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Portland Observer Thursday. July 19.1979 Page 3
Candidates seek appointment to school board vacancy
Twenty-nine candidates fo r ap
pointment to the Portland School
Board are in the process o f being in
terviewed by a three member sub
committee o f the Board - Jonathan
Newman, Joe Rieke and Bill Scott.
Desegregation and the threatened
boycott by Black parents permeated
the interviews, w ith Reike asking
nearly every candidate their opinion
on the d is tric t’ s desegregation
program and the Board's response to
Community Coalition for school In
tegratin, and for advise as to how to
deal with the pending boycott
Almost without exception the can
didates expressed opinions tht Black
childrenViear the greater burden o f
desegregation and that the Board
must deal fairly with the issue. Most,
white and Black, also advised the
Board members to meet w ith the
leaders o f the boycott to find out
what they want and how the district
can meet their demands.
Six Black people applied fo r
the position. Following are exerpts
from their interviews:
Herb Cawthorne
Herb Cawthorne is director o f
PSU’ s Educational O pportunities
Program .
In response to Rieke’ s question
regarding the threatened boycott,
Cawthorne said he would work to
place the Board in good stead with
the Black com m unity. ’ ’ I, better
than anyone, could bridge the gap."
He would attempt to insure that the
boycott w ould not be necessary,
warranted or appropriate. “ I f the
right energy were put into a process
for solutions, parties on both sides
would respond.”
Asked by Rieke if he considers a
boycott necessary and encourages it,
he replied that if Blacks can’ t open
channels o f co m m un icatio n any
other way, it is necessary. Explaining
that the Coalition's method o f study,
interpretation and presentation o f
concerns to the Board had not been
successful, he said, “ It doesn’t mat
ter what I say, the people have to go
toward more distasteful methods.
“ If a large segment ot the Black
community feels it must be done, I
will put myself in a position to serve.
I would assist in any activity the
people consider a legitimate means
for expression. If there must be a
choice between the Black community
and the Board, because we suffer, I
would want to be there to provide a
positive service."
An approach to the boycott by the
Board must start with a systematic
effort to deal with the problems in a
way that w ill establish good w ill.
There is now no sense in the Black
community that the Board feels the
Black community shouldn’ t suffer.
Cawthorne feels that if the Board
and the Superintendent had the
courage to sit and talk, the current
developments would not have taken
place. The Coalition report gave an
overview o f the problems; “ you need
to hear the specifics.”
In answer to Newman’s repeated
questions regarding his part in the
boycott, Cawthorne said he is chair-
Robert Phillips
Brenda Green
man o f the Community Education
committee o f BUT and as such had
acted as Master o f Ceremonies at the
community meeting, and " I will oc-
tin ue to act as Master o f
Ceremonies.”
“ I have tried to give you an ac
curate picture o f what people believe
- as a friend. The Board needs a
permanent involvement in the Black
community.”
more citizen involvement, in a more
m eaningful way, rather than
allow ing citizens to attend public
hearings a fte r the decisions are
made.
Brenda Green
Brenda Green, personnel director
for Northwest Regional l ab, is a
former administrator with the Salem
school district and was director of
C itizen P a rtic ip a tio n fo r M odel
Cities.
Mrs. Green said she is not totally
aware o f the Board’ s discussions
with the Coalition and the boycott
leaders, but " I f I were a board mem
ber, I would have discussions with
them.” She considers a boycott to be
a valid and legitimate way o f at
taining rights and has been a critic o f
the district’ s desegregation policies.
One area in particular is that o f
em ploym ent and the d is tric t’ s
failures in affirm ative action. “ Since
you say you can’ t find qualified
minorities, I would look at where
you recruit and who you send.”
She considers the step tow ard
m u lti-c u ltu re education a good
move, but one that was too long in
com ing. She advocates human
relations training for teachers and
a d m in istra to rs. She agrees w ith
pairing for desegregation, although
it could be phased in and might not
be necessary to the degree proposed
by the C oa litio n. M iddle schools
could be used to further desegrega
tion if the attendance boundaries
were appropriate. She things if it
were presented rig h t, com m unity
support for desegregation could be
gained.
Mrs. Green advocates insentives
lo r outstanding teachers, such as
classes paid for by the district that
would help prepare the teacher for
administrative positions. She favors
with your host DR. ARTHUR E. THOMAS
GUI ST
IN
YOUR
COMMUNITY
S A T U R D A Y S AT 3:30
IMO
Rev. Jessie Jackson
7-21-79
Ossit- Davis & Rubv Dut- 7-28-79
Stokley Carmicael
8-4-79
Rosa Parks
8-11-79
Lettine Bennet
8-18-79
Parrun Mitchell
8-2.5-79
Maya Angelou
9-1-79
Thurman Evans
9-8-79
Robert lohnson
9-15-79
W illiam Parker
9-22-79
KOAPTV10 & KOACTV7
OREGON EDUCATIONAL AND PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE
Castalia M cC ullough
Costella McCullough has operated
a restaurant and landscape business.
She is perhaps best known for her
membership on a number o f school
advisory committees including Title
V II, T itle I, T ransportation, and
local and area hoards. Mrs. M c
Cullough expressed general satisfac
tion with the current desegregation
program and the Board’ s response to
the Coalition.
She is interested in Adams High
School and thinks the new computer
program will enhance the offerings
at that school.
She w ould lik e to see the
curriculum offered at the various
schools more u n ifo rm so that it
would not be so d ifficult for students
to change schools.
Al Jamison
The citizens lack confidence in the
Board and feel they don’ t have a part
in the policy making process. They
find no way to make a real impact on
the Board. If appointed, he would
seek to implement ways to bring
more people into the process and to
Mrs. Osly Gatos
Herb Cawthorne
restore confidence and cred ib ility
with the community.
He believes the people have the
right to use the boycott or the strike
to gain their legitim ate ends and
would not oppose the use o f either.
He feels that in the cases o f both the
problem s facing the Black com
m unity and the potential teacher •
strike, the problems should have
been dealt with at an early stage
while they are still issues rather than
w aitin g u n til there is a crisis
situation
The Moms Morks House
1501 SW Harrison Sneer
Portland 97201
Telephone 227-26Ô 8
Mrs. O .J. Gates
Mrs. Gsly Gates is a homemaker,
freelance w rite r and lecturer. In
previous years she has been active in
textbook selection and an advocate
for multi-ethnic curriculum.
Mrs. Gates explained “ three-fold
integration", which would integrate
schools racially, economically and in
achievement. At least 40 per cent o f
the students o f each school would be
above the median income level and
50 per cent would score above the
60th percentile in reading.
To achieve this mix, schools would
have a larger “ service area” ,
drawing from larger geographical
areas and not necessarily based on
geography. Students w ould be
assigned to schools in a manner that
w ould achieve “ th re e -fo ld in
tegration” and this would alleviate
the problesm o f rapidly changing
neighborhoods or neighborhoods
where older people retain th eir
homes and cause declining enroll
ment.
At Jam ison
A l Jamison is an aid to C om
missioner Charles Jordan and is a
former director o f the Model Cities
Program. He said he would “ blend
in with the present composition (o f
the Board) to make things happen.”
He is concerned about multi-ethnic
curriculum, and would like to look at
test scores and the district’s testing
and evaluation procedures.
Regarding the boycott, he believes
the Board has to listen. “ I feel
boycotts are a legitimate part o f the
process. They don’ t come into being
without a reason.” The only way to
determine whether the reasons are
valid is to go to the schools and at
tend meetings. “ I don’ t know the
issues they put fo rth . 1 haven’ t
studied enough to know if they are
real or unreal.” He suggested that
the Board be willing to support the
evidence it presented to HEW with
regard to the discrim ination com
plaint.
For the most part, he agreed with
the B oard's response to the
Coalition in all areas except pairing.
In that response, he felt the Board
was a little too harsh, though “ not
saying whether the response was
right or wrong.”
He believes that if the Board con
tinues the current “ v o lu n ta ry ”
desegregation system, a strong
resolution should be passed to advise
whites that they are expected to par
ticipate.
DES CONNAIT
Professional Corporation
LEGAL CLINIC
CONCENTRATING IN THE FIELDS OF:
CRIMINAL LAW
INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS
DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE
OF INTOXICANTS
DOMESTIC RELATIONS
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
BANKRUPTCY
PERSONAL INJURY
WILLS - PROBATE
AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS
CONSUMER PROTECTION
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someone else for you to call. One way or the other, we want to see you get
tfje kind of professional legal counsel you're entitled to.
The best time to call us, or any attorney, is before you are embroiled in a legal
problem. This is called preventative law and it makes a lot of sense.
Regardless, when you call us we will arrange for an initial consultation at
your convenience. Cost: $20. We probably can't solve anything in this meeting,
but it is a chance for you to explain your particular problem and for us to give
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we'll give you an estimate of the fees you should plan on In writing
Robort Phlllipa
Robert Phillips is a manager with
the State’s Adult and Family Services
and is active in community affairs.
Phillips said he felt the Board’ s
greatest problem is one o f credibility.
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