Page 6 Portland Observer, October 29, 1981
Speaking o f schools
So I think I f 1 were to structure
ideally a situation I w ould try to
structure one where there is parity.
Because integration is a parity con
cept—and e quity, o f course, is a
parity concept. The more ways that
you can a rtificia lly structure things
so that you can arrange more equal
ity from the g it-g o — the greater
choice you have o f the delivery o f
true equity.
I had been asked by somebody,
what about a school situation where
the school now is 50 per cent Black.
Do we need to make a change in
that? My response was I don’t know
that you need to make a change in
that because personally that situa
tion may facilitate the greater equity
than a situation where you had 10
per cent Black students. I f our true
goal is to reach true equity in terms
o f program treatment.
RICHARD HUNTER
r & 0 7 ffS W c r r s jf/
(Continued fro m page 1 column 3)
in instruction, curriculum and so
forth.
There is not necessarily racial
equity w ith regard to the way
schools operate. So in fairness, cer
tain things need to be adjusted in or
der to be more favorable. To treat
everyone equitably some changes
need to be made in school systems
that give the impression o f not being
equitable but are in fact equitable
because they are trying to correct
for the lack o f equity or equal treat
ment that does not exist, i.e., em
phasis on various minority cultures
and instruction that does not exist
as much in certain locations for cer
tain groups as it does in others.
Our situation is very different from
Portland’ s. Our racial composition
o f our student body is such that
what some call the m inority is the
m ajority. The same is true o f our
staff. So we basically had to develop
policies that have, as an example,
tried to make sure that there is some
representation o f some groups that
are considered to be the m ajority.
So we are dealing with it from the
opposite perspective.
1 think personally that it is hard to
have equity in any situation where
you have people who are very much
in the m inority. It requires a great
deal o f sensitivity to the fact that
that is very difficult to accomplish.
I t ’ s hard to have equity in the
schools when you have people repre
sented in very small percentages.. . .
To be in a situation where Blacks
are 10 to 15 per cent is similar to the
situation we have in Richmond
where whites are 15 per cent, which
makes it more difficult for equity to
ensue. And in our situation whites
feel they are being discrim inated
against by virtue o f the fact that 85
per cent o f our population is Black
and 15 per cent is white. The same is
true fo r Blacks in a situation like
Portland’s.
m uLTnom A H c o u h tm OREGon
Student achievement: First o f all
you must have qua lity, dedicated
personnel that are well trained and
com m itted. Then you must have
high expectations for your students.
O ur student achievement, in a
school system that is 85 per cent
Black, when 84 per cent o f the stu
dents are on free or reduced lunch,
at the elementary level is above the
national average. Most people
would think that might not be feasi
ble; it is feasible, i f one has the right
people involved and they have the
right set o f expectations.
We must have leadership that is
w illin g to say that certain things
must be done and can be done. And
fin a lly , w ill be done. I th in k you
need to try to elicit the support o f
community, parents, try to engage
them. . . . And as well, try to engage
students___
I think there must be some clear,
established priorities and everybody
must understand what these
priorities are as well as the students
and people must stay on track, not
be diverted because there are just so
many diversions that it ’ s easy to go
o ff track.
Educating
ethnic
ch ild re n:
Insuring success is a d iffic u lt word
to address because that suggests that
you would be able to guarantee
something. It is d iffic u lt to
guarantee that I am going to get out
o f this room in one piece after this
session let alone guaranteee wha, is
going to happen to any groups o f
children, given the dynamics o f
public education.
I do think there are some things
you can do to maximize the success
o pp ortunities
fo r
m in o rity
youngsters and let me say that
whenever m in o rity ch ildren are
succeeding then youngsters who are
not m inority w ill be succeeding as
well. And so whatever e ffo rt one
spends to im prove education fo r
minorities is going to benefit all the
students o f the school district.
Fiscal management: One needs to
firs t determine the am ount o f
revenues that are available. Then
there is the development process o f
a budget which flows out o f basic
obectives or goals. The school board
has to play a part in setting the goals
o f the district. Community input is
also important to the process.
C urriculum evaluation: It is
im p o rta nt
that
teachers,
adm inistrators and the board
involve themselves in the curriculum
evaluation process.
Personnel select ion/evaluation:
The personnel selection and
evaluation process can be as
successful as the individual that you
have involved w ith them. The
community should play a role in the
selection o f personnel.
Long-range p la n n in g : I d on ’ t
know what I want to accomplish in
two years because I d o n 't know
what you have here. There is a need
fo r com m unity b u ild in g . Goals
should be based on where you are
and where you want to go.
Dropout prevention: Suspension
can be reduced by some form o f
u n ifo rm expectations o f student
behavior which could result in a
student code o f conduct. Talking to
the students . . . the more discipline
the less suspension.
Starting November, 1981, with the adoption of
a Multnomah County Ordinance, there will be
a new and expanded Minority and Female
Business Enterprise Program w ith ...
• LESS RED TAPE
Multnomah County is accepting the
City of Portland's MBE and FBE certifications
MORE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES :
•
•
•
•
To
To
To
To
bid on construction projects
sell supplies
render services
provide professional services
To find out more about these business opportunities and to learn how and
what Multnomah County buys each year please visit our information booth at:
Minority Business Opportunity Trade Fair
Memorial Coliseum Assembly Hall
Portland, Oregon
Friday, October 30,1981 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Please also contact our Purchasing Division:
SHERRY JACOX, DIRECTOR/MBE OFFICER
OR
DON EICHMAN, ASST. DIRECTOR/MBE OFFICER
2505 SE 11TH AVE PORTLAND, OREGON 97202
(503) 248-5111
GLENN HOUDE
(Continued fro m page I coiumn 4)
exist and we need to be alert to that
fact and be w illin g to co nfro n t
racism when it occurs and take
various actions to eliminate it.
1 wish I did not have to answer
this question (racial balance). I do
not see a relationship between the
percentage o f minority students in a
school and the quality o f education
delivered. . . A school that is all
white or all BLack in terms o f
students and faculty is unreal. It
represents an environment, a picture
o f society, that exists nowhere else
but in that p articula r school and
that is on the verge o f being insane.
Student achievement: Students
achieve pretty much what we want
them to achieve. The skills to be
taught should be carefully identified
We should be clear as to when these
skills should be introduced and
when they are to be mastered. The
student must have a m inim um o f
skills set before them each year
which builds on previously learned
skills and it must be clearly
understood
that
it
is the
responsibility o f the teacher. Given
that, you can see continued learning
at the appropriate level.
The p rin cip al must be held
accountable to insure that the
agreed upon skills are to be taught
and mastered.. .
Educating ethnic children: The
question is a very d iffic u lt one to
respond to because the question
implicitly is an assumption that I am
not w illin g to make, and that is
e th n icity
predicts
learning
problems. I d on ’ t buy that and I
think that it has been proven untrue.
Educating handicapped children:
I f we had unlimited resources which
we do not, it clearly would be an
easy m atter to insure that all
architectual barriers are removed.. .
For the time being we should insure
that every youngster have available
to h im /h e r an appropriate free
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public education in one or more o f
our facilities. That may mean that
we can’ t make programs available
everywhere at one tim e, we just
don’ t have the money to do it. . .
The definition o f how that adequate
public free education is delivered
should be left to the local district.
EXODUS
1639 N E Alberta
Fiscal management: I believe that
I would continue doing what I have
been doing for a good many years
and begin the budget development
at two levels. I would expect from
the department o f finance early in
the school year a pro ection o f
revenue to the general fund and the
projections o f probable revenues
from the federal and state funds for
special programs. At the same time
that this was being done I would
want every s ta ff person in the
district to have an o p p o rtu n ity to
assist in the development o f the
budget.
C urriculum
and
program
evaluation: We took a look at the
state mandated test to determine
what was being ask and wha, were
the required skills on these tests. We
then compared these tests to our
cu rricu lu m and asked the hard
questions. We asked at what point is
our cu rriculum prepairing the
students fo r thes state mandated
exam. We then changed our
cu rricu lu m to insure that the
students were getting the necessary
skills to meet the requirement on the
state examination.
Personnel: I would wan, the school
p rin cip a l responsible fo r the
evaluation o f every teacher and that
means the principal should have the
right to choose the people who work
d ire ctly fo r him . . . A lso parent
input can be very productive bu, the
final decision as to wha, teacher is
hired should be the responsibility o f
the school principal.
P lanning: I d o n ’ , know wha, I
would want to accomplish in the
first two years. The firs, task is ,o
ge, the board to define the obectives
o f the superintendent.
D ropout prevention: Suspension is
viewed as a means to eliminate the
need fo r behavior co n tro l at the
school to allow us to do the work
for which we are employed. I believe
suspension
don’ ,
w ork.
I
would rather agree upon a leave o f
absence from school fo r the child
rather than
have the child leave
and to discover some weeks later
tha, the child has dropped out.
I
PORTLAND. OREGON 9721 1
294 7997
From the Front Door
by Tom Boothe
u /F| i° u llhC Fr° nt d° ? r’ 1 haVC beCn a$kcd tO describe
Philosophy on life to my reader*
ell, the easiest way for me to do tha, in short order is to lay ou, my principles o f guidance
T T
kn° w,cdgc plus understanding equals Wisdom. So le, me share with you a pub
lished abstract o f my general philosophy toward relationships. I must do this in two parts
Par, one will be the firs, ten guidance remembrances under my “ F IN A I W ISDOM” <bu>
ument.
uoc-
Nex, week you will read the next eleven remembrances.
FINAL WISDOM
P A R T ONE
Ht I Humai HuulHt
C a p W fH l 1971
First comprehend and remember to think before speaking
First comprehend and remember to think before doing
First comprehend and remember to give the other person the benefit o f the doubt
especially, when strong feelings are involved
J
J * aou0l>
First comprehend and remember that given the same history, timing, circumstances
First comprehend and remember to look fo r the fa ct and truth o f the matter
First comprehend and remember to try and win the person, not the argument
First comprehend and remember that all things have at least two sides but no one has
enough wisdom to see them all
'
ne nas
First comprehend and remember that respect precludes prejudices o f all kinds toward
others and wards o f f vexation o f the spirit, mind and body
Z luablemwithhage
10.
°f y ° Ur
^ re
First comprehend and remember that there are only two entities that are fundam ental
to reality, they are communication and transportation /influence and m otion/
Presented as a community service by the House of Exodus