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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 1979)
Portland Observar Thursday. August 11,1979 Paga 3 ■■A M ■ ? ■ B K • ■ B f IT i ■ r p 1 ■ Women support Jordan 1 B 1 1 ’ 1 President Jim m y Carter looks on w ith a smile as Patricia Harris is sw orn-in as S ecretary of H ealth, Education and W elfare by S uprem e C ourt Justice Thurgood M arshall in the East Room of the W hite House Harris' husband. W illiam , looks on. The Presi d e n t c a lle d H a rris ' p e rfo rm a n c e as S e c re ta ry of Housing and Urban D evelo pm ent "sterling ' and said she is a m anager "w ith a heart. " WESTERN LIFE INSURANCE CO. W e Specialize In Life & Health Insurance • Investment Products • Group, Medical Er Dentical Under Ten, All Tax Sheltered Plans, Pension, Etc. Wholly Owned by ¡5 St. Paul Companies Call Today Members o f the P ortland Area Women’s Political Caucus voted una nimously Tuesday night to endorse Commissioner Charles Jordan fo r Mayor o f Portland to replace depart ing Mayor Neil Goldschm idt, Sue Juba, Caucus president, announced. After interviewing all members o f the Portland City Council on issues o f concern to the Caucus, represen tatives o f the W om en’ s P o litic a l Caucus reported the results o f the in terviews to its members. Commis sioner Charles Jordan, as a declared candidate, met the Caucus criteria o f administrative ability, involvement in and knowledge o f the city, com mitment to ongoing programs, a supportive attitude toward citizen participation and support for Caucus positions on affirm ative action, job sharing, c h ild care, c iv il service reform and economic development. “ Women’ s Political Caucus felt it important to register its overwhelm ing su pp ort fo r C om m issioner Charles Jordan as the most qualified o f the announced candidates.” 1750 S.W . Skyline Blvd., Suite 220 ß o lum faa* O p tic a l efáiccc W e s p e c ia liz e in Eye E x a m in a tio n s fo r G la sse s C o n ta c t L e n s e s N o line b ifo c a ls (B le n d -vu e ) Loyd Center 268 5393 ir D is S A n derson I Eastport 771 3233 Oregon City Shopping Center 656 9727 B rig gs A Hallquist. K Le itze l W Siddens 74« P U ce CÁe Î U mu ty m Blanchard responds to recommendations (Continued from page 2 col. 4) not indicated that it would create a middle school without community acceptance. He reponded to Steve Bud's questions that there is no plan for a middle school at Eliot or Boise and that he has not been directed by the Board to develop one. Members o f the C o a litio n state that they recollect no meetings regarding an Albina middle school. Scattering Dr. Blanchard reported that his new standard assignment plan has reduced scattering o f students who are moved from A lb in a schools. Students are given standard assign ments o f one or more schools, with several o ptions, and can s till be recruited by others schools or be assigned according to ‘ ‘ parent choice” . The assignment pattern reduces the standard receiving schools from 168 to 45. New students were assigned in the new p attern, although students already in schools will remain. For the corning year, 370 students on administrative transfer for the first time were assigned to 63 schools. O f these 64 will attend standard assign ment, 34 optional assignment, and 86 other schools. O f the 370, 186 will attend middle schools. According to statistics provided, childrn are still going alone or with one or two others to many schools. Woodlawn is sending 237 students to 25 schools; 263 Vernon children go to 25 schools; 389 King students go to 43 schools; 192 Irvington students •go to 12 schools; 167 Sabin students go to 20 schools; 82 Boise children go to 20 schools; 33 Eliot children go to I2 schools; 2 II Humboldt children go to 19 schools. Buel said he does not consider this performance as responsive to the Board’ s directive “ to reduce sub stantially” the scattering. Newman said that in some m iddle school clusters, C o lu m b ia /W h ita k e r fo r example, in order to maintian racial balance Blacks must be reeuited to go elsewhere. Dr. Blanchard said their is also a heavy recruiting effort directed at students in grades one through five. group full-tim e classroom teachers is between 75 per centum and 125 per centum o f the proportion o f such minority group teachers which exist in the faculty as a whole.” He said that it would be d ifficult to establish the educational ju s tific a tio n to change that agreement. The Coalition's response is to hire a higher percentage o f Black teachers and to desegregate the schools so assignment o f teachers would not be to "racially identifiable schools." M IN O R IT Y H IR IN G C oalition R ecom m endation: That the Board set a priority on hiring m inority teachers and persons in direct contact with students; that a goal o f 20 per cent m inority staff be set; that this goal be reached in five years. Establish training program for teachers interested in administrative and fo r aides to become certified teachers. Board Response The Superintendent shall, from tim e-to-tim e, establish short term and long term goals to achieve a reasonably balanced staff. The per centage o f m inority workers in the work force should not be any kind o f maximum target for the District. Give priority to recruitment and hiring o f minority professional staff who are in daily contact with students. Assist aides to prepare for certifica tio n. In te nsify e ffo rts to employ m inority social workers and coun selors. A plan be developed for teacher placement that will enhance desegre gation plans; emphasize placing m inorities as teachers; not assign single m inority teachers to a school; comply with regulation that minority teachers not be concentrated only in minority schools. Board Resolution: Encourage efforts to place m inori ties in classrooms; directs Superin tendent to remain in compliance with federal requirements; endorse Super intendent’ s willingness to consider alternatives; directs Superintendent to report to Board. Blanchard Response No action. Discussion: In a legal opinion provided to the Board Monday, attorney Mark Mu Clanahan pointed out that in response to a HEW finding in I975 that Black teachers were assigned dispropor tionately to "ra cia lly identifiable” schools, the district agreed that "the schools’ p ro p o rtio n o f m in o rity Adapt a series o f categories o f dis c ip lin e extending fro m tw o day "class exclusion" to expulsion in stead o f the current suspension- expulsion; students not be suspended solely to contact parents; assign ments be given to suspended students; regular review o f practices. The Morns Marks House 1501 SW Harrison Streer Portland 97201 Telephone 227-26ÔÔ Board Resolution: Request Superintendent to submit recommendations on: categories o f disciplinary action; reporting; in volvement o f parents; regulations re garding homework fo r suspended students; provisions for bus riders; analysis o l types o f d is c ip lin a ry problems and responses. Prepare student handbook w ritten at fifth grade level. Blanchard Response Recommendation to adopt Coali tion recommendations on discipline categories. " I t is also essential, in some occasions when parents simply refuse to work with the schools in connection w ith a d iscip lin e problem, to make parental involve ment a condition for early return o f a student who has been disruptive." Suspensions should be effective at end o f school day. When students are expelled, "Students and parents are and will continue to be counseled by appro priate staff members on the avail ability o f other school alternatives and opportunities." Blanchard Response D IS C U S S IO N From February I, 1979 to A pril 15, 1979 44 temporary teachers were hired, 10 m inorities. For 1979-80 school year, 99 new teachers hired, 26 minorities. Two oriental female psychologists and one Black male social worker hired. New discipline categories are not included in the rough draft o f the new student handbook. No programs have been developed to deal specifically with the cause o f the d isp ro p ortion ate suspension/ expulsion o f m inority students. DES CONNALL Professional Corpororion LEGAL CLINIC CONCENTRATING IN THE FIELDS OF; CRIMINAL LAW INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF INTOXICANTS DOMESTIC RELATIONS WORKERS' COMPENSATION BANKRUPTCY PERSONAL INJURY W ILLS-PROBATE AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS CONSUMER PROTECTION Discussion: McClanahan advised the Board that the legality o f a 20 per cent m inority goal would be determined by the degree to which the proposed "g o a l" would be a “ preference" and whether it would be considered tem porary or permanent. Dr. Blanchard said in response to Steve Buel’ s questioning that the district does not now have minority hiring goals. Other topics discussed included: MINORfTY TEACHER PLACEMENT D IS C IPLIN E C oalition R ecom m endations; M U L T I ETH N IC E D U C A TIO N Coalition R ecom m endation: Include teaching o f minority cul tures with special emphasis on Black • culture a a "M a jo r Category” in its basic curriculum incorporated into courses now taught in Social Studies, Language Arts; have an independent survey o f the districts’ inclusion o f minority cultures in current leaching. A D V IS O R Y B O A RD S Coalition R ecom m endation: The Board should closely monitor representatives on advisory boards to avoid having the same person sit on several boards and to insure they meet regulations. Board Resolutions: Superintendent to report on ( I) manner o f selection, extent o f and reason for duplication; (2) whether to co n fo rm to regulations; (3) recommendations to assure appro priate. Blanchard Response: One member is on Title I, Title V II, and Area Advisory Committee. Another is on Title V II and Area Advisory Committee. District is in full compliance. Board Resolution: C O M M U N IC A T IO N Coalition R ecom m endation: Instruct the Curriculum Depart ment to survey the extent and quality of instruction in m inority cul tures; in stru ct p rincip als to en courage teachers to use multi-ethnic themes; provide materials; continue to review textbooks. School Board establish an on going relationship with the Coalition to work on im p lem en ta tion o f recommendations; provide informa tion to Coalition; obtain relevant in formation from Coalition. Blanchard Response: Board welcomes the advice o f citizens, including Coalition. Board asks Chairperson to facilitate com munication. Prepared curriculum outline that "identifies elements that should be included in the teaching o f minority cultures” and which provides criteria for determining extent and quality o f instruction in m inority cultures. Sur vey will be conducted during 1979-80 school year. Textbook selection to be given special attention. Board Resolution: Blanchard Response: District representatives met with Coalition representatives until Coali tion terminated meetings. "A dvice from citizens and citizen groups has been welcomed and used." If you have a problem that is not covered in this list, please call and ask whether we can help. Chances are, we can. If not, we can recommend someone else for you to call. One way or the other, we want to see you get the 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 you some idea of what it'll take to reach a solution. If you want us to proceed, we'll give you an estimate of the fees you should plan on. In writing. 297-4836
