If They'd Just Admit the Problem

Maybe I could tell you what to do. But we could all get together

from all angles and work out some something that would that would be satisfactory something

we could agree on even if it remained that way at least at least we would

admit the problem did exist and whatever could be done about it.

That was says a lot of people that would satisfy a lot of teachers I know it

would it would at least satisfy me to the point that I know that they'd know

about it and is concerned and would like to do something about it.

From an intensive week of broadcasting on Milwaukee's inner core city within a

city w h the University of Wisconsin presents a half hour

montage of the comments criticisms and complaints of inner city

residents as they examine the condition and quality of their children's education

and a program entitled if they'd just admit the problem.

I don't think that. The Milwaukee

schools I really meeting the needs of me

city children.

The kids are going to school and I see they will learn a thing. I mean they don't they don't even learn how to read look at this.

They don't know how to read Rice. They are mapping what I'm saying is that these kids

some of the parents send their children to school but when they come out they can't they can't.

You know they still look at practically the school is the school system many in a

cool.

Is inadequate. Inferior

education.

And. You do not measure up to the standards

of 20 years ago.

This is I believe.

From the.

Well it is. It's for many reasons. Two

sides to this thing.

Google has signed and in a cool head sac.

It's Google's problem one of the manse migration of the new

girl from the south.

That the structure the

last polls.

Saw to it that we live within

one confined area. This example. And

House. And they're more or less and yet this

way and when this.

Condition.

And the. Minutes of the CD

you create which we already know will get told.

Norgay like all other major cities. When the influx

started in the early 50s. I think right there what

happened was a lot of teachers say a North a vision and other schools like the

left and the negro start moving. And kids who lived in the areas and then the

school districts. Were transferring quite easily to other

schools outside of the district. And this just broke up completely. You know they

talk about a neighborhood school system there's a bunch of junk because I

can I can remember a miniature kid when I first started nor I

knew guys who lived in Waukesha whose parents brought them into high school in

North Division every day and I can also remember when I was

about ready to graduate 55 I saw that.

By the same token kids were leaving Marty going to Washington and other high schools

around. And I think right then they could have acted they could have

said.

Some to the effect of you know they're so concerned about neighborhood schools.

Now this is this is this is like I'm a part of the thing a cheap inexpensive thing

they could have done then you know and they would have helped integration a lot if they had said well

look no we're not going to let you have always mass transfer if you stay here you go

to school in your own area you see the only users point to me when it's concerning

Negroes or minority groups not just Negroes or even disadvantaged whites too.

But I think they could have made a stand then I don't know too much about his bus

and business.

But I ask that you know he had within the system.

I feel that they should have.

Integrated the kids into the

classes and.

Keep one.

Together. And then this is I think more or less by the by.

Inferior complex in a sense and you

talk to some of the kids.

They felt like they were like the monkeys out there

and they keep. Coming back.

This put them in a very strange position.

We were riding along and these two they were white boys they came

and they spat at the window and you know this made the kids feel bad and everything

they say to me I had

to take off my skin I'll be the same color as you are you see this well

this is what really hurts a young kid to know that just

because of color. Color same color as the person whose screen name gives

him. But most of the kids down here say they have a saying

because if a white man dies and he goes to heaven and he has a colored guy what will he do

when sow moved into the inner core.

Then everything in the cool change the school system the police

force. Everything changed.

The white teachers who were in the inner call that

they had not been prepared to.

Teach.

Children who had just. Came here

from south.

They could meet they couldn't meet and they weren't. And I

had to meet the challenge because it was a different

situation from what.

We had been accustomed to. Different type of classroom the classroom

change. I will remember now the techniques. Everything

is change. So now. The

school board had tracked in a sense.

When I say we started 1950. To track two.

Face and sound problem that they were facing in one thousand people.

So now at that particular time they did what

they thought was right. Right now what did they do. Most of

them in the coast were demanding transfers.

Now we go. Where.

One out.

I come alone they said that they had the grief in a school.

It's taken the freshman courses and this low educational

standards and a cool school so much and so

much we named the suburban schools and the one there we

have an in-call. Educational.

That when the instructors. Equal.

No wait.

Actually the school board has completely ignored the the suggestions in

the information it did the teachers had given them to a great extent. They have

absolutely no way. And certain things exist today. They see it themselves but they just

want to admit it. If the school board it was admit admit there's a housing problem there's

a neighborhood problem that there is de facto segregation. If they would just admit that that would

satisfy 50 percent of the negroes in this if they would just admit.

In this get together monopolize on suggestions coming from Negroes themselves

and get busy do something about it. Come out and say it's not so it doesn't exist.

Now I remember telling Mr Benson last year that

when he said there was no war to teach teach teach it. Teachers were hired on the basis

of the training and experience and placed accordingly.

And there was no segregation in which to place a teacher

and I said you want me to go down to Roseville smoke room and see me.

And some twenty seven men in the smoking room. And one conclusion.

Out of 27 are all reasonable. You're going to tell me that school is integrated

when you go out to cluster.

And twenties in my room and in the smoke room and when they go into a

meeting and agree that that's a yawn to me that I can't

see.

And. I sent a statement to Word word sound to make them sound good but

when we see I think the school's probably.

Maybe have about the same. So I say

teaching problems that other maybe large areas of our

school you know of especially where there's nothing but negroes living but I feel this way

that by Milwaukee not being as large as when it is compared to Chicago

or Cleveland from where I've came I don't think they should have that. The school problem is that I

see that they have when listening to the television and radio I think their

problem most of salary and also for school conditions should be very

much better than what they are because of the problem in a large city. They have

overcrowded schools and they have four. The

negro area is much larger as this so as well as the

poor. I say white area is and therefore I don't think Milwaukee really

has to my estimation excuse for poor teaching enough

facilities or poor teachers salaries.

We lost the most teachers we lost in the woods in the US a new entry to that was signed and

when I found out they were signed in this area would have trouble with the world and he took a

flight to the suburban areas where to get a better salary are panning out making it smaller classes

and so.

Move around that you might not have as much trouble and get more money after already working for I

think that the teachers some of the teachers come into these schools and working

one year and next year I'll be out of here. This is sort of a

punishment to work in me in a city that this is not a good art teachers there are many

that come and stay here year after year because they are dedicated to teaching.

But I do think there is a lack of dedication. From many of the teachers are so the

extra time there the school to talk with the child.

From college night to the parent to say Well Johnny didn't do this so he

didn't behave and you'd be surprised how far this goes because the child would feel Rockne she's

interested enough to tell my mother the teacher doesn't car shouldn't own an

old home she doesn't say anything has erred too much she doesn't care either.

I can see a run of. Tutus could do if we were

given the freedom to do it. We were given incentives for working overtime with queues

and I'm only for in which these kids knew you. It

just isn't done. I had a. Friend who taught at Roosevelt for a couple years.

She's over in Lincoln now and this is about three years ago and she was telling me

then that she was working after hours with these kids and.

Giving these kids homework and they were doing 95 percent of them were doing the homework and 95 percent were

benefiting from the extra work that she was giving. But the

principal told her and someone he didn't tell him not to do it but he told her Well these kids are

going to do homework you know you should you bother about giving it to her. You know don't don't don't

push him so hard because they don't want to learn.

He isn't there anymore. That rolls out.

You know this is a type of attitude that lobby administrators have and.

The kids are always good kids are never going to get anywhere

with this type of feeling and then heck they go to school they do what they want to do and they get away with it this is

is a routine thing to say to just suit too.

In this system to suspend a kid when he.

When he you know. When he disrupts the classroom.

This not do what they say what it is that it would be supposed to do.

But when they keep coming back you supposed to be reformed be ready to cooperate

maybe go along with the program will be ruled. Out of them.

But sometimes if you suspend him for every every time he disrupt the

class to the point that you can do nothing but just maybe give him

all the attention I need two thirds of it. You know and this is fresh and you can

keep him out of school for you have to semester maybe it doesn't work because a kid

goes home and state you know you don't want to be in school anyway.

If a kid doesn't want to be in school he's lucky he's are going to learn. The disc or be there

to harass and disrupt everybody else and

to cinema. That's what we've found to be sure that's

what you want you can ride back and you're seeing large groups of

children.

Walking around the schools and I know that they should be in school at that time.

Because there's no free periods for any of them except for their lunch hour

so that only free period they'd have. But there are other

groups that you can see wandering around. You know away from the school.

Nutrition to school children that go to school look and school is a prison and

and I can say that I blame them wrong. This

education that they're receiving is inferior to begin with. Oftentimes the

teachers that are teaching them have little or no understanding of the backgrounds that they come

from. Their needs are special needs and it takes a special person to meet those needs.

I'm having problems my son 9 years old she's having problems with his teacher.

She seemed like she'd have so little pick on him she oh seem like

she doesn't want managers in here in your shoes and what

he say are what those accused men she just don't care.

She did our race Minot's our Tammy told me James a little bit more are

coming from me and home other gentle care and.

Healing to give the lyric I mean she's his teacher she's supposed to give some to her.

It's this fear that many parents here they have a fear of the teachers because these are not their

peers and they feel that these people are the educators and they should know what's best for my

child and they put they actually trust the teacher to this point. I've

talked to many mothers and she said well I'm sure the teacher knows much more about this child

and how he should be educated than I do I have only a fifth grade education and this is a

teacher was she something really great to look up to.

Where else am I wonder just how much interest a teacher

really hands on the turn as they say that their they can understand their teachers

or Iran may be one of them is always on them about this so bad oh something well I don't know

of teachers pocket but there I really haven't got to the bottom of it.

Most cases that your bio child. Right hostile has had many problems from

a very young age. Now all of this can still come from the problems that

they've had within the home and the home and other things. No imbalance like this they have so many

problems it becomes so complicated until it's quite something

that they can almost master in it and it so spills over into school in this way. This is why you have a lot of

parents who are reluctant to come to school or they look at school in a different light because

school is not as important and some of the other things that they did and spoke to many of the principals at the

different schools and one of my questions to us.

Do they feel that teachers need special training for teaching in the

city. I had the answer of yes from many of

them because they. I feel that these children are just on the

same level as the suburban children the same home

background in them same life their home environment. So

they feel that they can just go in and teach as they do in their suburban schools and this can't be

done. You really I wish so much that the classes could be brought down

where you teach you could actually get to know the child because as

Mary was saying here there are so many times a child would open up to the

teacher and really explain his NEEDS TO THE TEACHER or what's on his

mind. But the teacher is so busy with so many others and then

too there's a like of interest talk they feel this is the reputation the school

has and this is a take which our that here so they don't bother. You're not going to be

anything in fact I've heard many of the boys that have dropped out of school who say to

me well you get tired of a teacher saying to you Are you not going to do anything anyway.

And I think one of the young ladies stated on TV just last Sunday about one

of the teachers there in my division I said to her Well you're not.

Interested in school and you didn't come to learn so why should you waste my time. I came for a

salary. I mean and they get tired even though how much they are

not doing the thing they should do they feel that the teacher should really insist on them

doing this and if the teacher has the interest she can use it for my hand

because a challenge when you're interested in them and that is if you get them in

and around the fourth grade.

So your children start learning you know this is where we run into difficulty because of

this they get from a brother they're so far behind with the number of absent days absence.

Consider all these things begin to pile up on the child not the route and would say for a

teacher who is NOT understand as understanding as and as you might want him or was not

for me you with the background children and you can have they can be very

complicated and as a result of these children start learning and some of them skip

school. All in seven days and this happens I

say way down in the lower grades and we've got to go back to our grade school. And we've got

to revise our curriculum. We've got to do something to keep these

kids as him he was as enthusiastic and they are when

they come as kindergarten kids.

Example when I taught third grade at nor did my student teaching and it was a wonderful

experience. But then when I saw these kids again in the fifth grade they were altogether

different. Of course they're all we realize that but they're the attitudes

and so forth would much difference because there's been so many failures that that's

like oh hey you know let's say you got to show them some positive things.

The kid draws a rabbit and he thinks of this rabbit is beautiful to him so he'll give it to the

teacher. Now the first thing the teacher should say to a little boy. Tell me

about it. Disappointed or relieved because he realized that this

teacher really realized that this is a habit and it's beautiful because we all see

things differently because we select the cause in all eternity.

You've got to have teachers that are just a little different.

In the university and my theory is. That these school dropouts of course a school in a

good. I mean presence they're doing the same thing

especially the inner core schools I would have been hard for them in Atlanta. But. Now when I

was when I went to school for instance the first grade there was no radio on television.

Now these little kids go to school not knowing where or that I knew maybe when I was a

six or seven grade about the world in general. You see I mean they

started school so when you have a book that says rover is a

dog. That doesn't interest them. Now if you have something

that will be wrong of them to where they are I don't think you have any

difficult children are inquiring I mean you know they they have minds.

And. The whole thing is wrong as far as I'm concerned. Let me tell you what

happened last couple years ago we we had a common what we call a queue.

Humanity for something getting a little better race relations.

And then we went to school work as one of those I had Negro history in a school and. So we

talked to this woman and she said well we can't do anything for five years she said

because last year we bought the textbooks and I have to last six years. So

the history teacher one of these out of catholic school one of the

he said well if a man just in the mood Mardy have 25 years with the kids in school no.

And she was floored.

To go over to her and I said well that's just the way that's that's the way it is now you have

to wait always time or what's happening because you bought some books. And there's no

notes no supplement or anything like that. You see that doesn't make sense. So I take

it to see negroes aren't only people dropping out of school everybody is and I mean young people

and I assume that that's the reason they'd updated the schools that it would affect all of children the

first thing that was so obvious to me in high school was.

When I first heard it the number of courses that were offered in high school

the foreign language courses and the different types of English courses three English

courses of north alone.

And. Things like the ban and others that were just allowed to

drop and disintegrate once.

The influx came in and wants these kids start moving out.

There is no choice I mean there is no choice little choice of

subjects that you take for instance I mean if you like if you go to an art division you

used to could take languages but you can't. I don't think you can take any I don't think they have any there

now. And they used to have Christmas. When

they're right. My my children going there they had both of them an orchestra and chorus and I

think to me van is about the only thing they've had mostly done to me very recently.

America courses are not there that used to be those they were just you know they just

cried. I mean somebody down somewhere decides that well the Negro children don't need it or don't

want it and so we don't teach it. That's not the way you run a school.

I'm quite sure the North know we don't teach only foreign Words To Spanish on a mobile when

I was a stroke we were teaching Spanish French German

among others not at all.

They were discontinuing with you through the use of it.

When my daughter graduated from North Division the semester before she graduated. There

was some parent who went over and wondered why we can have college English near

and our children are going to go on to college and there is NO NO course for college

English. So right away they set up a course. And if I'm not mistaken they had

eight students in this course eight seniors took the college English

which was very helpful but the following semester the teacher they said had gone to Europe

and they had no one else to teach ecology course so as far as I know they have. No college

English there. They have no advanced males.

We need a counseling service very bare for our college.

Children. For though for though for the students that have a desire to go on to school they need

outside counseling in their junior years they need it in their freshman year is where they may

actually go and be counseled as to what they would like to do and expulse to

learn these areas they would like to go into. And then they need to fall in some place where

they could go to each semester to see if I am taking the correct subject. If I lost

this credit How may I pick it up where May I pick it up which is most effective for me to pick it up

now or to wait until the next year and this is a cunt. This is one

of the kinds of service that we find a great need for and just talking to those who are part of

potential dropouts and we talk to the parent of these children and minute the parent are

not aware else of what your child is what subjects they're supposed to take how long they're

supposed to follow this up and what you know there is just not there communication they're

there they really are just not educated to this point.

What about the parents that don't know or they don't have any idea

what's best for their children and I would think these people are in my charity in

the inner city so they don't go or. When they would like to go they would say

we're not in high spirits and you know it and so they don't go and what happens to those

trailers and when this child may use a word or wake up to the fact that

there he is.

I'm not getting the things he should have had that have been that the things he shipped at and I had to

go on the school. Then he gets disturbed and he rebels in many many

ways because if he does well I would have if someone had told

me he feels and maybe actually let down really that somebody is the term they use

is someone has tried to put something over on me because he comes. He graduates thinking that

gee I'm going to go on to school and he's told that he can act want to school.

We took in a girl in our office who was graduated from one of the

high schools one that is today probably predominately a Negro school.

It wasn't at the time that she was graduated. She was a

very brilliant girl. She came in a Didn't take me

very long to teach it everything that I knew which was sufficient

for our office about the bookkeeping. She caught on rapidly.

She had a beautiful handwriting. She could do mathematics. She

could think fast. She was us just a fine person.

And I was so interested in seeing that she

grow further. Then high school I paid her tuition

myself to send her to university extension. That was before

we had uter PM of course. She could not qualify

there because she had had no mathematics.

So then she had to go to vocational school. She was

eager to Loon which was very fortunate. She went in the evening after she left our office.

She had vocations to school started algebra and geometry

until she was qualified then she went back to university extension

untaught and worked part time until she was was able to go

full time to you to obey him. Question he was

graduated from the Department of accounting with high honors.

Here was a guy that was told that she just had no counseling.

I would say she should have had everything to qualify her

for college in high school because she was a smart girl.

But all of these college girls were told they say no I was not in

high school with them so I only had to take their word that they wouldn't be able to get a job

using this type of education anyway so why take it.

If they'd just admit the problem a half hour examination by inner city

residents of the quality and condition of their schools this was another in a

series of programs originally heard over w A.J. the University of Wisconsin

as part of that station's intensive week of broadcasting on Milwaukee's inner core

city within a city production by Ralph Johnson and Bethel pairing.

I can almost speaking. This is the national educational radio network.