Say Brother; Boston School Committee Live Pre-Election Special; 1203

You're right children are good people. Let's. Look at.

That. It's important to have representation on the school committee. Definitely I'm a teacher or a teacher. And I think that. We need to have black people and minority people working on the school committee so that they can push for better educational education for children and in the city of Boston. I'm angry. I've been I've been out in the area and I can understand. Do you think if more black people were on the school committee that they'd be more sensitive to people like yourself. Well perhaps because they probably come out of the same situation. Most of them have the wood. Are you going to know if you're a white person or Hispanic person. How would you know how a black person feels about certain things without input from someone

who is a black person who is representing the black community. You have to. Good evening and welcome to say brothers pre-election special on the Boston School Committee. So Boston is recognized as a mecca for higher education. Getting to that point through the Boston public school system can be an exercise in itself. Tonight we have seven of the 10 candidates running for five seats on the Boston School Committee to ask questions of the seven candidates. As my co-host Boston Globe reporter Mr. Bob Jordan and three panelists who are say brother guest reporter Tony Hill Boston teacher Ella Paul and Bette Rivera who is a parent and a coordinator for L committee Dave Padres 0 8 candidates Felix Arroyo. Kevin McCluskey Gene McGuire John O'Bryant Elvira Pixie pelligrino David

Sheehan Gene Sullivan Nikki and Rita Walsh on the scene in our ninth and tenth candidates I join Tony and John McDonough in a telephone conversation on Wednesday October 28 with the producer of save other giant toonie stated that he owes his allegiance to his west watchmaker situations. That's two two conflict schedules. He would have to rescind his acceptance to make an appearance in West this evening. John again his office called who stated that he was tied up in a legal matter out of town. It would not be able to attend. At this point we are going to be getting statements from each of the candidates but I would like to explain to our viewers that Mr John O'Brien is not with us at this time we have not yet been notified by his office that he will not be able to make it and we hope that he will still attack it at this point I'd like to ask each of the candidates to make a 30 second statement and I'd like to advise our

viewers that the statements in the order of the questions in tonight's program will follow alphabetically Mr. Royal. We'll begin with you. Thank you very much appreciate the opportunity to be with you this evening. I would like to say that in this city intent of public education we have to work together we have to make sure that every child has the opportunity to learn the right to know and we have to make sure that their home is updated and prepare our children for the future and to be functional and productive you know our society. It's important to make sure that we have fiscal management in a way that provides the world's W I don't think Klasky right thank you. I think that in these next two years indeed these next many years we have a great many task before us both in an educational and a managerial sense and to me that means that we must build a sound education a budget that provides worthwhile services for all the children and parents and teachers in this city

at a cost that does not present an overwhelming burden to the taxpayers of the city. Thank you Mr. looks like why. This is a crucial time for education. The public generally questions the quality that's offered in periods of about 10 to 15 years and then we decide whether we're paying too much for it whether it's doing a good job. It is obvious that education is the cornerstone of a democracy and that how we educate our children will directly affect the quality of life in the city of Boston both presently and in the future. OK thank you Mrs. Pell again. I feel that the Boston public schools are now in a crisis situation. Many of the hard decisions that have had to be made have been made by the present school committee. They were not popular decisions but decisions that we were elected to Meg. And so we have done that. And I hope that we will begin to move forward and provide quality education for all of the students in

the Boston Public School System. Thank you Mr. Shand. I would like to see during the course of the next few years a beefing up of the curriculum within the schools I would like to see better security measures within the school. I would like to see more involvement of parents and communities within the school system. I feel if we do those three particular things they will see a great deal of improvement. Thank you Mrs. Sullivan McKee. Thank you Beth. The main reason that I'm running is that I do have four children in the public school system right now. I believe that they and every child in the city of Boston deserves the best education possible. I'm interested in the future in teacher professionalism and accountability staff development school based management and working to see that every student in our schools feels needed wanted and valued. Thank you. This is TELL ME whilst on the field.

Thank you Brad. I'm going to watch Thomas in the end number one on the ballot and I would like to be the parent voice on the school committee. I would like to return the kindergarten one programs I would like to expand the advance work programs. I would like to renegotiate the cost of the transportation contracts and I would demand accountability at Twenty sixth street and the stablish a citywide reading program and enforce the code of discipline. Oh Jay thank you very much. Before we begin our first round of questions I would like to remind all of the candidates that they will have exactly one minute to complete their answers the first question will go to Mr. Bob Jordan and you will address it to Mr. Felix right. I miss all of you you have a chance of becoming the first expanded on the Boston School Committee. What would be your final sponsibility as a member of the school committee. I believe I have every possibility to all children that my heritage will help us to have a different perspective to be able to deal with problems that affect

every child I believe that by being a member of their school committee I would be able to put the type of skills and capability that I have been developed in this year and previous years as a professional educator if Biden and a person from the grassroots level. Again thank you. Tony yelled the next question from you will go to Mr. Kevin McCluskey. Mr. Quest gets a question or have you with us tonight. Thank you. My question deals with the Traeger bill. And in particular I'd like to know your opinion of the troika bills increasing of the powers of the Boston school superintendent and whether you feel that as that piece of legislation passed through the city council you in good conscience can support the increased powers that are given to the school superintendent or whether you feel that there should be some modifications made relative to the school students and scholars.

I think Tony that I am more comfortable with the superintendent having the power to hire and fire that is a key power contained in thats the trigger piece in the Sana trigger piece in the grandson of trigger and more comfortable than I thought I was at first it seems that much of the suspicion about the school community the bad feeling about the committee centers around the abuse of that power to hire and fire over there is a real danger in that. And the abuse of the committee in the past possibly may turn into a future abuse by one person in the superintendency. And I would hope that those who are now touting the Traeger piece as something that is a cure all would not find us in the future with the superintendent who is hiring left and right and hurting the system in that way. Thank you. OK thank you Mr Low class came and spoke. Would you address your question to Mrs. McGuire please.

Yes Mrs. McGuire where you Deli Johnny think God's help and guidance in solving a problem with proving I wasn't of the school and what changes would you like to see take place. It was the first part of the question would I seek him. Will you diligently seek God's help and guidance in a problem that improving a Boston public school. And what changes would you like to see take place. Well I'm glad that you assume that I am diligent tender of church. I certainly believe that everyone knows there is something outside themselves that we we are we're very small in the scheme of things and we do need each other and that which we cannot always see. And I certainly would do that but I think that's a personal preference. I feel that all children educate and any actions that I take in conjunction with the fellow members of the school couldn't the committee would be in behalf of all the children the city of Boston since children enter Kabul. And since teachers and administrators are hired to educate them

I feel that we know that it's done well in many places and there's no reason why we don't do it well in Boston the question is one of will and commitment. And often money. Thank you very much. I'd like to say this time that we're glad to have Mr. O'Briant with us. And Mrs. Rivera your question will go to Mr.. OK. Most overall you know wow we have many contacts especially in my game and at the same time there has been any relation was a way to ensure adequate support services. Is this too high yet. Twenty three chairs so I knew the chair that we first of all I'm very proud to say that my record as far as bilingual education is very a very good one it's very clear I would very much be in favor of providing whatever resources are necessary to educate the additional bilingual children that come to the system I think it's important for people to

understand that we do have legislation we do have mandates in this state around bilingual education and we should comply with whatever those mandates. But I certainly would be very willing to support whatever is necessary. OK thank you very much. At this time I'd like to go over one of the points that stood out most in my mind about the last round of questions with you Bob and that was when Mr. McCluskey said that he thought one of the reasons for the distrust that the public has towards the school committee is sort of centered around their hiring and hiring hiring and firing powers. Do you agree with that. I basically do agree I think too that the public in general has lost some confidence in the school committee because of the fact that they seem to have more arguments and debates more than solutions especially this particular year has been a very tough year for the school committee I think the school

committee has contributed to a lack of confidence on the part of the public. So I think that's what they have to really watch out for this time around. OK thanks Bob. Moving on. You are up next in your question goes to Mrs. Palin Dino this time. This is probably the No. You know that these school committee itself has had its troubles at this past year there has been you know mark of a scandal of a bussing contract scandal do you feel that scandal has hurt the image badly for the school committee. And if I had what would you do to correct that image. I don't believe it has hurt the school committee as a whole as a body. I believe it has hurt individuals but not the school committee see integrity. I believe that the situation is a dead issue and as was proven by the call out and I feel that it's a non-issue at this point. OK Tony going to you your question goes to Mr. Sheen. Mr. Chance a pleasure to meet with you in Sydney and I'd like to ask you a question that somewhat

falls upon a previous question one of my other panel members. What is your opinion of the Lao agreement affecting bilingual education in Boston and what steps would you as a school committee men take to ensure that the letter and the spirit of the Lao agreement isn't forced in Boston. I think that you have to go back not only to the Lao agreement which came out of the west coast area of San Francisco. I think you have to take a very good look at the bilingual educational program within the state. And my feeling is they are talking about a allow Kaman relative to Boston yesterday. And my feeling is that if the compliance with the state law is fully mandated and fully funded and fully complied with then we will be able to follow up with allow service completely that is on the testing levels and setting the kids in their proper places and assuring that on the state

level that they will be out in mainstream and within the three year period. I think that would be the greatest service that we can do within the concept of bilingual education what do you see your own role being if I may Tony I don't think you'll have no time for that. OK. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Prime Your next question goes to Mrs. Sullivan. Yes Mrs. McCain. He has stated that he wished to read on the Boston desegregation case and what I want to ask you is that will you support a kind of comprehensive affirmative action plan that's over and the federal court. Back in August when we had the affirmative act when we had the layoffs that were dictated to us by our budget restraints we had a school committee vote that called for a 4 to 1 for whites to 1 black layoff within the system. At that time I voted for the affirmative action and layoff. I will continue to vote according to the court mandates on the

on the court mandate from the hiring and you know the minority teachers. At this point I would not go beyond the court mandates. OK thank you Mrs. Sullivan Mickey. There Your next question will go to Mr. Walsh Thomas. We understand that you received. Don't just sink it into this especially when you say you know. No I don't believe that the support that I got from the Boston teacher's union would affect that. I've been working in the public schools for over 25 years and I don't upper report with the principals and teachers in these buildings. I have family who are in the teachers union and I just think that they thought I would be a good candidate and they wanted to give me their support and I don't

think that it would interfere in any negotiations at a for this year at the time. OK thank you very much Mrs was terribly Saini Bob several times during this round the concern came up about teachers in affirmative action. Do you think that there really are hordes of angry teachers out there in particular black teachers who might turn the tide in the election on November 3rd. I think it's difficult to say that some anger that teaches about I think the fact that just like which was a threat and did not occur I think that's a major split between a white and a black teachers. I think the issue of seniority and affirmative action is still not quite resolved between white and black teachers I think is and still has to be an issue to be resolved but I think at this time I think people are watching very carefully as to what the candidates are saying even tonight to make sure that they at least on the side of them with action.

Thank you. OK. This round of questions will start with Mrs. Rivera and your question will go to Felix. Oh yeah yeah. Fairly you have to have participation with that one. Rather Do you see it. I believe that whatever policies are establishing to CD that it will affect the life of the children though the CD has to be overseen by pot and so I believe that but I have full participation in decisions that affect the life of themself and the children I would like even to see the end in negotiations and affect the lives of the children and also even in going dark type of thing I think that the body value of resource that had not been used as it should be going to school ceased and most of the pot and that I have been talking to beautiful ideas and good very concrete things to do in the school ceased and never have been able to be accomplished because they cannot handle being here in the US.

OK Mrs. Powell would you please address your next question Mr. McCluskey. Yes miss my class K. Harwood How do you propose to find constructive means and ways of involving parents in decision and policy making plans out of Boston schools. SPAR we have the the court structure which unfortunately I think has not been as successful as some people would like it to be and many would hope that it would be I think that you have two kinds of parents you have parents who are not threatened by involvement in those kinds of parent structures which are much more political than not in a typical parent involvement. And you have parents who can give a great deal to the system simply by taking a really intense interest in their own individual child's education. That I think is the kind of parent participation that is really

lacking in terms of our involvement in the decision making in the development of policy. I think all the candidates are. Open to parents being involved in those sorts of decisions. But more importantly I think is for parents to become involved in their own individual child's education. Thank you. Tony Hill would you please address your question to Mrs. McGuire. This inquiry it's a pleasure seeing her tonight and I'd like to ask you a nasty question if I could. There are those who feel that met with creamed minority the best minority students out of the Boston Public School System. If you feel this is true what do you think will be Europe acquired to bring back into the public schools the minority students who have taken advantage of a program. Well first let me answer your statement that the first was completely wrong. In fact many towns asked me why I send so many children from Chapter 7 66.

All children of the cream of the crop. I don't know any parent who doesn't think their children the very best possible gift that can be given to a family. It is our responsibility to teach them. Medical provides voluntary urban suburban desegregation until we do something about opening up housing and public transportation and jobs in all our communities which we have not yet done in this state. However whether or not children attend the public schools in Boston is up to those of us who care about those schools. There are at least at least 38 to 40 if not more children who thousand children who attend the Archdiocesan school systems. There are many thousands more who attend our private schools and academies Medco just provides another option for school desegregation and has so since 1966 if you had happy there your time is up. Would you address your next question to Mr. O'BRIEN. Yes Mr. O'Briant I was super tense fullname was quoted as saying recently got court ordered busing as a tool to help achieve school desegregation has not

worked. You consider that statement harmful to the city's desegregation process. I would say not it's a question of what your criteria for success. The US only gets children from one school to another. The question is what happens at the end of that bus ride I think the major issue is whether or not people are willing to stay in the city and make the schools work. I think that if we have a commitment on the part of all people who live in the city to send their kids to public schools I think to be very clear that education can work providing we do what we have to do to provide the resources. OK thank you Mr. O'Brien. Do you think that the issue regarding bussing and just based upon your contacts with the public is it an issue about mourning children from one neighbor hood to another. Or is it really a racial issue. I think basically it still is a racial issue and has been right from the beginning. I think the

term as we all know and fact when we cover busing in the first couple of years I just made it clear to all of the porters it's not bussing it's racial but at the same time we try to understand both sides of the issue we try to understand the opponents and opponents of busing. We know that the bottom line is still a racial issue because it means that we're trying at the time to give equal opportunity to minority children that was previously denied. And that's why court ordered busing about in the first place. So it is a racial situation which still has to be resolved. OK well moving right along this is Rivera. Your next question goes to Mrs. Palin Dana. You know in the past you have not supported by so many all of the time for it. Why are you writing even for you. I don't believe that statement is a fact I do support bilingual education. I do

not support the waste in bilingual education. I believe that bilingual education is the same chill in the Boston public schools but I think we can tighten up our programs. I don't believe that students need to stand bilingual programs for three years. I hope that we will be able to in the future tighten up that program so that we are providing students with bilingual education but also at the same time not wasting the taxpayers dollars by allowing students to stay in the programs much beyond what they really are required for their education. Thank you Mrs. Palin Deano Mrs. Paul in your next question goes to Mr. Sheen. OK this is you know I would like to ask you a question. And what steps will you take to the budgetary problems of the Boston public schools. That's a pretty deep question. When you have to stop and think that you have to deal with it initially with four other people. That would be on the board.

I think we have to stat is to have a good accounting system that tells you right from the beginning where your money is where it's supposed to be and where it's going. I don't think at this time that we have that kind of a system. And I think the best example of that is when Mr. McKinnon came in and did his audit of our books and found that it took one month to accomplish this when we were making up the budget and now the budgets been in place we have a superintendent now who says we will know in December. So if a fellow like McKinnon can come in in a month and answer the question Why can't our own on board budget people give us better service than five months. I think that's where we have to stat right internally first. Thank you Mr. seeing. Tony would you address your next question to Mr. Sullivan. Listen the key five years ago the Boston School Committee has found the contempt of court relative to enforcing a chapter seven sixty six the statute that deals with special

education. The September as a result of the teacher bumping that was going along students in special education programs such as those at the Conley school in the south then we're dealing with a different teacher every day. What can be done and what will you do as a school committee member to be sure that by law that special education is inforced and that the school committee purchases contempt relative to Chapter 7 is excessive. We have done in many cases a very good job on seven honest 766 children talk to the college school parents charter car to school plans the kind of school is is is a program that works very well in fact and I have been there many times so I can attest to that. It is a school that is for multiple handicapped children the prot the biggest problem there this year was that they received new AIDS because of the bumping process within the union contract. Now I suggested the other day at the school committee meeting that in fact we challenge that as

management derogative and say the teachers or aides who are qualified should get first crack at that job because in fact it is the children that we are supposed to be servicing in the school system. And to me that's the most important thing I think there is precedent for it because of the ruling a few weeks ago with regard to the BTA and I have asked council to look into it very closely because in fact those children are the most of what is the nicest. Thank you. OK Bob Your next question goes to Mrs. Walsh on the scene. This is the last on the scene and you said in this interview at the 2010 Mandela School but it seems to be adequate to meet the needs of the school system. I think you are the only one that agrees with that. I think just what anyone else disagrees Why do you feel it's adequate. While I think that I had an opportunity to work with the parents in the District 6 where I was working with the seatback and we went over the budget and we found many areas that could be cut back. We felt that the millions of dollars that were spent

to send the children to special need programs out of the city the schools that we have closed. We could reopen some of them and we hire some of those special needs teachers to work with these children and save that kind of money. We have empty buses riding around the city. And I think that if we renegotiate the transportation contract we can save money in that area. Take a look at downtown. Many of the administrators there are provided with carts. Parents never provided with any transportation. They get 14 cents a mile to use their car. Why can administrators use your own cars and get to 14 cents a mile. And that would be enough savings. Thank you. Thank you very much. One of the things that really hits hard and I've heard this said time and time again is that the children of the city of Boston have become a political football between warring factions. How true do you think that is.

I think perhaps this is partly true because of the fact the way and we have you know watched this and recent months the way sometimes a mayor and a school committee can do battle over the budget to battle in terms of who is going to get the upper hand in one particular situation at the same time the budgetary constraints. As you will seem to affect directly the people who are they supposed to benefit and that is the children. So I think the children really have no voice in this matter had to be considered the global pawns ultimately. OK Bob your question is up next and it goes to Mr. Wright you Mr Auriol. Now you finished eighth in the plume and now you're three notches from becoming again the first Hispanic on the bosses who committees. What have you done since the preliminary to get the necessary votes that you know you need to win. Well to begin with before the preliminaries we were well known to most of the city center of this both tonight. After the preliminaries obviously there was curiosity about the first Latino candidate that was able to possibly

not in the city of Boston for its long history. We have been able to go to programs that are for all candidates and we believe that we have been able to make ourselves known to people. I believe that they see it growing in terms of how they mean who will be their elected offices and they are doing it more not so much in terms of name recognition but in turn off what the people offering. If what they are saying is something that is valuable people to do to have in elected office and also they get pretty decent skills and I believe the city is growing into you know how theyre capable to state government does represent the people. I think that we have a good opportunity after the preliminaries simply because. OK thank you Mr. Hilliard next question goes to Mr. Klaas. Miss McCluskey you've been all over the block on your action on the issue of affirmative action. In your view I'd like to really get you down on specifics. Have

minority individuals been this been against in hiring and promotions in the Boston school department. And if so. How should the discrimination be redressed in an era when the school systems and Roman is both nominally nonwhite and decreasing. It's one I don't think I've necessarily been all over the block. My initial vote on the future layoff was in compliance with Judge Perry's order although as any person present at that meeting can tell you I have grave disagreements with a system that punishes white teachers who were not responsible for the injustice. I can't speak of nonwhite teachers been discriminated against and what's to be done in the past. They certainly have. The question is how that redress is given. Whether the the redresses is taking its punishment towards the white teachers who are now on board who have

been laid off. Whether that should be a financial penalty that the city should pay as a whole as the words the judge could have very well ordered the city to provide enough money to allow for a layoff if that did not cause time. So yeah anguish that was caused. This is prime Your next question goes to Mrs. McGuire Mrs. McGuire. What plan would you develop laying off and reassignment of school faculty that will be at least on this route to education. I believe in a zero based budgeting approach where you incorporate management by objective techniques that are modified to fit the needs of a human service agency which is what a school system is. You develop the programs you need. You look and see whether those programs were carried out in full and whether or not the staff that was hired to do it did a good job. The best way to judge whether or not a person should be kept on board is by the job they do not necessarily by seniority or age

or any other group category that we use right now. I think that the needs of the child the voice of the child should be kept because people know that teaching is an intimate kind of operation and you just don't put in new people all the time you try to keep the continuity going. So I would try to be fair keeping in mind that seniority when it was fairly brought about could be kept only if those people do a good job and to the needs of the children are met. Thank you Mr Maguire is really there you next question goes to Mr. O'BRIEN. Why was the high school close when we knew it was just a rock city. And now we have to honor her. These were the staff and policy and planning. Did a very very close survey of all of the schools in the city and it so happens that Roxbury High School was the only high school that was under utilized and was not utilized to full capacity.

Therefore it was felt that in order to come about with a cost saving it would be more cost effective to close the school. Although I voted to close the school I really had some concerns about the fact that all of the children of the students at Roxbury High would have to go to Charleston High. And one of the things that I was informed by implementation was that in fact some of those children are actually high would get an opportunity to go to Madison Park whether or not that came about I'm not sure. Thank you Mr Bob. One question I wanted to ask you based on your experience have you been able to. Have you got any statistics that you can maybe give our viewers that would help them to understand how important the Third World to the black Hispanic you know the minority vote can be or the lack of it could be in a school committee election.

Well I don't have many on hand at the moment but we can look at one particular statistic and that is 1971 the percent of the student population was white in 1981. It's 64 percent minority and that should be a telling factor. I think now that we have a majority minority so to speak school system in Boston I think that speaks to the need for families particularly minority parents to get more involved. I think the fact that there has to be a need for more administrative minority I think at the same time that the white administrator is have to understand the fact that they are dealing with a sort of a different situation than 10 years ago we have to move along. Thank you thank you. OK the next question goes to Tony Hill Tony Hill you addressed it to Mrs. Palin. This is Helen you were quoted to the effect that simply because a black or minority person as a three piece. That he or she is not entitled to disagree

with that but with the proportion of minority students reaching more than 50 percent in the system what proportion do you feel a comfortable level of minority representation within the teacher and administrative ranks of the Boston school department. I don't believe that color has anything to do with education or how well a teacher can conduct her class or what abilities she has or he may have in that instance I don't think college has a thing to do and I think it's ridiculous to place quotas just because students are minorities does not mean that white teachers can not teach them other black teachers cannot teach and I don't believe in quota systems period. I don't believe that there should be any exception made at all. Other things should be a quota for minorities blacks or Hispanics or whatever then maybe you got a little time like 30 seconds.

You were not indicted. Were you innocent. I wasn't indicted so therefore I'm innocent. They don't follow they don't follow it all. I was called Yeah and to the whole I tell you I was never called into the court for any reason. I was subpoenaed by Mr. McDonough as a defense witness to go down to testify as you know the character I was never called down into anything approaching by any legal body. And questioned on any issue at all. They have enough time is up. Would you please address your next question to Mr. Sheen. Yes on Mrs. Sheehan yes or yes of the high school she got correct. Yes or do you feel that the major cutbacks you know in schoolboy sports activities because of publishing two and a half or whatever do you think those cutbacks has seriously damaged the overall quality of education in Boston. Yes I know I do in fact back in the late spring sometime in June I addressed the school committee

representing the Coaches Association as the president the Coaches Association for the preceding five years. I tried to bring out the fact that you know we could maintain a program with three football coaches off at the the larger schools and have J.V. programs to keep the kids off the streets and into a very viable program for $89000. That was just to maintain the program at that level. I didn't even talk about equipment. I think you affect your school system. Any time that you cut back on anything and if you can keep a kid off the street for an extra hour or two hours in the afternoon and direct his energies in the proper way especially something is as nice as athletics and I'm just a patient. I think you help your school system. Thank you very much. OK. This is prime your question will go to Ms Sullivan McKee please.

This is making Do you have a right to teach in the area of expertise in the area. You know the most comfortable. How do you think that is right. Well I mentioned before the idea of going into court and finding out the management for Braga I've been very disturbed that we have for example physics one of our 766 requirements and some of our individualized education plans has called for adaptive physics that in fact the seniority system says that just plain physics teachers can have that job before people who have been trained in special needs I think that is wrong. I think that the people who have been trained are the ones who should do it because again children are harmed. We have the same situation in Taiping where people with a business certification have been allowed to go into typing classes who don't even know how to type. I think that is wrong. Our first consideration should not be seniority. It should be the needs of the children.

Thank you. Thank you Mrs. Sullivan Mickey this is Rivera Your next question goes to Mrs. Wells time seeing me. Yes miss I must say me. After much among the faculty especially in the sticks six years in one year they stick they say just what six you are discreet and sure they stick in my district where I write I live for our work. I think that. Since the layoffs in in the fall I have gone into some of the schools and it seems to me that the percentage of the teachers that are in these buildings are part of the court mandate of more than 20 percent. And I think I see that the children in these these particular schools identify with these these role models and I think that's good. And but I'm just wondering if along the road are we going to have any role models for what we call the new minority in this in the in the school system. Is that going to happen

down the road. Yes. Thank you very much. Bob I'd like to pick up on Mrs. Pell Dino's point that she really doesn't believe there's a need for quotas in the school system as far as hiring is concerned. Do you think the public really how much of the public agrees I'm sure some people in the public agrees with you but the history tells us the facts that there's no doubt that there has been a dearth of minorities in the system for years. It had taken the courts for example to increase minority hiring. It had taken pressures it had taken all kinds of legal action to increase minorities. So there's no doubt that there is a need for it to have a representative minority workforce within a department and sometimes it will take those quarters to make sure and ensure that there are an adequate number of minorities in the system because it never has been done on the basis of people met it had to be done legally. And so we that makes a case for quotas in the first place.

Ok thanks bye. Mrs. Reeves there we're going to start our next round with you and your question will go to Miss Paula Deen now. I mean I'm sorry to Mr. Rajoub. I also understand the industry. How do you propose this question. Well I think there they question go directly to the question of the program seen the city of Boston I believe that we are not dealing with implication of problems in a way that we can. I believe that the students that go to programs at the Hao the opportunity to develop their skills also in how to develop their own business hope to develop co-parent help to develop corporations so that when they come out of the NRC center it will be able to produce by themself and be foolish or not by themselves and increase the possibilities of economy in their own city. I believe that from programs like Data Processing carpentry business those students who they know how to develop a corporation they can get

together and do that type of thing so we can provide more self functional people more people that are able to develop by themselves and do the type of things that are needed here. We need more people that are productive door society. The book ceased and the two reflects that. Thank you. OK thank you Mr. Ryan is this part of your next question we'll go to Mr. McCluskey and this Democrats. How do you propose to prevent massive disruptive layoffs such as what has taken place during his tenure was a key to preventing those kinds of layoffs I think is the proper educational planning as well as the need to in the future negotiate a budget with the mayor and the City Council so that we no longer have to rely on one simple verbal agreements as was given during fiscal 1980 in fiscal 1981. We were left in a hole you know with those kind of agreements. If we plan properly for the future

we will know what we will need in terms of staffing in terms of program and be able to deliver those programs to the children in the most cost effective way. We're not an employment agency. We're here to teach. Thank you Mr. McCluskey Mr. Hale you next question to Mrs. McGuire please. I'm going to give you a shot back of the first question I asked you because I don't think you had a fair chance to answer it. And in particular I will without assuming anything about your program simply suggest that there are Boston children taking buses to suburban schools and what is it going to take and how long is it going to take for the Boston public schools to be good enough so that there that is no longer necessary. And what would you do as more of the school committee to make that happen. Well first of all my reason for running for the school committee is not necessarily to deny parents access to as many choices as possible public or private.

However I do feel that one I'd like to see some black bus companies own some bus companies for a change in school transportation is something that people who are Hispanic and black have been I want that tax system isn't done about that. But furthermore when parents have a choice between two affective schools private parochial or in the suburbs an ineffective and excellent school in Boston you probably see an end to the demand. However further MECO provides mostly an excellent education for children in the suburbs. That is the children who go out there pay a price. It does provide for white children in the suburbs a chance to deal with the real world and I think that one of the requirements of an excellent education a quality education is that you know how to deal while you're under supervision with children of many backgrounds. Thank you. Would you address your next question to Mr. O'BRIEN. Yes Mr. violent. Do you think at this time or in the very near future

that Judge Garrett he should remove his jurisdiction from the Boston school system. Well my feeling is that he should not at this time primarily because we have not clearly indicated that we are ready to comply with all of the orders of the court. We have in fact been made a number of votes which would in fact at least give indication of hope but I personally don't feel comfortable enough that we have a committee that is willing to fully comply with all the orders of the court. I think that too many people are still subject to a pressure that's that's provided by the opposition to the court. OK thank you Mr. O'Brien. At this point to say one time we're going to go right back to you Mrs. Rivera and would you address your question to Mrs. Pell again oh please.

Now Mrs. Bob you know in the last hour there has been progress in a school in the forum on this occasion I can understand your frustration. We have our progress in the last few years you know creation in Boston. In the form of their segregation increased linguistic minority population and more a special education how do you propose Dante in the progress we have had up to till now. I feel that the state be an eight under seven six six and the state mandates for bilingual education sufficient guidelines for the Boston School Committee. I believe that we have progressed very rapidly without bilingual programs and our special education programs. We were commended for our special needs programs and I believe there has to be a tightening up in the budget process as I stated before. I hope that we will be able to identify students more rapidly in the future and begin to provide them with programs at an early age

and be able to provide some remedial programs and with the diagnostic program that we will be able to bring their services to them early on and get them out of the programs early on. Thank you Mrs. Parlin Your next question goes to is just ok. Well I think we all know that the people out there know that we are happy about what we have to manage and this is you know I like to ask you how do you propose or promote racial harmony between teachers students and parents. Multi Racial heaven. I think that one of the one of the first things that has to be done within the school system is that we have to get more people together. One of the things that I've been advocating of late other than smiling at everybody is that the parents start to come out to the schools and get involved and I think that if we start to get people that get to know the teachers and parents

get to know their kids within the climate and the teachers get to know the kids and the parents I think you're going to see much greater hamma need than has ever going on in the school system before. Yes. Thank you thank you. Mr. Hale your question to Mrs. Sullivan keep missing a key. Why is it then when we listen to Mr. Shannon or Mrs. Palin they know Mr. McCluskey or Mrs. Pryor for that matter. We never hear the notion of marriage discussed when it comes to laying off teachers. And I'd like to know why it is that is taken so long for this concept to even make the table. I think you have if you had been at the original teacher in August when we took the vote to lay off the original 710 teachers I at that point said that I felt that the lamp should be on merit and why it is taken so long to get to it. I don't know. We have fire you know with the spoken man I remember. I will tell you that I fought

during the negotiations to have a performance evaluation put into the contract it's a contractual thing why isn't there. It is there we have started it this year at four times a year the teachers all teachers in the system will be evaluated by the administrators in the system. It is way past time for it to be on its way past time. We have fired in the past 10 years to teachers for incompetence which is not to say that we have a lot of incompetent teachers. We have a few bad apples who have really hurt the system badly. But there's not a principle in the system when you tell you that they will have a time when this is risky to respond. Thank you Mr McKeith thank you and Bob. Yes. Christmas Tenn. Yes MS was on the scene and your husband is a teacher. Invoke it right and winning would you see a conflict perhaps if an issue came up we had to vote on something that involved a vocal like salaries or anything to that effect. Would that be sort of a conflict for you. I can't believe it would be a conflict gets to. Don't hold back on any vocal

program for one person. If his name were to be up in any kind of a contract or anything like that I would not vote on that issue but I don't think that the low get is such a wide spectrum that I shouldn't deny my vote to those kinds of programs. Thank you very much Mrs Walsh Thomas and thank you very much to all the candidates. Bob before we go I'd like to ask you to help me recap some of the key issues raised tonight that I voted should keep in mind. I mean basically first of all talk about it. Seniority and affirmative action I think that still is an issue that's not quite resolved yet. And the thing is that seniority and affirmative action is something that's going to probably go on and on. But it's the kind of thing where that the melding of these two issues I think will help to meld the gap between the issues involving white teachers and black teachers and white ministers and black administrators. So you're optimistic. I

always I'm optimistic. And I think there's another issue that we really haven't really touched on that strongly. I think it concerns the fact that I we really educate our kids to fit the jobs that are open to them today. For example there's a been increasing concern between educators and businessmen are we really preparing our students for the new age of technology just coming into Boston and other cities and I think we haven't we're not I think that's an issue that has to be addressed. We really parent our kids adequately for the future. Do you think the school committee is a mechanism by which they would be open to hearing those can science. I think the school committee has the potential of being the vehicle to which the best ideas to promote cooperation between the educational system and the business community. I think they have the potential I think they have the talent. I think they must have the willpower to do so.

OK Bob thank you very much and I hope everyone will go out and vote because on November 3rd your vote will be the conclusion to tonight's program. I hope the issues and the concerns that we raise this evening have helped you to get a better insight to the coming school committee election. I'd like to thank all the candidates our panelists and of course my co-host Bob Jordan for Bob and myself. Good night. Bye. Please just take it from. Me. It's

you. We know you love the bank. Look at. Me. Quite surprised.

Like. This. Finding. The.

Cause. Of it.