STMINAR ON EDUCATION AND RACE RELATIONS FOR SUPERINTENDENTs OF SCHOOLS

iln

CAST STUDY OF SCHOOL

DISIRICT INTTGRATION

EXPER IENCE ''

Mark

R. Shedd, Superint,endent of
Engleuloodr
New JerseY

Schools

0ctober 11-14, L964

lnchiota Conference Cenler

Sterling
Tuxedo,

ForesL

Neul York

u\Wqu[Nq\uuu\INu
E${GLEWSON LIilFARY 31 Ef{SLE ETREFT ENGI-EWOOD, N.J.07631

1.

fhe Ccmr,runitv Seiiino

Ing1e[!cod '' s a mature, residen:iai,

su:-j::an cc;Tirnity on :he inner ring

oi the I'leu York reiicpolitan

reeion. -',-s pop.riation _crsuth raier:hough slouec

iVeru

than the iesl o":=rgen Countlz, is iasier than rhat oi

ooeneous tr3ouiatron

ie:s=v.

Iis heter-

(Zlr00C)- originaling urith descendants oi ea:iv Duich setfe-

tJ-e:s, :eaj-tny

rl'ieu:

Ycrk commulers, and riddle ic lou.r l-ncorne rijec:c ianili=sr

fl:=c:s ihe big cit;' in microcosn. -n inf ormaf leligious census si-1urs app:oxi:ateiy 5D/. Protestant (fraff lrjeEro, taJ-i- white), 25%Jeuish, 251 icran Caihclic. its publ:-c finances are sounC anC the:rateriai iesources exist',o
-='-:ppoi'" oro-

l
t

grams desiqned tc stem the deteriorar'!::'r to,uhrch the communitv:-s subjec: by

3gr locaticn, and external social anc' =:oncnrc folces.

The Schools
The public schcol plant of Ingi=u:ocj ccnsists ofl four K-5 ei=:rentaly

schools, a city-u.rioe s:-:<ih grade scri::t (icrre: junior high ) , a ssc-ndary :-cnooI

(junicr hl;rir snior highr'ani =:citcrr-r), cne sbadiunr ani s:ort,s fre1d, and an abanioned erenentary school b- j.-:i-ng aCjacent, to the sixch :iace schcoJ-,
3anDUs

plus certain undeveioped Droirerties. ire prcgian cil'erinqs, lrci::e

the

reguJ-ar

duy schocl cons-t-stini cfl a t,uc '/ear ::e-schoci tricgram (q and : !,:3t olds), grades L-L2 r srving apptoximaiely i.:ll

stuc=nts. and active sirr'tner and Adult

Schcol prograrns. anrc.L-l-nent,s ui11 ienarn flaiili, conslant in :ne f lieseeable

future barrino ciranqe in the preseni i=sfCeniiai nature cf the c3ilrnunily.

Financiai- :ssources (ecualizec '-ai-'aticn p3r cupil = 'r52.35?.:l*) are adequate and supoort j.s maintained ar a iairi;,hi';h level (curlent 3xpense cost,

:er lupil = :.r23.55*).

J+ 19c!-62 b

ProFessional

staff

members

per 1,000 ueighted pupils total 55.5x

?r.r

and

include nine full-time principals and assistant principalsr

ini,endenc, director

assistant super-

of instruciion, =ight ouidance counselors, three psychologists, one school social lJorKer, one attendance officer, four reading
consuLtanis, six librarians and a nunDer oi special teachers and supervisors.
,

Effort is being made to

update

instructional supplies, textbooks and

other learning aids, and there is a iairly substantial investment each year to provide the professional staff uirh consuitant services, visits to other
schools, conf erences, local in-serv j.:e courses, and summer ruorkshops.
Center of ControversJ During the past tuo artd one-ha:i years lngleuclocJ has been a center of

controversy over the hiqh concentra.:rn of t.!egro children in the Lilrcoln Schoo1. Demonstr:ations , ralI:-es, sch,-rol boycotts, sit-ins,
f

ormation of
'

citizens committees aLl of uhich ue:e generously reported in the pressr tocjio"
and television have subjectsd the c:,rmunity to severe agoni.es. Iiflorts
by

the Board of f ducation io deal const:':ctively tuith the problem of de-facto

segreqation in the el-ementa::rr schcols uere tnurarted by litigation pressures until recently.
FolLouring a rul ing and direct ivg of t,he State Iducat ion Commissioner , the Board ruas final-ly able to secure the :ecessary finances to implemenl a plan tirhich alieviates the problem u,ithout sacrificing other educational vaLues.

and political

I
I

lentral to the soluiion is a city-tuide sixth grade schooL located in fhe '-lner junior hiqh schooL at 11 Eng1e Sireet and the assignment ofl LincoLn SchccI students in grades one t,hrough :j.ve to three schools uit,h predominant,ly
ncn-ijegro enro.Llment.

For the f irst time s.ince June 1951 peace has been restored.
Cur aitention is nou devoted tc creating a schooL program second to none.
I

-3-

l: 's cur belief thatr 8s the schocls uere the cenler of controversy r so the
scrrccis can be the means of restoring Engleuoodrs shattered image.
Er,rrri.culum Chanqe

The school system has completed a five yeat status study of the curricu.L';m

under the leadership of Fortner Superintendent of Schools, Harry L. Stearns,

,

and is moving vigorously iou,ard the adoption and implementation of those aspects

of the national educational reform novement ruhich give nourishment to the cultural and educational life of the
comrnuni'by and

its schooLs. tlJith perceptive

and imaginative assistance lrom Robeit H. Anderson of Harvard University and

Cl.enn Heathers

of

Neui

York Universiiy, the schools have devised a general

pnase is uelI underuay 'ta major project for

scrategy for reform and the first

system-u.ride improvement

in the reacing program". tlje achieved tuo major breaka reading levels program (non-

throughs in the fall

of 1963 (1) by instltuting

graded) in grades turo throuqh six, and (Z) by establishing a team organization

of pupils and teachers at tlre neu c:iy-ruide sixth grade schooL. Subsequently a three-year Engieuood SchooI Deveicpment Program has been Launched by the
Eoard of Iducation, ri.rith substantia] support f rom the Ford Foundation, to im-

prove the severaL aspects of the prooram and operations of the entire schooL
system.

,'',,.'i

'Y1,ia'

THE BOAND AND INTEGRATTON OF SCHOOI5

trThat

all children sha1l have equal opportunitY for the best possible learning situationrr

Group Session

Presentation

bY

l,lark

R.

' Supe4nte?dent - Egt""O"gr New Jersey

Shedd

of Schools

New

Atlantic City, New Jersey October 29-3I, 1961t

District

12th Annual'lrJorkshop Jersey State Federation of

Boards

of

Education

lll publlc schools regardless of the problens confronting them have an on to constantly and creatively seek to improve the many aspects of the
and services they

offer. If our aim is

1I{AT EVERY 0HIID sll,att LEARN,

t

rqlqt

tailor our educational program to meet total educational program.

each child

s needs. l*ten the

need

need

integrate our classrooms is also present, it only sharpens this

re-evaluate our

to

reassess

In Englewood, since we believe that the problem of integration is only one of a larger educational problemr He have set in rnotion a comprehensive
lorpnent Program

to deal with

fundamental educational matters as we i:nplement

we consider

to be an effective solution to integration,

To do otherruj-se

u dealing only wL r synptcmatic factors. The Englewood school Derrelopnent frog"ar is e compreheneive progran of school irprovernent with its basic purpose,
fonrro

f&e adoption and irplenentation of those aspects of the national educatj.onaL reforrn fovearent $hich show pronise as waya of neeting thE particular needs of our school

t'
I

fryoration

and comnunlty. By taking advantage

of various s.rected elements of

ffucatlonar

lrqoUtf of opportunity for aIl children. I The Englewood school Deveroptrnt progrem I
I

| ""tt I-

refonn end innovation thet best meEt the needs of Englewood, $e beiieve bettEr meet tlre needs of each chl1d end thereby guarantee both quar.ity and

follows a five-year curriculum

lstEdy tnaugurated by forrner superintendent, Herry L. stearns. Dur:ing the falI of special Curriculun Plannlng Concnittee representing school adninistrators, I]t*jz " consultalrts, and teachere serving at elenrentary and secondary levers l+eciaust

uith the superintenaent (r) to l-ay out the nost pressing educait-='ar Deeds and (2) to explore th6 natio'al educational acene for a.pproaches to

fc
1

i-ustructron net

tbe problas - The result was an action program which forrns the basis of the
nng:

+.cci School Developrnent program.

trr -_

nt

2-

ru-fe flris progrm deals $rith all aspects of tJre schools I operations-pupils , progran, facillties, use of tjrne, school-uriversity cooperationr and

6-f

should

like to describe briefly a few significant

prograns which are

now

@ration.

In the area of curriculwn a major effort is being made to increase the indivion of instruction so as to meet the special learning needs of each student. tlre recorunendation of the Curriculurn Planning Conmitteerwe are rnakS-ng a I attack on the problem of reading instnrction. Next in priority order are
sosial studies, science,
Reading was assigned gateway and mathematics.

to learni.ng
And

first priority for several reasons. First, readi-ng is in aIL areas of curriculun as well as a major avenue to

rging outside of school. Secondr w felt thal a better iob could be done than

rere doing.

finally, there are nar\y new develo'pments in thj-s area which

the country.

been successfully used by many school s.v-eterns throughout

of last lrear, a reading 1eve1s program ltes instituted. This :an is based on tJ:c tlreory that the reading 1evel of each child is a band of g56rrrb e:cpre-esing (1) developnent of the child in three broad areas physi-cal, In
September
e-r"o?, and emotional and

(2) a particular stage of

:'eading development proceed

at

wirich

:,fic

.ski'!'l

s and abilities are demonstrated. Levels

in a seguentiaL is a ccntinuun is character-

Inrprrent which continues

often without regard to the rtgradett to which the chiid

been assignnd. This approach recognizes

that the reading

each

program

ne each phase
b3r

of the

program

is present at

Ievel.

The process

continuous re-enforcement

of preuious learnings plus gradual

developnent

ski'l J s.

-*:'tb'in each school building, the children are regrouped for reading aecording
{tto
I

LereI-s

of

actrievernent

rather than by grades. For example, all chilclran in the

:_

-3-

5 Jeuebs. Peading consuTtants are available tihe teachers with grouping the selection of materials and other problems tlbey arise' The special reading guides trere prepared last year are now being d''They will be available for those who are interested i.n more details on
approach.

and

5ilr grades are

resrouPed inbo

social studies was assigned e second priority in the curricular reform program t&e Englewood schools ' This area too, is receiving nati-onal attentj-on. E:rperts still looking for the anslder to what should constitute the social studies ani best to teach ttre concepts of man and his relatlon to the envirorunent. special tion was given to the Tttr grade social studies curriculurn with
red during this past sunner and nord being used rriculum guide ltas prepared during the sunmer
e new Guide

tary school' A fo11ow up evaluation is planned after a year of use within classroom and plans will be formulated on the basis of this evaLuation for the social studies reform to other areas.
we are also

in the classroom. A second for use in sblected grades i-n the

in the process of introducing 'rnen math'r in the elementary grades. r a second year of in-service training program for teachers this year, we wirl tute the program throughout the system in September, Ig65. Special science its were developed during the sununer for e4perinental use in Kindergarten throrrg-h I grade with plans being made for extension to other grades. rn addition to curriculum change and developrnent, we have grrren
attenticn to loping a different pattern of pupil arranganent at the 6trr grade level. Last I 300 6ttr graders from all elementary schools
hrere a,ssigned

Llding. There teaching

pi'16 lrere assigned

to

one schoor_

teans were

orgeni2"6. Four teachers

and one hundred

t6em. Teachers share responsibility for tho educational :ogran and work as a tean in planningl conduc',lg a'd eraluating students, Laer*ng.
each

to

R
-Lpossible under this pa,ttern to utilize a werietiy of inobr.rrcr,ional arrangements

qhasize flexibility in grouping students and specialization in utilizing the vidual competencies of tean members. I,Jithin each team, the students are rePed on the basis

of ability

and achievernent

for reading

and mathematics

instruc-

. Ttlis departure from the self contained classroom, we believe, has proved effective in neeting the needs of individual chj-ldren, I{any of the features of
team approach have been carried over

into the junior high school ?th grade.

Our long range plan

in

school organization calIs

for

conversion

to a

5-3-b

rn-the eventual elirnination of the separate 6th grade school which wiIL become part of a Middle School along with the 7th and Stfr grades, and a l+-year senior
The Englewood School Development Program has

not been confined to

changes

the school building. Under the title of ttextended school servj-cesrr

we have

a pre-kindergarten program, tutorial programs and erqpanded adult educa.tion

S.

The pre-kindergarten program began

last

February

with

a. limited enrollment.

{
I
l

first fu1l year of operation began this September with an enrollment of LS3. It, @en to all l+-year olds in the colrununity, The organizatLon includes B class:s
rneet l+ days

of

each week; morning and afternoon

sessions. Each class is

ed by a teacher, assistant teacher, and volunteer

lay assistant; the whole

is

headed by a

Director.

One

j-nteresting fact i-s that the enrotlment is

t equally divided between Negro and whi-te children. The program and activities of the pre-kindergarten program include language ' social studies, seience and mathematics offered in real-life, work-play
h'atiolrs '
The

total

programning

is

aimed

at providing a rich backgro'nd

and

-tr

cf

ercperiences so necessary

to the

adequate development

of all

chil_dren.

l)1i
--_r

-l

-5orperiences provide the foundation on which

all learning is based.

There

is

aetive parent program where various phases of child development are discussed.
use as

of the l+ day schedule, parent

in-service training
program

conferences can be

held on the fifth day

as

for the staff with assistance from various

make

1 specialists. rhe existence of the pre-kindergarten progran uilL

rance ag

possible a nore fleribfe

for kindergarten

baEed on

the child's leadineEs rathe! than birthday.

and

noted above, the enrollment

is afmost equally white

Negro-the need to

dwel-l

special ltays to make integration effective disappear when children begin liv1ng
working together

at

age L.

Extended school services also includes an Adult Education Program, For the

t timer the Board of Educaticn i,s offering

ing
and

courses

in basic

and interrnediate

writing as well as courses leading to the High School equlvalency.

roxirnately B0 persons

of all

ages are enrolled

in the latter

program-again

t haLf

and

half, white and Negro.

program

The other

part of the extended school

meet special needs

is the tutorial

program rchich
The
r,o

organized

to

at the elementary and seeondary leve1,

ruho

ntaryrt0ne for Onetrprogram i.s designed primarily for the child

needs

lop a relationshi-p with a mature, sincerely interested adult on a one to one Ls-a situation which is missing at home in many cases and is not always Fcssj-bt e
the classroom. The stress is primarily on providing a variety of e:<perieaces for child which will enable hin to release his potentlal to learn by stimuleting his inati-on and love of learning. 0n the secondary leveI, a similar kind of re.lap is planned but the emphasis is on tutorial help i-n a, particular subject
I

FF

sci'If-

The

tutors serve on a volunteer basis and are carefulS.y screenerl before

F- Eraent.

i'leans

of evaluation

and supervision have been developed and r-ir,.s of

sa

--

+J^
-6connrunication between the
Extended Services which

tutor,
headed

classromt teacher established t'hrough th6 Office of

is

by a

1\111 tirne

DirEctor.

Both
cot

of these prograns were established in

The riOne

response

to a need e:rpressed in

the

nucity.

for

Onerr

progran nas

initieted by one of the PlAts last

Tear

basis. Its effectiveness was denonstrated, therefore, the Board felt it shrn]'d be s<pended and officially sponsored as a part of the total school progr:a q'a to arly child who needed it. Agaia both Negro and white chiLdren have
on an eqreriDental
been

referred to the tutorial prograns.

I snanJ.d nake sone nention of the Ford Foundation grant which wss secured last year. ff.s graat !'ri11 be used to further the developtnent of nany of the prograns alrea{r Etioned. The enphasis, holrever, uill be on those prograns desi-gned for reseafch *r devefopnent to inprove the total educational progran. Ia addition to this special grant lijnited to a 3-year period, the Englewocd Board of Sducation has included in its budget additional noney for resoarch erui deelr-ot. It is hoped that this anount ltill be increased each year so that proyisic for continual reappraisal of eristing programs and developtoent of new
ones ri-Lf. be guaranteed as a

regular part of the school budget.

Proble$s of integration calrnot be separated from the totaL educational prcgrar,r.

0n1y rnea the degree

total

program

is

upgrsded and each

child helped to achieve his

ci;n

of

exce]1ence can

true integration be effected.

Engleruoodr Neg Jersey

is a mature, residential,

suburban community on

16e !.nner

ring of the Neu, York matropolitan region. Because of its proximity to Neul york City and easy transportation first by railroad and later the George it
became one

lllashington Brldge,

of the first

"bedroom communities'r
Because

for executive for

domestic'

and professional people uho uorked and other household help

in the City.

of the

need

to maintain the large estates uhich uere ulidespread ln Englegoodl a sizeable Negro community greu, along side the very rich.
Shortly af ter the lUar and throughout the decade of the
experienced a spurt A summary
5[l I s

l
r,

Engleruood

of grouth especially

among

Negroes-both middle and lou,er cla

of

census flgures by decadEs demonstrates

this factt
Population

year
1900

Total Population
6 1253

Non-tUhite Population

/, Negro

19t0
L92g 1930
I :

9 1924
LL 1627

17,805
18,966
23

2 1542
3

14.3 16.0

1940 1950

rA27

rI45

4 r2L6

!8.2
27.3

1960
gJhen

26 rO57

7,I15

thesa figures ars related to the Negro population of Bergen County

problem becomet

ancl

other communities in the County, the magnitude of the schoolfs

Bergen County 2.2/oi State

obvicus:

of

Nerl Jersey

8.7/o, Forty percent of

the

total non-uhite population of

Bergen County

is found in

Engleuood urith turo other

casnunities accounting, along ruith Engleuood, for 75/, of tha Bergen County total.

- !-E

!!

-2Typlcal of othEr cormunitlsar both large and smalll Engleuoodr s

Negro

population has beEn conflned to one atea of thE torun-BB.a$ in on uard. Slnce
Neu

Jrsey

like

moet BtateE adhered

to the policy of

assignment

to

elementary ech
i

by naighborhoods, an all-Negro school inevltably uas

DuE

created. its first inpact

of
one
on
,

to

the preaere

of populatlon grourth uhich made

segregatJ,on

thE echoolE

in

1953r attempts uere made

to adjust boundary llnEs to relieve overachool.

problern. Aa a

crouding. In actuallty thls resulted ln further raeult of court action

Several yeaca later a

and dirsctlvBe from the ConrnlsslonEr there uaa an adJustme'

of the boundary llnee but rlithout real attention to thE funddnental

nEur

Elemantary echool and a neu, Junior high school uera bu!

8y 19611 volces of concarn again usra rE186d about the problem

of racl'al

lmbalane

at Llncoln

Sohool.

There iE no naed herE

to recap the demonetrations, rallleer school boycommitteea and conmunity

cotte, sit-lna, formation of citizenE

strlfe

uhich Engle

exporinccd.-all of uhich u,ere genarously reported ln the prese, radlo and telei

vlsion. Llttgatlon

uae undertaken, special studies by the Nerl Jersey Stat Depari

ment oF Educatlon completed, and

finally a directivE from the Comnissionar to

pendinq uhlch has rscently bBon remandEd

draf

a plan uhlch uould alleviate the racial imbalanca at Lincoln School. A eErles ofi court
caEee ensued

uith

one

stlll

to

tha;

United States Dletrict Court. The Appeals Court haa aEkEd for a revl,eu of thE ca

in light of

thE racEnt Bookef dgcision

enough

in Planflsld uhlch ln effect statad that

the conmieEion6f did not go Far

regard to an almoat

totally

Negro

in diractlng a local Board to act onty in school. Plans for schools ruith a grouing NEgro

populatlon must also be developed. Thls dlctum has impllcations for.Engleuood

slnce

u,e do have

a school uhieh la nou cloEe to ?0S Neqro.

-3-

In October, 1963 the

Board u,as able

to

EecuDe

the nscessary fLnances to

the creation of a ctt

lplenEnt a plan to alleviate the problem of

de

facto ssgregatlon uithout sacrifi

utae

clng other educational values. Csntral to the solution

ride slxth grade school and the assignment of Lincoln School students in grades o
through

five to three

schools tuith predominantly uthite enrollments. Tha folloulin

i

year the kindergarten chlldren u,ere also reassigned'

Accompanylng these changes

in school organization and puptJ.

designed

assignment

have been

number

of educatlonal innovations
uas and

to

improve and upgrade the,

total

ptogram

for all children. It

still is our firm belief that racial

integration of schools

accompanied by imaginative school improvements can lead to community

better education and a stronger

for allr thereby preventing the soiral,

of

cancerous conditions

that prevail in the urban ColBo

a frontal attack on the problam of

Sincg tlms

is short, I urill htghllght only a fEu oP the educational

programa uE have undertaken. llle have made

instruction. This includes a non-graded levels program at the elementary Iovel u,lth readlng epeciallsts to ruork urith thE teachers in diagnosing childrents problams. llle are trying t/t/a tn one school. our teachere and curriculum coordi', notore have developed neu apprOache8 ln sclgncg u,hre urE ate Experimenting uith a
reading

totally
ducing

neur

curriculum of unified science

ln tha 9th grade; in thE field of

oral languagei in
math urerre

langue

arts uerre concentrating on the

neur

dEvelopment of,

lntror

math concepts beginning

in the firat grada;

studiee.

and uerre attempting the

conceptual approach

in the teaching of soclal

ln
oDder

A teaching teams program has beEn

Sehool and Junlor high

instituted at the Engle (etn

graae)

to utllize nore effectively the taaching talents

uaya

of the facul.ty and to deploy the puPils ln

nEeds and

belter suited to their dlverse

ablllties.

-4Through our programs

Division of Extended School Services, ua offer tutorial

and

at the elementary and secondary levels to provide both enrichment

one

tutorial eervices by volunteer adults on a ona to

program

basis; and an expanded

in adult basic education.

our pre-kindargarten program is open to all four-year-olds in the

community and hae

attracted chlldren from every sectiont every soclo-aconomic gro

ln

EnEleruood. llle sponsored a HEadstart program

this

summEr

6nd are currently

planning a Follour-up program ruhich

rlill

expand our pre-kindergarten program to

reach230childDen.ThiEiganecE9aaryandvitaletepinordertoaccommodate
tha loul income familiEs urhilE stitl making possible enrollment for ouher gsoups il

Enqleurood. It uas possiblE to instltuta many of the programe rnore quickly becauEa of a grant from the Ford Foundation of $2501000 for 3 years. By taking advantage of funds nour available undar the Elementary-Secondary Education Act, ua uill b
able to strengthen
llle
many

of these

programs and lncrease our

efforts
I

are nou in the process of developing specificationE to expand our

lUe

High School into a four-yeaa proqram.

Engleucod

have Just completed an agreoment

uith

C1iffs, a small

adJacent conlnunity

primarily of middle and upper inccme

uhite famllles to send their

h19h school ctuCents

to Engleurood. This rnove has to maintain a racially of reglonalizatiol

ramifLcetions For suburban tonns like Engleuood u,hich aEs older and bullt up uith
an incrsasilg non-urhite population.
and economically balanced school

It

suggests one u,ay

population.

Through some form

it

may be

posibls for suburban communlties to avoid the spasmodicr explosive and'

:

malignant condilions

of lhe urban cc[E tuhich can-and u,ill-sPread to other parta of the metropolltan reglon unless positlve action le taken.

-5llle do have

a lesson to learn from the urban center. fllote and more

suburban communities aDe losing some

of their

"bsdroom

look" and becoming srnall

versionE

of the big city urith the sam problems.

The magnltude

of tha problem

of the urban center coupled ruith the paralytlc bureaucracy uhich is the common political and administrativa responsE to the conduct of public afPairE in mammoth urban complexesl presente alomst insurrnountable obstacles to dealing effactively
rJith these great problems. Hopefully, our problemsruthile similar, u"" to"" tunul

of numbers. In either situation, houever, nothing rlill be done-the pDoblem uill not even be idantified-unle ss boards of educationl facult parents, and citizens Ere urilling to seek rational solutions to ernotionally charg problerns. Abova all, ue must have leaders uith imagination and courage to assuma
geable 3ust

in

terms

the role of communlty catalyst in reachlng for solutions.

tnaybe uB

in

Engleuood tuere fortunate

that

ule had

a crieis uhich forced

oLrr comrnunity

to act. I might add, parenthetically, (since the press is repremed:'.a

sonted), that there u,ere many in our community uho falt that uithout the big play
qivan Enqleurood through the neuspapers and other mase
had

that

rue

uouldntt

have
I

a.problem. Irm sure this is not true as far as our toun is raise the
tuhile
more fundamental question

concerned

but it
a

does

of the role ofl tha mass media during

sit-ins and denonstrations do make better copyr the maes r.qodia alst have an obligation to report tha more quiet constructive solutions once they hava

crisis.
bagun.

0ulr problem became

visible-r,6

hav

a large concentration of

Negroes.

But uhat about thE

all

ruhite upper income community? Do they have

race probler

just ae much as a community uith a large

agrea. In
som6 urays

percentage ofl Nogro residante?

I believt
I

they do and Superlntendent Coffin in Darien uhon I have heard spaak on thls point

thBlr situation ls

more

acute.

Too

often thesa communities

-5-

r tlfrl lb tl:
tElicy

denying the existence Dariens

of

any problem. Consider, houever, the

fact tha{

uill

probably come the leaders

of business
Imagine,

and

industry, tha

nrakess and decleion nakers oF

the

future.

if

you

urill, the conce

tirr of NBgDoes these young people ulill have uhen the only Negroes a6En are Astics, janitoDs, and porters. If in their formative years, there is nev6r ar rrtact uith a Negro doctor, lauryer, manager, or professional, their conceptions, drl ba distorted. It urill limit thE possibility oF their onlightennent and the
future role that they
can

play in opening

employment

opportunities for Negroes-a

pine prerequieite to the fulfillment of equal opportunity for all. I recognizo the limitation on tha role the echool. can play in
attitudes and values but at the
same

shaping

time ue must exploit to the

fullest

the

contDibution the schools can make. By naking our schoors relevant and authsntic

to the ruorld as it ls,

ue can begin

to influence other institutions to

assume

and agencies

in the community.
naking

Educators have an obligatlon

a leadership role in not exist to

real the phrese, equal opportunlty for all.

American society has become

Etratified.
From

The schools do

rrotect
people

nelghborhoode and should not be

the instrument by uhich people are furthe lack of rneaningful contacts lrig

sttatified

and saparated by class

or caste.

superficially different

comes

mistrust and

inability to

communicate. This

in turn leads to explosive situations-luatts is but one example of the breakdoun in comnunication dBspite good intentions.
lUe knoul uJ6

halntt found all the ansuerE in Engleuood. But ue

have

fact that thera is a problem-that sorutions can be found-that the shattered image of a community can be changed. Ule ruill continue to consolidate urhat gains have bEen made, continually alert to the neu probleme
recognizad and accepted the
urhich must

arise, attuned to the hearthy aspects of confllct, and confident that through buildirg sound relatlonshlps amorq all people that a bettEr life can be ha

fl