_I
•
I I, .
�
e ea c fin olBlac
is anlc teachersln
Bloomingda e· sc�Jool�
By 0 .
In pur letter eoluma, Rosa
Lee Watkins stated that, "It has
been my impression for many
years that a severe shortage or
total lack of Black role models in
Bloomingdale Schools hurt
morale among Black students
and fueled disciplinary
problems."
Ms. Watkins asked the
Michigan Citizen to research the
racial composition of the
Bloomingdale school district
staff. _
According to Nancy Wing,
department specialist for the
Michigan Board of Education,
there were no BI ck or
Hispanics' on the Bloomingdale
School professional staff this
year. She indicated because of
special procedures in her
department these were prelimi­
nary findings, subject to check­
ing and could conceivablycould
be corrected later. Last years
findings, ho ever, which had
been thoroughly checked were
exactly the �e, she noted.
Wing indicated that the
Black students represented ap­
proxim tely 11.5% of the total .
student population. John Ho e,
superintendant of the
Bloomingdale School District
agreed with these tatistics and
admitted there were DO BI ck
teachers currently there.
"This is not what our 'depart­
ment would recommend," Wmg
'noted. "We believe the school
staff should reflect the r cial
makeup."
Wing's statistics also indi­
cated that there were 6- 7% of
Hispanic students in the school
district, but no Hispanic
teacher.
Ho e indicated that the num­
ber of Hispanic students Ouc­
tuates during the year, because .
many of them are invohcd in
migrant labor during the fruit
growing season. He indicated
there were Hispanics in the in­
termediate school district, in­
volved in voca 'onal and techni­
cal education, sPecial education
and migrant education.
The Michigan Board of
Education r�::!� oot provide ra­
�icU statistics on nonprofessional
I I
workers, such as secretaries, bus
drivers, cooks, maintanence and
janatorial people. Hoke stated
that there were Black bus .
drivers, cu todians and
te cher's aides, though he did
not give an exact amount.
Hoke denied that these racial
st tistics were caused by dis­
cnmination on the part of the
administration.
"There is not any public
school system that I know of
which is in the discrimination
business," he stated. I
He added that there had been
Black teachers in the school sys- .
tem within the last IS years, but
many of them left before be
came to t e Bloomingdale '­
triet and he did not know their
reasons for leaving. The only one
who left, while he was there, he
stated, h d to move, because her
husband transferred to a
positio in different tate.
Hoke noted the
. Bloomingdale schools bad little"
chance t� hire employees" be-
,
I I
cause there were "not an awful
lot of openings." in the past few
years and the school had been -
laying people off.
When openings occured, the
school did "entertain all applica­
tions." He stated BI�k ap­
plicants did not apply. HOke did
not, however, indicate there
were any affirmative action
programs to seek out minority
applicants.
At least part of the reason for .
Watkin's letter raWng this issue
was concern over an act of dis­
cipline directed against her
grandson and her view that
�re ... seems to be less severe
pun\shment of white students'
misbehavior than when Black
students get involved."
Hoke denied this, noting that
of the 13 students expelled in the
recent passed "9 were Caucasian �
and 4 re BI ck."
Statistically, this would mean
30% f til expelled are Black
while Blacks comprise 11.5% of
the student population ..
Woolfork previously served as a
enior manufacturing engineer
for the General Motors Com- ,
pany. He is pre ident of the
Saginaw Board of Education.
Woolfork was nominated for
NAFEO's 1988 Distinguished
Alumni Award by North
Carolina A&T State University.
Dr. Vance is a graduate of
Lincoln University in Jefferson
City, (MO) with advanced
degrees from Michigan State
and Wayne State Universities.
Born in Detroit, he served as
Facilitator of Staff Development
and Director of School Service
and Te cher Corps Recruit­
ment at W yne State University.
She was nominated for
NAFEO's, 1988 Distinguished
Alumni Award by Lincoln
University (MO).
Two 1 ichlgan citizen receive
AFE'O honor
WASHINGTON - James W.
Woolfork, General Motors
Company Superintendent, and
Dr. Barbara A. Vance, Detroit
Public School teacher, are two
of the 100 or more outstanding
graduates of historically Black
colleges and universities
(HBCUs) being honored as Dis­
tinguished Alumni at the 13th
N tional Conference on Blacks
in Higher Education, March 23-
27, at the Washington Hilto
Hotel.
The conference is sponsore
by the N ational Association for
Equal Opportunity in Higher
Education (NAFEO).
AU honorees are nominate
by their alumni institutions for
making significant contributions
to the America society.
Woolfollc is GMC Manufac­
turing Superintendent in
Saginaw, Michigan. Born in
Gastonia, North Carolina, he
graduated from North Carolina
A&T state Univer ity and
Michigan State Univer ity
Publlclnv
to Y Open
-House
demonstrations of gymnastics,
karate, swimming, handball,
racquetball, and weightliftiDg.
Member of the Board of
Directors and the Junior
Leader Club will rve tour
HIGHLAND PAR - The guides. Refreshments will alao
Northside Family YMCA 10- be served.
cared at 13220 Wpodw rd MembersoftheOpenHo
Avenue, has planed busy Planning' Committee �e: Dr.
program for the Sr' 8 and, Charle �reen, D�trolt Board
Summer for youn people, of Education Offiaal; Mrs. Lee
families andindividualmeJiand Clowney, President of the
women: 0 Beresford Block Club, High-
, Prince E. Holliday, Chair- I land Park; Perrin Emanuel -
man of �he Board of the: Northside Family YMCA
Nort ide Family YMO!\, an- Board Member; Audrean Wil- •
nounces that the publid � in- Iiams, Northside Family CA
vited tovisit the Northside Community Program Director;
Family YMCA on Saturday, John W. Copeland, Northside
April 16 for an "Open House" Family YMCA Executive
program from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Director; Fr� 'Ross, Highland
During the Open House P rk - Councdm�n; Mary E.
there will be an oppo unity to "Thomas, respresenmg Mayor of
tour the facilities w tch Highland Park Martha Scott.
Dr. Gregory T.
I Cesul I ,
j Chiropractic Physician
Fellow, American
�ollege of Chiropractic
Intern/sts
6 Ea Grand
Avenu