crisis has been a general lack of comprehensive and contemporary educational goals as well as a lack of dedication on the part of all those involved in education to address themselves to the goals of education in a constructive and concerted manner. Frank Goble of the Thomas Jefferson Research Center has stated. Unless our schools and society are able to find far better and more economical solutions to exploding human crises, we face social and economic chaos. John Ruskin These goals are the result of utilizing a citizens task force which was representative of the major elements of our society. Their recommendations were then reviewed and revised, utilizing the experience of the State Board of Education and adopted as tentative goals. Statewide public hearings were held to secure the public's recommendations regard ing these goals which are called the "Common Goals of Education." As a result of these hearings, the goals were finalized and we hope we have a common understanding as well as common dedication to these goals. I believe these "Common Goals for Education represent the most significant ac complishment of the State Board of Education to date. I believe these contemporary goals will provide "Cures for the crises เก Our schools and society" if the people, educators, legislators and governors support them and the news and communication media publicize them. 'COMMON GOALS OF EDUCATION' There are four major areas. The first one addresses itself to Citizenship and Morality. It calls for the development of youth as citizens who have self-respect, respect for others, respect for the law, as well as good citizenship. It emphasizes students' responsibilities as well as their rights I believe this particular goal area is one of the most crucial to the schools and our society. It has been the general lack of selfrespect, respect for others and the law that Is causing most of the problems in society and our schools. In this regard, when we realize: A 75% of all major crimes in our country are committed by youth 21 and under, B. 50% of the total major crimes are committed by youth 17 and under, it is obvious that we are not teaching self-respect and respect for others and the law. Therefore, it is most essentaial that we emphasize this need and at the same time the need for good citizenship. First, because all respect starts with SelfRespect, Second, Respect for Others even though we may not always agree with each other is essential to the well being of our schools and society; Third, Respect for the Low, even while efforts may be under way to change some aspects of the law for the alternative is anarchy, and Fourth, Good Citizenship, which emphasizes the need for all citizens to become involved in their so ciety and in politics. In this regard, the words of the ancient Greek philosopher Pericles are still true today, when he said, "those who say they have no business in politics, have no business at all." Schools and society must expeditously inject large quantities of this cure if we are to resolve the crises of increasing demonstrations, disorders and destruction which threaten to destroy our schools and society. * DEMOCRACY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ✩ The second Goal Area addresses itself to Democracy and Equal Opportunity. This goal area calls out: A. the need for education to support and advance the principles of democracy by recognizing the worth of every individual and by respecting each person's right to equal participation in the educational process, B. the need for more and greater equalization in the allocation of financial resources, and C. a more effective means for involving parents in the educational development of their children. In regard to Democracy and Equal Opportunity, our personal commitment to all that this statement implies will take us a long way toward achieving the "Dream of our Democracy" and the "Commitment of our Constitution." In the effort to provide greater equity in the allocation of resources, we should not be misled into believing we will achieve this only by an equal dollar ex- 1. we have more dropouts than college 2. when over 75% of our students do In addition, if we are really committed to * STUDENT LEARNING * ultimate goal of a K-16 system of free public education. This goal area also emphasizes the need for greater parental participation in the education of their youth. I personally believe this is the crucial "missing link" in education today. And while I cannot deny the charges of parental apathy and lethargy, neither con I deny the charges that education is not doing enough to: A overcome this opathy and lethargy, and B. help parents to help in the education and development of their own children. It has frequently been reported that one of the reasons youth turns to drugs is their alienation with society. Certainly both parents and educators have a need to correct this most detrimental condition. Certainly both want to and by working together we con and we will. It has been said that we have the 3 R's in elementary education and the 6 R's in The third Goal Area addresses itself to Student Learning and says that education must help each individual to acquire a positive attitude toward school and the learning process so that as a result of his educational experience he is able to achieve optimum personal growth, to progress in a worthwhile and rewarding manner in the career of his choice, and to render worthwhile service to society. The idea of helping each individual acquire a positive attitude toward school is of particular significance as related to the State Board's Assessment Program. The results of this assessment indicate that in many school districts having: A. the highest amount of financial support, and B. the largest number of teachers with masters degrees, the school children have the poorest level of achievement. At the same time the assessment indicated that many of these children who were the real low achievers, had a very low attitude toward their schools. It is obvious that this attitude must be changed if we hope to motivate these youngsters to learn and to use their knowledge in a positive and constructive manner in society. The third Goal Area also highlights the need for preparing students for changing society, creative and critical thinking, self-worth, vocational and technical skills, and also improving the environmental quality of our society. All of these are essential to our society which is a society that is different from any that have existed since the beginning of civilization. This is brought about by a number of things, including: 1 the transient nature of society which leads to a high degree of anonymity and with this anonymity the lack of moral inhibitions as we have known them in the past, 2. the "electronic day and age" we live in where now children are exposed to all the cultures of the world and all the elements in each of these cultures, and 3. the rapidly changing society, not only with the major impact of innovations in this nuclear and space age society, but also the rapidity of these changes. We must through education overcome one of the major handicaps of society which has been very perceptively identified by Marshall McLuhan when he says "We're going through life not knowing where we're going or even where we are but only where we have been" and making decisions on the basis of our rear view mirror perspective. In this regard, we need to pay particular attention to the quality of our environment. EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT ✩ The fourth Area addresses itself to Educational Improvement and says education must include adequate provisions to assess, evaluate, and improve on an on-going basis progress of the educational system in achieving the goals essential for quality and equality education. This calls for improvement in the quality of teaching, a system of educational accountability, assessment and I sincerely request your thorough study of these goals and your support of them in overcoming this "Crisis of Confidence." I believe if we can get a common understanding and common support of the "Common Gools of Education" then we will be able to direct education to meet the fundamental and pressing needs of our schools and our society. I believe that if we can get an evaluation, and improved research and development. A system of educational accountability has long been needed in education to insure that we are both effectively and efficiently accomplishing the goals of education. The assessment program is one of the steps that will give us the feedback that will enable us to improve education. However, we must * SUMMARY ⭑ equitable allocation of funds in the area of Vocational and technical training and career development we'll have gone a long way toward providing equality of educational opportunity at the K-12 level. Beyond K-12, there is not equality of educational opportunity as evidenced by the small percentage of students who go on to post high school education. I believe the (Address requests for additional copies to the address listed on the other side.) expand the assessment program. For to really evaluate the achievements of education relative to the schools, we must be able to evaluate the end results which are the high school graduates, and we must be able to evaluate how well those who go to college succeed and how well those who are trained for jobs succeed in getting jobs and filling them successfully. fundamental way of meeting this need would be to establish a K-14 system of public education. I believe it is now time for us to clothte our past rhetoric with substance. That substance would be concerted actions to insure the promises of our democratic society and thereby providing cures for the crises. Let us begin today and let us do it together. James & Oneil STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION Chairman CELLER. Any questions? Thank you very much, Mr. O'Neil. We have been very interested to hear you, and we appreciate your coming. Mr. O'NEIL. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Chairman CELLER. Our next witness is Mrs. Robert C. Anderson, president, PTA Council, Pontiac, Mich. STATEMENT OF FRANCILE ANDERSON, PRESIDENT, PTA COUNCIL, PONTIAC, MICH. Mrs. ANDERSON. Chairman Celler and Representatives, thank you for the opportunity to tell my story of a Pontiac successful busing story with a plea for amending the Constitution. Federal district judge Demon Keith took a look at the Pontiac School District and found six all-black schools. The Honorable Damon Keith gave an assignment to Pontiac to integrate all schools by the opening day of school on September 7, 1971. This decree was the signal for a break with tradition in the schools and community patterns of our city. Some citizens reacted to this change with rebellion; others, with relief. I am so proud of Pontiac. We no longer have two separate Pontiacs-one black, one white-but we have the beginning of a unified city where brown, white, and black are working together for Pontiac. This all began last summer when our superintendent, Dr. Dana Whitmer, made a plea to the public to support the school's implementation of the integration plan. Our assistant superintendent, William Lacy, worked out an equitable busing plan where all children would be bused at some time during their school years. Black and white schools were paired or clustered, and each junior high served one grade only. The two high schools were not affected, since boundary lines were changed for racial balance. Many citizens strongly opposed busing; many strongly favored busing; but the strength of our community was evident when parents of 20,000 schoolchildren obeyed the law and put their children on those buses the opening day of school to bring about desegregation. Fear was a great contributing factor to the reluctance of many parents to send children to their newly assigned schools in the different neighborhoods. Many white parents were afraid to go into the black community themselves, so they were very apprehensive to send their children there. This same feeling was shared by black parents. Many parents were disappointed at the inconvenience of leaving neighborhood schools with which they were familiar. Many parents were angered at the cost of $665,000 for buses and transportation added to a $2 million cut for Pontiac school district education by the State. These same parents and many citizens of Pontiac planned, talked, encouraged, reasoned, prayed, and worked diligently to make the opening day of school a safe one for all children who rode schoolbuses across Pontiac from one section to the other, and safe it was. That opening day of school was a scene of contrast in human emotions. Most all schools, particularly in the black community, enjoyed a happy, kind attitude exchange between students, parents, and administrators. Hatred ran rampant in the northern section of Pontiac at several schools as busloads of first-, second-, and third-grade black students arrived, to be met by white pickets. This same attitude was demonstrated as older black elementary and junior high students arrived at their schools. It was very evident that those pickets were not antibusing but antiblack. Then there were also incidents of antibusing pickets hurling unkind, uncouth remarks at their neighborhood children as they got on the buses to go to their new schools. We had some unfortunate incidents. With a crowd of angry, taunting parents outside the schools, making certain with their signs and remarks that the black children understood they were not welcome at their newly assigned schools, naturally some of these black children reacted. The black community of Pontiac should be commended for the dignity and restraint which they displayed during those opening weeks of school. They did not retaliate when racial tensions were so explosive. They saved our city from further serious conflict. The black people earned the respect of many citizens of Pontiac. No one can destroy or erase the many acts of kindness, the friendships made, and the spirit of good will which was generated between the black and white community. This change in attitude is so essential to help resolve many deep problems which must concern each of us, whether we reside in Pontiac or any place else in America. One constructive, strong PTA group of black, Spanish American, and white parents is meeting each Tuesday morning to discuss problems and interests of the three schools in their one cluster. This chance to get acquainted and communicate is a positive and pleasurable advantage to the integration plan. This group is working so beneficially that a plan had been made to organize the same type of group in each pair or cluster of schools in Pontiac. Fortunately, many PTA people do want to work together. I firmly believe this statement on equality of educational opportunity adopted by the board of managers of the Michigan PTA on November 2, 1971: Since both the National PTA and the Michigan Congress have consistently over the years recorded by both statement and action unequivocal support for equality of opportunity in all areas of life in a democracy committed to freedom and equality; And since we recognize that equality of opportunity is a hollow ideal unless accompanied by equality of experience; And since we recognize that segregated education disadvantages all students who study in a segregated situation regardless of their group membership; And since we recognize that the vast majority of Michigan's students are in fact receiving inadequate educational experience by virtue at least of segregated schooling; And since all efforts at achieving integration to date have not met with success and since we recognize that busing has for years been an option to assure the receiving of better education; We, therefore, believe that all Michigan's children should no longer be deprived of the maximum potential for the best possible education which without busing has been denied them. We do further believe that the achieving of educational excellence through busing of children as one measure to overcome segregation patterns is wholly consistent with the aims and goals of the PTA and therefore, the Board of Managers of the Michigan Congress of Parents and Teachers supports all efforts including busing to achieve racial, religious, and ethnic integration of our schools of Michigan. We continue our traditional support of ending all types of segregation and discrimination in our society. In retrospect, the Court's decision to integrate our schools gave to us parents a challenge, a job, and an opportunity. First, our challenge was to take this new situation and racially balance all schools for quality education. We had no precedent, no outline to follow. What we do will be Pontiac's answer and solution to a difficult but not impossible assignment. We can take this challenge and through much planning, testing, studying, and trying, we can reach the goal of integrated schools and a better community. This school integration involvement is like a puzzle with a thousand pieces. All these pieces can fit together if we have the time, patience, interest, and determination to solve this puzzle. We parents have a critical job to do. Each parent must honestly ask himself: "What kind of a parent am I?" We must have an impartial attitude toward all races and accept them as our equals. This is the only way we can teach our children to treat each person kindly and fairly regardless of his skin color. Now is a great opportunity for us to help improve the status of mankind. We have a chance to dissolve some of the racial tensions by teaching our children to accept their Spanish-speaking neighbor, their white neighbor, their black neighbor. We should diligently teach our children to try to understand them. The next generation is destined to have more tolerance if our children are taught to respect each race. This can be our lasting contribution to the history of our great Nation-to build solid stepping stones of racial equality for our children to use to reach greater heights in this progress for generations to follow. The true spirit of Pontiac was seen by the thousands of parents who accepted the challenge of making integration work by working hard at their job of being better parents so that all of Pontiac can benefit from this opportunity. Integration is working in Pontiac, particularly well in the elementary schools. This is where the success of better racial relations must begin in the early grades so children are conditioned to working and playing together and accepting each other for the person he is. This will eliminate tensions and confrontations at junior high and senior high when constructive foundations of racial acceptability have been built during the elementary years. It is touching to see our sixth-grade son appreciating his new black and Mexican classmates and to listen to his fun experiences with them. It is touching to watch his kind, personable, black principal show special attention and interest in a white child who is vying for his attention. He shows no partiality, and the children love him. It is touching to watch a black mother hug our son because he played a good football game with her son to win the game. It is touching to watch dedicated black and white teachers creating a pleasant atmosphere for learning academics and lessons in living. The inconvenience busing creates for the parents and the extra time students spend on the bus seem a very small price to pay to see, hopefully, our children mature into the type of American citizens that the drafters of our Constitution and the present interpreters of the Constitution must have envisioned when they included and interpreted the provisions for equality. |