Despite cries of protest from those who want education, there is apparently
no hope for any sign of responsible leadership as it
appears that our primary responsibility lies in making sure that we have
"true desegregation" in our public school system. While our courts
and school officials are spending their valuable time and money drawing
up plan after plan to better desegregate our schools instead of worrying
about the quality of education, the students are suffering in every case.
I wonder where the responsibility lies. With more time and money being spent
for each proposal, there is a crying, but surprisingly left unnoticed, need
for improvement in our schools.
QUALITY EDUCATION SLIGHTED
Various plans and proposals have been planned and studied by individuals and groups with the only result being a tremendous waste of valuable time and money. It has even gotten to the point that some of the black parents are beginning to feel that possibly their leaders are going too far. Many of the parents, both black and white, are thinking that massive busing and school closings, along with changing the whole school system with the formation of middle schools to achieve "true desegregation" might do more harm than good. With cries of crowded schools and a lack of facilities and equipment, I can't possibly see how our school officials could logically close schools to achieve total desegregation and hope for any type of quality education.
EXTRA CURRICULUM ERASED
With talk of elementary, middle, and senior high schools proposed and along
with massive busing I can't see how any extracurricular activity can exist.
Forget any idea of a successful athletic program at your school. How can
any school attempt to build a solid athletic program with students, both
black and white, being constantly bussed from one school to another from
one part of town to another. If you think, it's almost to impossible selling
subscriptions for a yearbook now, you might as well forget any idea of a
yearbook when students are bussed and go to three or four different schools.
The same fate will apply to any other extra-curricular activity as well
as many curriculum courses you enjoy now.
"POWER TO THE PEOPLE"
Education used to be an institution that was not dictated by the courts,
but this surely isn't the case now. There isn't any sign of possible recovery
until our courts return the educational process to the people, namely the
school board, who should be responsible for insuring quality education not
black-white Student and teacher ratios.
FREEDOM OF CHOICE?
I didn't see what was so wrong or inadequate with the "freedom of choice"
plan whereby any student could go to any school in the school system and
have his transportation paid for by the school system. I don't really see
what difference it makes in the percentage of black students to white students
in each school as long as all schools are equal but apparently it does.