Pilot program for
teachers approved
Detroit school board mem­
bers Tuesday night tentatively
approved spending $1 million
next year to carry out Supt.
Deborah McGriffs pilot pro­
gram to upgrade teaching skills
and overhaul the districts core
curricul urn. .
McGriff hopes at least 50 of
the system's 248 schools will
volunteer for the experiment,
which she.says will produce in­
creased student achievement in
reading, writing, math and
science. .
Nearly three-fourths of
Detroit high school seniors
passed a basic skills test this
year - the highest level ince
the mid-1980s, according to
results released Tuesday.
The passing rate on the
eighth-grade level test rose
nearly 4 percent - from 65.5
percent 'in 1991-92. The High
School Proficiency Examina­
tion Covers reading, writing and
math.
81 c
Ith r
The force working to
hape Con in ovember
will exp d th influence 0
ci 1 mimriti ,with Bl c in
particular poised to re p record
gains in th Ho e.
Redi tricting, which i in
progre ,could dd bout a
dozen Bl nd at le t-three
Hi panics. At the me time, the
retirement of dozens nior con­
gressmen will open up leader-
hip opportunities for minority
incumbents, mo t of whom rep­
resent fe districts.
Whit 0 moerat
Join ANC
J oIta,.,.. 'I, SoutIa AJtb -
The African National Congre
recently gained its first five
members in South Africa'
white Parliament.
Five members of the liberal
Democratic Party nnounced
tbey had switched allegiance to
the ANC, headed by Nelon
Mandela. They aid they will
retain their Parliament eats as
independents.
The ANC welcomed the five
legislators and said they will
broaden its appeal.
FBI, Black g nt ,
reach agreement
Lawyers for more than 300
Black FBI agents on Tuesday
announced an agreement in
principle with the agency to et­
tIe claims of racial di crimina­
tion.
Under the agreement, which
headed off a potential class-ac­
tion lawsuit by the agen ,the
FBI does not admit to any racial
bias against them. The agency
does agree that "disparities"
exist in some areas of its person­
nel system.
Six Black agents will be
promoted to supervisory posi­
tions and will receive back pay
under the agreement, and
another 80 Black agents will be
given new po itions or special
training.
Black agents will receive
back pay, awards and bonuses
totalling thousands of dollars.
Te t find pro tat.
cancer early
BALnMORB - Simple blood
tests Can yield early clues that a
man is developing pro tate can­
cer, increasing the poten�ial .for
uccessful treatment, ctenu ts
id Tuesday.
Based on the findings, ex­
perts are expected to recom­
mend that doctors test men for·
PSA level annually starting at
age 50 to detect any ignificant
increases from year to year.
Prostate cancer r:I k incteaaes "
with age.
00 violence.
"When you give
ttention, they're not
10 their pee ,"
"Any'd t d n't ve n ult
ho p attention to them' at ri ."
LaPointe aid t although h 'd
Ii e to e more dult voluntee ct
role model ,it' j t not happen­
ing.
"I THI in the 1990s people
re getting involved in themselve
more than ever," LaPointe aid.
By
Dram tic incre in childhood
violence, poverty nd other
childhood well-bein indicato
during the 1 Michigan
39th out of 50 te and th Di triet
of Colurnbi , well belo national
figure nd drop from 37th rankin
in 1991.
And although teen violence
throughout the nation nd e pccially
in Michig n i a rapidly growing
problem, Detroit rea nd tate offi­
cia ay the w y to olve it really
rest at the community level.
Rep. Lynn Owen, D-M ybee,
Source: The Center for the Study of Social Policy
H rolnmaker
acom ack
greed that much of the teen violence
problems tem from lac of adult
interaction in tee 'live and that
solvin t t problem m t, rt on
the community level.
"It' hard to legislate morality,"
Owen id.
Rep. Sharon Gire, D-Mt.
Clemens, aid that there are ap­
propriate role for the government
nd community-b ed programs but
it ultimately goe back to edu tion
t nearly ge.
"WH T WE NOW i th t
there arc a lot of different way to
treat delinquency, and community
programs are j t as effective
locking them up in jail," aid Gire,
the chair of the House Social Ser­
vices and Youth Committee.
And community-b cd programs
re le likely 0 train a youth to be a
better criminal as oPPO ed to jail or
juvenile detention centers, Gire said.
The national juvenile custody
rate, teen violent death rate, the per­
cent of children in single-parent
home and the percent of children in
poverty increa ed dramatically
during the 19808, according to Kids
Count Data Book, a 1992 report by
the Center for the Study of Social
Policy.
In Michigan in 1986-1990, the
child poverty rate stood at 19.8 per­
cent of all children, an Incre of 49
percent from 1979. The number of
children living in single-parent
home in 1987-1991 tood at 26.2
percent of all children, a 19 percent
increase from 1980-1984.
The teen violent death rate in
1989 wu 7S deaths per 100,000
teens, an 18 percent increase from
1984. And the juvenile custody rate
in 1989 was 189 per 100,000
juveniles, a 29 percent increase from
1985.
OWEN ALSO A1TRIBUTED
the problem to media, where
children ee images of crime and
violence every day.
"I think we've hardened their
hearts toward this," Owen said.
Robert E. Peterson, director of the
state Office of Drug Control Policy,
agreed that the media playa role by
glamorizing the teen violence prob­
lem.
By BEN SCHMITT
CtIIII N!!r! !tYIo!
TEEN VIOLENT DEATH RATE
This reflects the number of deaths from
homoclde, suicide, and accidents of teens
between the ages of 15 and 19.
From 1984 to 1989.
18% worse
11% worse
01
JUVENILE INCARCERATION RATE
This reflects the number of youths placed in
Public Detention Centers and Public
Training Centers.
From 1979'to 1987.
26% worse
u.s. Michigan
Patrick Sinco/CAPlTAL NEWS SERVICI!
to
MDCR complaint proces
.average under ix month
LANSlNo-Couid the use 'of
· . heroin be making a comeback?
Studie indicate that it may be, the
director for the state Office of Drug
Control Policy said.
Robert E. Peterson said tbe over­
all use of illicit drugs is decreasing
on a national level. The disad­
vantage of this, he aid, is that when
the drug market begins to 'tighten, a
dealer may tum to selling other drugs
to compete with other dealers.
Violence also increases.
"What you'll find is three things,"
he said. "Expanding marke , in­
ere cd competition of markets and
repackaging. "
"Repackaging" does not mean tbe
creation of new drugs. It refers to the
increase in produd� and selling of
a different drug. Heroin, which w
popular in the late 1960s and early
197<B, had given way to the use of
cocaine, but oow heroine is again
starting to be produced in large
amounts.
"WHAT WE'RE FINDING is
tbat South America is producing al­
mo t as much heroin they do
cocaine," Peterson said. "The Asian
triangle is producing record 8Dl:0un!S
of heroin and what' happening IS
that they're moking it and snorting
it instead of hooting it. So I'm very
worried about young kids u ing
heroin because (users) are not hoot­
ing it up, which w an aversion kids
:
LAN No-Progra for adult-
youth inte ction can top th en
v olence nd crime problems in the
Detroit but lac of vol un rs
may tine that effort, aid the direc­
tor of Monroe County youth or­
ganization.
Loretta LaPointe, director of Big
Brothe fBig Si ters of Monroe
County, id he believed that Big
Brothe /Big Sisters giv children a
cbance to avoid pitfalls like dru
Michigan Department of Civil Rights Direc!Or
John Roy Castillo' is projecting that complaint
proce ing will average under six months by ap­
proximately this same time next year.
He said "Lately there's been a lot of discussio� �d
concert about our complaint process. Our top pnonty
is to eliminate the caseload, thereby significantly
reducing the time it takes to resolve a. complaint.
"I agree with most of the concern in our com­
munities for a more efficient process. It is important
that we inform the public of our priorities and the
progress we are making toward our objectives."
Investigators currently resolve complaints in ap­
proximately 1\ months, compared to more than 15
months in 1990 aoo 12.1 in 1991.
CIVIL RIGIITS efforts to resolve complaints
during the first half of fiscal 1992 resulted in cash and
annualized awards of $2.5 million to 506 claimants.
Investigators resolved a total of 2661 cases during the
year.
The total caseload bas been reduced to 5256 or 231
fewer than reported in fIScal 1991. By comparison
the active caseload was 6,706 in flscaI1988, 6,508 in
fiscal 1989, 5,866 in fiscal 1990 and 5,487 in 1991.
Castillo aid, "The Department's efficiency in­
creases with each reduction in the caseload. Our
expectatio of becoming current - by eliminating
the caseload - will soon become a reality."
Fi t-half tatisdcs reveal the Department accepted
2,525 new complaints, with 2,300 or 91 percent alleg­
Ing discrimination in employment. Houatna and
places of publiC accommodation are second, each
accounting for 79 complaints (3.1 percent); educa­
tion, 30 complaints (1.2); law enforcement, 28 (1.1);
and public service, 9 (.4).
CLAIMANTS CITED race as a discriminatory
factor in 880 complaints, 35 percent of the total filed.
Allegations of sex discrimination accounted for 314
complaints (12.4 percent), followed by age, 203 com­
plaints (8 percent); physical handicap, 168(6.7) and
national origin, 113 (4.5).
Blacks filed a total of 1,365 complaints (57.4
percent); Whites, 863 (36.3 percent); Hispanics, 103
(4.3); Native Americans, 13 (.5) aoo Asians, 12 (.5).
Women filed nearly 55 percent of all new complaints.
Also during fiscal 1 92, the Department
eliminated a caseload of approximately 400 requests
for certification from minority-, woman- and hand­
icappcr-owned businesses.
Castillo aid, "This was accomplished by con­
solidating certification staff with the contractual ser­
vices division in Detroit. It centralized management
control and facilitated operations throughout the
state."
Prior to the reorganization, requests for certifica­
tion may have taken up to a year or longer. Today,
requests are proce ed within 60 days, permitting the
timely inclusion of newly certified busln es in af­
firmative, procurement efforts by government or
private industry.
In addition, the Department of Civil Righ bas
reduced its upervisory and managerial taff by 33
percent since fiscal 1990. Castillo id, "Thi has
helped to remove some of the bureaucratic red tape
and, in many instances, hu rea�ted in improved
efficiency. We are making every effort to increase
productivity, while avlng Michigan taxp yers time
and money. It' an initiative that must continue."
violent nd irrespon- •
ible m ge in film and dverti -
ing everyd y, Pete on id. He
cited billbo rd th t urged con­
ume to buy malt liquor to "get her
in th mood quic er."
Gire aid he thought the th w y
to deal with crime and violence i
preventative program that
strengthen families beca e violence
often com from problems in th
home like child bend broken
families.
"VIOL C I the end product
in a series of bad Ufe experiences,"
Gire aid. "We need to get at the e
cause ."
However, with 0 many children
living in Ingle-parent famili and
having little or no contact with adult
role model , getting to those cause
can be difficult.
Peterson agreed that the only
olution is at the community level
with more education and waren
He targeted college studen and
other adults get involved and ct
role models for the e children in
programs such Big Brothers/Big
Sisters.
. "The lack of adult involvement in
their live is a big factor," Peterson
aid. Without thi involvement,
children tum to drugs and violence.
Gire agreed that such adult role
model and mentor programs can be
very helpful and said she was ple ed
to see them in the communiti .
PETERSON SAID THAT the
government also to support
chool programs that train teachers
and other adults to act counselors
for troubled tee because only 4
percent will turn to teachers for
guidance, w�le 31 percent tum to
friends.
"Communities need to hold us ac­
countable in the government," Peter­
son said. "We have no idea whether
these programs are effective."
He suggested that people par- ·
ticipate in and investigate such •
. programs on the local level to see if
they really work.
had years ago."
Johnnie Granado , special agent
for the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Agency (DBA) in Detroit, said the
agency isn't worried about increased
heroin use for younger kids yet, but
. there is more concern about older
people.
"We're bracing ourselv for 8
heroin increase with traditional users
and mokers," he said. "There has
been an evident increase in
availability and purity in Detroit."
At the end of 1991, the street­
level purity for 'a gram of heroin in
Detroit was registered at 22 percent,
the highest percentage in the United
States, according to Grandados.
Richard Calkins is in charge of
evaluation and data services for the
State Center for Substance Abuse in
Lansing. He agreed that there is
potential for an incre in heroin use
but isn't concerned yet from a data
standpoint.
"WE KNOW it' being produced
more in other countries, but it hasn't
hit the treets harder yet," be id.
"We haven't found more youths
iog heroin, but we are keeping a
'clo watch for it."
Peterson said he believe com­
muni ty awaren is a trong weapon
in fighting potential problem uch
repackaging and vtotence,
"Our goal is to incre the level
of community and family involve­
ment with drug control, he aid.
