PORTLAND
OBSER/ER
Volum«* 8 No. 7
T h u r« U y , February 9, 1978
10c ,»er copy
Democrats announce delegate selection plans
The Democratic Party of Oregon has
released its Delegate Selection and Affir
mative Action Plan for the selection of
delegates to the National Party Confer
ence to be held in December. Each state
party is required to submit an acceptable
plan to the Democratic National Com
mittee to represent all segments of the
party.
The Oregon plan basically requires
each County Democratic Party to m«*et
and to elect delegates to the state conven
tion which will be held on August 19th.
Each of the four Congressional Districts
in the State will have one hundred
electors, with any registered Democrat
eligible to be an elector.
At the State Convention, each of the
Congressional Districts will elect two
delegates to the National Convention
one man and one woman. Then three
additional
at large delegates will be
elected. The electors will be encouraged
to consider “under represented" groups
(minority, youth, elderly, poor, etc.l in
making these selections.
Persons who wish to run for positions
as delegates to the National Conference
can either file prior to the State Conven
tion or can be nominated from the floor.
The plan will be open to public review
and comment until February 25th, and
thereafter can be challenged by ten or
more Democrats. Fifteen Democrats can
challenge the Party’s compliance with the
plan.
Between now and August 19th, the
Party will publicize the selection process.
hoping to encourage persons of tradi
tionally unrepresented groups to partici
pate.
Jim Klonoski, State Chairman, explain
ed at a Wednesday news conference that
the local plan is the result of a national
mandate and that minority participation
is "not so much of a problem here." He
emphasized that Oregon delegations have
been representative of the state's popula
tion and the state has been a leader in
including women. The effort to include
representatives of all segments of the
Party as delegates is a product of the
1972 McGovern reforms.
A fund raiser is planned to assist
delegates who would not otherwise be
financially able to go to the National
Convention in Memphis.
Federal food program extended to family care
A new U.S. Department of Agriculture
program is assisting day care providers
to provide more nourishing meals for the
young children in their care.
The
program reimburses providers for part of
the cost of meals providing they meet
USDA standards.
USDA funding has been available to
day care centers and schools for years,
but only last fall was expanded to include
persons who care for children in their
homes.
With the child care payments averag
ing $5 to $6 for the first child, and
approximately half that for additional
children, day care parents find it difficult
to provide meals for the children.
Day care homes in North and North
east Portland can recieve their subsidy
through the Neighborhood Options for
Child Care Project. NOCC takes care of
the paperwork, makes the payment to
the day care parent, and is reimbursed by
the government.
To qualify, day care parents must be
certified by the State Children's Service
Division, tnen can apply for the program
through NOCC. They are reimbursed a
specified amount for each meal served
thal meets the USDA nutrition standard.
"The day care mother can he reim
burned for breakfast, lunch, dinner and
two snacks.” Ms. Carol Bryant, NOCC
Director explained. "Payment is provid
ed if the meal fits the USDA specifics
tions. This does not mean that every
meal has to meet the standard. If for
some reason, a day care mother does not
want to prepare a USDA approved meal,
that is alright. She just does not receive
payment for that meal."
USDA requires that the meals meet
the child's nutritional needs. For exam
pie: a child between three and six years is
supposed to receive 'A cup of fruit or
vegetables, OR a fruit or vegetable juice,
*/« cup cereal and ‘/i slice bread, and ’/«
cup of milk for breakfast. Lunch must in
clude meat or meat alternate (meat, poul
try, fish, cheese, egg, dry peas, beans or
peanut butter!; two or more kinds of
vegetables or fruits; */» slice of bread, and
*A cup of milk.
Reimbursement for the above meals
would be 23.75c for breakfast and 42.25c
for lunch. A day care mother can receive
91.37‘A for breakfast, lunch, dinner and
two snacks. The average would be from
$20 to $25 per month per child.
An example of a typical day care
parent receiving reimbursement through
NOCC is Mrs. Jones who cares for six
Black ;tarents gathered to discuss their concerns with staff
from Lincoln High School.
Lincoln Principal Mike
.irogram.
Lincoln staff moots Black parents on own ground
Administrative staff from Lincoln High
School, Black parents and students met
last week in what was billed as the first
time that a Portland High School staff
came to the Black community.
The
purpose of the meeting was to explain the
school's programs and to obtain parent
cooperation in the education effort.
Ninety-one Black students are a part of
the 1,050 member Lincoln student body.
Most of these students live in the Albina
area and attend Lincoln through admini
strative transfer.
years.
• Black male students have a high
drop-out rate.
• Students appear to be in the hallway
and bathrooms when they should be in
class.
• Black students are not made aware
of special programs.
• Black students are not enrolled in
the "International Studies" magnet pro
gram.
• Black students do not participate in
student council and other student body
organizations. There is no Black student
body officer.
• There is no opportunity for participa
tion in after school and evening social and
cultural events because of transportation
problems.
• Nothing is done by the school to
make Black students feel part of Lincoln.
• There are no classes in Black studies
to teach Black students (and the student
body) their heritage and value.
• Disciplinary problems are handled
more severely when involving Black
students.
• Racial problems that do exist are not
dealt with openly and frankly.
Few Black graduates go to college
children. Mrs. Jones is on Social Secu
rity, based on her husband's death, so
feeding six children was difficult and cut
deeply into her earnings. Now she not
only receives the reimbursement for the
six day care children, but for her own
elementary school child who has his
meals with the day care children.
Day care mothers can receive reim-
Principal Mike Rumpakis explained
ment for two of their own children,
that the school has made great progress
providing these children are part of the
in its race relations and that the staff is
day care group and eat their meals with
dedicated, but we “want to bring in the
the day care children. This insures that
parents to help children get the most
the cost of providing more nutritious
benefit...we want to be partners...we
meals for the day care children does not
want to ask what should we do.”
increase the cost of feeding her own
Parents and students expressed ser
children.
ious concerns about discrimination on the
NOCC provides information on nutri
part of some faculty members and of
tion and schedules nutrition workshops
overall neglect of Black students. Some
for day care mothers. “An integral part
of the problems expressed by students
of the program is education -- teaching
and parents were:
families to provide better meals. I have
• Only nine of the nineteen Black
learned a lot myself since we have been
seniors will graduate in June. Thirteen of
monitoring menus and providing infor
the seniors have been at Lincoln for four
mation on nutrition. I have become more
aware of what I am feeding my own
child," Mrs. Bryant said. “We also send
information in our newsletter to help
parents coordinate their own menus with
Kv Allison
Alliwnn Fvff»
«-I
.
■
by
Fyfe
the diet the children are receiving in day
Ganter emphasized Nickelberry's in
care."
volvement with union and craft activities.
Claudius Nickelberry recently became
“It is so important," he said, “for minority
the first Black to complete the Brick
folk to participate in union meetings.”
layer's Apprenticeship Program. Nickel
Completing the Apprenticeship program
berry, described by Charles Ganter,
and getting a job is not enough. Minority
Director of Department of Labor's Ap
workers must stay involved with the
prenticeship and Training programs, as
organizations which affect their liveli
doing “an outstanding job" exemplifies
hood, he said.
the success Ganter hopes will become
Ganter specified the individual unions
commonplace for minority workers.
and the Apprenticeship programs as the
organizations where minority workers
(60-70 percent of Lincoln’s graduates
attend college).
• There is a need for recognition of
Black students who do excell.
One young lady explained to her
mother that Black students who are
friends at school have no opportunity to
socialize at school except in the halls or
bathroom. "We go in the bathroom so we
can talk about what we want to talk
about." These students live in different
neighborhoods so cannot get together
after school either.
Other students gave examples of how
they felt a particular teacher had "picked
on" them in class.
The staff related other concerns:
• Many Black students arrive at Lin
coin with deficiencies in basic skills and
with “learning problems.”
• Many Black students have atten
dance problems.
• Black students lack interest in col
lege and do not prepare by taking
advanced classes or completing SAT
tests.
Those present agreed to meet again in
an effort to find answers to some of the
problems.
Nickelberry completes bricklayer apprenticeship
a
United Way volunteer weighs program expense
Kay Sohl believes smaller is better.
When she finishes her studies at PSU
to become a Certified Public Accountant,
she hopes to go into management counsel
ing for small businesses.
In the meantime, she is keeping her
management and budget skills sharp
working as a United Way Conference
Panel volunteer.
She is among the 104 local volunteers
who visit agencies, review budgets and
programs and make allocation recommen
dations.
It is their job to see that United Way
contributions are spent wisely.
Sohl. is serving her third year as a
Conference Panel member. From an
accountant's perspective, she says, the
most important things for her on the
budget are personnel costs and the
geographic area the agency's services are
reaching.
Besides her accounting studies, Ms.
Sohl works as a technical specialist with
Technical Assistance for Community Ser
vices.
This recently formed agency provides
training and some direct assistance to
non profit organizations and individuals
Rum;mkis explain,, the Lincoln
can make changes for their own good.
Nickelberry is one who is doing just that,
he said.
The Bricklayers Apprenticeship pro
gram is a four-year work and study
effort. Apprentices complete 144 hours
of study each year, usually two night
sessions of two hours each per week. A
pre apprenticeship program is also offer
ed. This is an eight week course and
prepares apprenticeship hopefuls for the
full program.
Legal aid plans job discrimination unit
Mrs. Kay Sohl. United Way volunteer, visiu day care center to view program
first-hand before making funding derisions.
who are trying to set up their own
business.
Ms. Sohl has been associated with
United Way for several years.
In 1972, she helped prepare the
groundwork required to have
Day Care Center in north
admitted as a member agency
Way. She remains on the
(Please turn to page 2 col. 4)
St. John's
Portland
of United
board of
Legal Aid Service made a major policy
change recently in deciding to accept
cases of discrimination in employment.
The decision was made at a Board of
Trustees meeting on January 7th, accord
ing to J. Richard Forester of I,egal Aid
Service. Forester anticipates the ap
proved Discrimination Unit will be opera
tional in July.
Previously Ix*gal Aid had not accepted
cases of employment discrimination by
race or sex. These cases were referred to
private attorneys or to the Civil Rights
Division of the Oregon State Bureau of
Labor.
I^egal Aid, however, has determined
that the legal needs of the financially poor
are not adequately provided by the
private bar or by the Bureau of I^bor.
Ih-ivate attorneys, according to Fo
rester, are reluctant to accept poor
clients. The reason for this, he says, are
that discrimination cases are complex and
costly to investigate and that the attor
ney must invest considerable time and
money into the investigation before he
can accurately evaluate the case's merits.
The Bureau of I,abor. according to
Ix*gal Aid Service's findings, does not
genuinely represent a client who files a
discrimination suit and who is not repre
sented by a private attorney. Instead,
the Bureau acts as an arbitrator and
seeks a settlement. This leaves the
Bureau’s client, the complainant, without
legal representation while the organiza
tion or person against whom the com
plaint is made, usually an employer, is
represented by its attorney or attorneys.
Legal Aid is also critical of the inability
of the Bureau of l,abor and the Attorney
General's Office to process discrimination
complaints in a timely manner. It notes
that the average time for the processing
of a successful complaint is between four
and six years.
Currently. Legal Aid is representing
clients who have brought a class action
complaint against the Bureau of I^bor
and the Attorney General's Office. This
complaint specifies that the right of due
process of law is being denied to persons
who charge discrimination in employ
ment.
Funding for the Discrimination Unit,
which initially will consist of four per
sons, will be around $70.000 for its first
year. According to Forester, this money
will come primarily from funds previous
ly allocated to the Consumer U w Unit of
Legal Aid. The activities of the Con
sumer Law Unit, he said, will be lessened
considerably.
Innovative school proves ghetto children can learn
by Pat Roberto
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - A pace
setting private elementary school which
has provided first rate educations to
some of this city's poorest children and
high acclaim to the Black Panther Party
which runs it
is facing an uncertain
future as a result of charges of attempted
murder, extortion and fraud brought
against party members. The allegations,
some believe, may threaten the survival
of the Black Panther Party itself.
The accusations, including welfare
fraud, extortion and two shootings sup
posedly connected with the murder trial
of Panther leader Huey Newton, have
already created a breach between the
school and public officials such as Oakland
Mayor Lionel Wilson, who recently re
signed from the school's board.
Yet, while officialdom is maintaining a
discreet distance from all Panther activi
ties, the school's grassroots support in
this predominantly non white city of
328,000 has grown even more loyal.
"I go down there and I see for myself
the love and concern they have for the
children," said one mother. "Why should
I care who runs it or what is being said
about them?"
You read that the Panthers did this or
they did that," said another mother
whose two daughters attend the school.
Then you turn around and see all the
good things they do and the progress
these children are making."
If reading and math scores and a
demanding curriculum are indications,
the progress of the Oakland Community
Sch<x>l s 150 two and a half to 12-year old
students is remarkable.
Children enrolled in the program from
the start consistently score one to two
years beyond grade level on the Compre
hensive Test of Basic Skills, which the
school administers at the beginning and
end of each year, Transfer students from
the Oakland Public Schools, where stu
dents score among the worst in the state
and the nation in reading, usually reach
grade level in two years' time.
The staff, who devised the curriculum
and plan to market it, feel the achieve
ments of their students are small cause to
marvel.
This is ordinary everyday stuff," said
Carol Granison. language arts director
and former staffer for Scholastic maga
zine. For a child to learn is as inevitable
as breathing. What is extraordinary is
the millions of kids who learn nothing
sitting in public school classrooms."
What is also extraordinary is the
number of services and the amount of
attention available to students at the
school. The staff consists of sixteen
full time teachers; fourteen Black and
two whites. Class sizes vary from seven
to twelve students, as compared to the
public school average of 28.
The school provides before and after
school child rare, three hot meals a day.
complete medical and dental treatment
and overnight care at a Panther run
dormitory when parents request it.
All of this is free to parents who cannot
afford the $25 a month tuition. And most
parents are single mothers who cannot. It
costs the school about $30,000 a month to
provide the services and pay salaries,
with the money coming from a variety of
grants, public food programs and private
contributions,
"We do everything for our children,"
said Ericka Huggins, director of the
school. "We see to it they have their
meals, that their noses are wiped and
that they are feeling okay."
All of this adds up to an exceptionally
heavy workload for the teachers, three
quarters of whom are credentialed in
structors with public school experience.
At OCS they earn a flat $800 a month, or
an average of $300 a month less than
their public school counterparts. Most
feel that the chance to work with small
classes and the freedom from bureau
cracy is ample compensation for the
difference in pay.
But even with these advantages the
work is rigorous. Teachers work eight to
ten hours a day, including supervising
children before and after school. They
rotate breakfast, lunch and dinner duty,
often serving the children and eating
with them. They must also write brief
weekly progress reports on every child
they teach. And they are responsible to
the other teachers if their homeroom
students fail to turn in assignments.
At weekly faculty meetings, teachers
and staff discuss the behavior and aca
demic performance of individual children
and plan strategies for improvement. A
certain singularity of purpose
the
welfare of children
pervades.
"Sure we sympathize with public
school teachers who say they need more
pay and better working conditions," said
OCS curriculum coordinator Dr. Bill
Moore "But if you want those things,
show us where your children are pro
gressing and show us where they ure not
shooting up on drugs or drinking alcohol
or tricking in the hallways. Because if
you are a teacher, these things are your
responsibility, too."
There is an added dimension to the
teaching zeal at the Oakland Community
School: The majority of teachers and
administrators are members of the Black
Panther Party. With their social, politi
cal and professional lives largely fix-used
on the school, they form the core of a
crucial alliance between faculty, parents
and community resource people.
I hese people are visionaries without
any economic motives," said one ob
server. "For the sake of that vision they
have learned to fit into any structure that
exists. I hey know how to organize, to
get projects funded. Whatever it takes."
Non party members at the school
praise the party for its idealism but insist
they see little influence emanating from a
Panther ideology. "What binds us as a
group is our commitments to the same
goal, not politics, said mathematics
teacher Jackie Nado. "We are working
together to educate children so they ran
analyze and make choices.
There is
nothing more exciting."
Besides the dedication of teachers,
Director Huggins says a crucial element
in the school’s success is the heavy
involvement of parents, who are asked to
work twelve hours a month as classroom
aides, cafeteria workers or office person
nel at the school in lieu of tuition.
Family members are encouraged to
participate in Panther run teen projects
and adult education courses at the school.
In this way, the staff has constant contact
with the parents and siblings of their
students.
"Without prying, we try to know as
much as we can about a child's home
environment and we don’t hesitate to
make suggestions when we feel a change
is needed." Huggins said.
For example, one four year old girl,
labeled autistic by a county psychologist,
had seen her parents fighting constantly,
at times threatening each other with
guns.
I hat situation could not be improved.
So we explained to the mother how
deeply her child was being hurt and
urged her to move," said Huggins. “She
did, and the girl started to talk and later
to read as much as any child."
Since ghetto children rarely have any
alternative to the local public school,
parents whose children go to OCS ex
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