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Pre-school v . Prj
on
ichigan faces off
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Capilal News Servic«
lANSING - Effectiveearly
childhood education now, or
correctional services later:
That's the crisis confronting the
futures of Michigan's young dis
advantaged children.
Pre-school vs. Prison is the
dilemma, agreed Gumecindo
Salas, a State Board of Educa
tion member. The board and
many Michigan educators and
legislators agree that to insure
Michigan's future, steps must be
taken.
A 1960s study in Ypsilanti
concluded that children who en
roll in quality pre-school
programs tend to do mcuh bet
ter latter in life that those who
had minimal or no school ex
perience.
The successful children were
self-confident, oompetitve and
college bound, said Salas, an
East Lansing Democrat who is
the director of minority
programs at Michigan State
University. These children set a
positive precedent and proved
that disadvantaged children
could be equally as competent
as other children. These
children became more self-as
sured about themselves and ac
quired higher aspirations, the
study concluded
"How people feel about
themselves is how people will
set goals for themselves," Sales
said
As a result, the state had to
try. to deal with these
individuals' problems ater
through social services or cor
rectional facilities and
programs, he said.
The Ypsflanti study also
found that trying to shape a
child's outlood during the
elementary school stage was al
ready "too late," Salas said
"You really have to impact on
the child at an earlier level," he
said.
Getting parents more in
volved in the actual education
process of their children also
helps the child's develpment a
great deal, he said. Parent invol
vement will be the extra effort
that will achieve the goal set by
the board and the legislators, he
said.
Parental involvement will.
help the program to set
priorities on the local Ievcl,
Moreover, 4-year-old children
are very impressionable and will
follow their parents' positive
State rep. says Blanchard
. ignores ho sing crisis
I
I Stat� Representativ,: Charl!e mend specific government ac-
J. �arnson,Jr. (D-Pon�ac) said tion to increase this housing;
this ek that the growmg hous- - Establish a state fund to
ing crisis in Michigan w� not support local homelessness
adequately addressed In the prevention and assistance
Sta�e of the State message programs;
dehvered by Gov. James J. - Improve public notifica-
Blanchard. tion re uirements for property
"I'm disappointed nd dis- sales;
turbed that the Governor did - Require that a greater
not m�ke a strong and active proportion of federal com
com'!utmcnt t<? th� t�ousands of munity development funds be
low:l.nco.me individuals and directed to the Michigan State
�a�J1Ih�s JO o�,r state. who are Housing Developmen r.
living In housing that IS unsafe, Authority .for home loan
overcr? �ed, yet sti� terri�ly programs;
expe c, Rep. H rns?n said. - Prohibit housing dis-
"The programs outlmed by crimination based on sources of
the Governor are �eared more income; . I
towards moderate mcome per- - Provide for a sliding in
sons - individu.als who may come level scale of property tax
have dollars available to save credits on the state income tax·
towards adequate housing," said and '
Harrison. "Surely, there is a - Create a state community
n�ed for such programs and as- banking corporation and a loan
s1St�n�, however, those per-· reserve fund to provide home
sons WIth th greatest need and loans and other vital banking
who would benefit the most are services to low-and-moderate
those who are currently paying income communities.
excessive proportions of their "Safe and affordable housing
meager income for rent and for all state residents should be
other who can't even afford the a top government priority and
homes they are currently living we need to first develop
in: he said programs which would effec-
Rep. Harrison also outlined tively increase housing options
housing legislation he plans to for the truly needy," Rep. Har-
reintroduce, �ich would: rison said "l hope that the ad- I
- Create the Michigan ministration will help to estab
Housing Policy Co�ion to lish policies and principles that
evaluate the availability of afIor- will create effective public and
dable low-�come and pecial private sector cooperation in
needs housmg and to recom- thi important area.
leads, Salas said
Two support systems will
make the program a statewide
effort, parental support on tb
local levels and money on the
state level, he said. Gov. James
Blanchard ahs made a commit
ment to put money behind the
program, Salas said
Blanchard echoed the
board's philosophy in his State
of the State address.
"We must double our pre
school education program,
moving toward our goal of
reaching every 'at risk' 4-year
old in Michigan in four years," •
Blanchard said. "No investment
is more important for our fu
ture."
The Pre-school Readiness
Enrichment Program is on the
governor's new proposal agen
da. The program began last year
with a $17 mipion budget, which
is expected to double during the
next year.
Salas said the governor's
su pport with financial backing is
an asset to the program, al
though it's up to the Legislature
now to decide on Blanchard's
budget proposal
Community .
support for
. mentor
program
Bernard Spragner, Jr. and
Larry G. Phillips have' en
dowsed the United Generation
Council Business Mentor
Rrogram by vowing (0 give their
s pport during the 1989 calen
·Iar year. The endo.rsement
.came at a recent s eermg com
ittee in which both Spragner
a d Phillips atter,.ted.
S pragner is a studio photog
rapher/commercial artist con
s Itant for Barden Cable Com-
pany and offers .. support and
talents in studio photography to
teen participants,
Phillips is president of the
Young Entrepenuers, Inc. and
he offers his upport by sharing
.his capito invest
ment/economic growth and
development skills to United
Generation Council youth par
ucipants.
The United Generation
Council Business Mentor
Program will be in full swing
M rch 1, 1989. Any youth
wi hin the Metro-Detroit area
be 0 een the ages of 12 to 17 who
ar interested in this program,
please call: (313�1961-2525 ask
fo Mr. Sinclair T. Franklin,
Y uth Director. I
111P A I) OUT
<DF POVERTY'
CAMPAIGN
ETROIT - It started in
M ssachusetts, spread to Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Illinoi . went all
the way south to Louisiana, and
all the way we t to California.
N it hit Michigan.
t's a campaign called "Up
an Out of Pover ."
arian Cr mmer, head of
thd Wayne County Welfare
Ri tis Organization explained
tha social service' grants are
wa below the poverty level and
eve below the subsistence
lev 1.
elfare rights organizations
are passing petitio to get the
gr ts raised abo the level of
po rty.
pie that you can't do so e- his effort, she noted, is sup-
thipg that you've been doing for por ed not only by the Michigan
years .. he said. We fare Rights Organization
�owever, t is month he St ring Commit ee, and the
program was aw rded a gran of Nat onal Welfare ights Unio ,
$1 O,()()() grant in state fu cis she aid, but by co unity 0 -
fro the state Neighborh d ganiza ions, labor unions, yo
Bu Iders Allian program. peo Ie and seniors, churches f
�ile Fraser stat that is every denominatio .
not make u for the mo ey Gr amer no s that even
was lost, he otes that i . people who are fortunate
" w us to pay ur staff and - eno gh to be working at good
d our presen activities." wag s are concerned about thi
The Cass rridor Yo issu .
Advocates s rvices· a - • there brothers and sisters
pro tely 200 oung peopl ,7 are Ilowed to live in poverty,
- 2J.years old their standard of living will not
raser emph izes these e ina ase either." she said.
yo ng people ho aren't in Tp get petititio to pas
tro ble yet." around or further formation
He said, 'VI 're giving - abou the campai write, the
couragement d .support 0 Mi igan Welfare Rights Or
kids who are ryIDg to st Y ganizatio 3901 Avenue,
str ight," .. J ., � • "�� ilr�id),�It, I ':' ,.
Surplus Fooa di tribution set
Distribution of federal
surplus foods for the month
of February will begin at 8
a.m. Thursday, Feb. 23 at
Detroit Neighborhood er
vices Department (NSD)
Centers. NSD reminds
• needy Detroiters that they
must be registered for the
program at an NSp Center
to receive the surplus foods.
To register for surplus
foods, take proof of income
to any of these NSD Centers
in the city: 5031 Grandy,
7737 Kercheval, 8904 W ood
ward, 14631 West Me
ichols, 4100 Third, 3360
Qharlevoix, or 2424 Wes
Grand Boulevard
Surplus foods are dis
tr buted in Detroit on the
f urth Thursday of the
m nth. Handicapped per
sons who are registered rna
a range in advance wit
their NSD Center to pick u
t eir surplus foods afte
F b. 23 if necessary. For in
fo mat ion, call 267-6640.
State may not fill gap from city c
By Ron Seigel
DETROIT - According to its
director, the Cass Cordier
Youth Advocates, a program to
. prevent delinquincyin the Cass
Corridor area, had to cut hack
on counseling, recreation and
athletic services last year, layoff
its staff and become strictly
volunteer. .
. Detroit Mayor Coleman A.
Young vetoed the $200,000
·grant allocated by the City
Council, leaving the program
with only $50,000.
"This was just enoughto pay
for the rent, heat, lights, and in
surance on our building." said
Jim Fraser, the program's direc
tor
Fraser stated, the program
was able to maintain only a drop
in service and a weekly tutoring
program.
"It's hard to explain to young
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