Michigan baly Eighty-nine Years of Editorial Freedom 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor MI. 48109 Vol. LXXXIX, No. 44-S News Phone: 764-0552 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Schools must deal with Black English U S. DISTRICT Court Judge Charles Joiner 0delivered a monumental decision Thur- sday when he ruled that Ann Arbor Public Schools must recognize the learning difficulties Black English poses to its speakers when taught stan- dard English by instructors who ignore the dialect. His ruling was supported by the testimony of several expert linguists, who said Black English is a legitimate dialect governed by grammatical rules just like standard English. Judge Joiner wisely accepted this idea but did not say the dialect posed a barrier as significant as that of a foreign language. In fact, Judge Joiner deemed that it is the instr- cutor's failure to recognize the dialect which discourages its speakers from learning, thus con- structing a barrier. He ordered the system to come up with a plan to impart ways to identify such speakers to teachers within 30 days. The justness of this decision is apparent both in the equalizing effect it should have on education and the price schools must pay to implement it. Students should no longer be systematically categorized as mentally or emotionally disabled when it is only the dialect they speak which im- pedes their learning. Therefore, learning dif- ficulties which are only compounded over time may be avoided or overcome altogether while still surmountable. While the true effects of the ruling on the school system are not yet clear, it seems that they will not be inordinately taxing. Once teachers' awareness is aroused, they should not have to be periodically refreshed on the signals of this type of speech. Since Joiner did not decree that special classes or books be set aside for these children, the schools should not have to devote extensive funds to abide by the decision. The school board's attorney, John Weaver, said he was confused by the ruling, because it seemed to direct the schools to overcome a barrier whose existence was denied. Weaver indicated he might appeal the decision on that basis. When examined logically, the ruling makes perfect sense: studen- ts' learning opportunities should not change with their cultural background. It is hoped that the schools will examine the situation carefully, and devise a prudent and fair plan to erase past educational inequities. Fulfillment of rulings such as this one at last may bring the realization of the phrase "equal oppor- tunity". ^_.___ P T.. _ .. . ---oz. _ _ __-.... ..-. - . . Black English N A DECISION hailed as "monumental" and likened to Brown vs. Board of Education, U.S. District Judge Charles' Joiner ruled Thursday that students are educated inadequately when instructors fail to consider "home language" in teaching standard English. The case stems from charges made by attorneys for 11 children from Ann Arbor's Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School. The attorneys claimed that because the children, who live in an all- black low-income housing project in Ann Arbor, speak Black English, teachers erroneously labelled them as having emotional or learning disabilities. Judge Joiner's ruling followed three weeks of testimony from language exper- ts, including University English Prof. Daniel Fader. JUDGE JOINER has given the Ann Arbor School District 30 days to devise a plan to identify children who speak black dialect and use that information in teaching standard English. The federal judge also ruled that the school district had followed procedures required by law in classifying the 11 plaintiff children as emotionally or lear- ning disabled. John Weaver, attorney for the Ann Arbor schools, called the ruling "confusing. . . we have won many battles but lost the war." IN HIS OPINION, Judge Joiner said Black English is "not itself a barrier." But when a teacher fails to take it into account, it becomes one. "If a barrier exists because of the language used by the children in this case, it exists not because the teachers and students cannot understand each other but bacuse, in the process of attem- pting to teach the students how to speaktstandardeEnglish, the students are made somehow to feel inferior and are thereby tur- ned off from the learning process," Judge Joiner said. The implications of Judge Joiner's decision for education in the nation are obvious, but the children are the direct benefac- tors. "I hope the decision will show teachers that every kid has something to offer, no "matter how they talk," said a mother of one of the children. Editorials which appear without a byline represent a concensus opinion of the Daily's editorial board. Al other editorials, as well as cartoons, are the opinions of the individuals who submit them. -Z l v 'U'funding IN APPROVING the state bud- get yesterday, the legislature hiked the University's funding level by 9.3 per cent. The Univer- sity submitted a recommended budget in October, asking for an 18 per cent raise. The legislature's decision con- firmed widespread expectations of a substantial tuition boost. On Wednesday, Assistant Vice- President for State Relations Lawrence Fincher said the University would need an eight to 9.5 per cent tuition increase along with the $12.2 million raise from the state just to maintain current service and pay levels. Administrators may also cut the ten per cent proposed in- crease in faculty salaries to close the 8.7 per cent gap between ac- tual and requested ap- propriations, according to Fin- cher. Earlier in the budgetary process, Vice-President for Academic Affairs Harold Shapiro, said some University staff members may have to be laid off if state funding fell far short of the amount needed. However, no layoffs have been mentioned since. A ATA cuts R EVENUE CUTBACKS threaten to pare Dial-a-Ride service sharply. The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) Board is presently con sidering proposals to eliminate all but handicapped and elderly Dial-a-Ride service during the week, and all weekend and evening trips. More than 60 people attended Wednesday night's AATA board meeting to protest pssible cuts. Reduction opponentssclaimed weekend service cuts meant the end, of shopping and socializing for disabled county residents. Out-county Saturday service is beingcontinued on a trialebasis until the end of the summer. At that time the County Com- missioner's Out-County Tran- sportation Policy Committee will make a recommendation to the AATA board. Under the plan the board is considering, fixed route service would be reduced from every 15 minutes to every half hour on the Packard Rd. route, but would maintain 15-minute frequency on the Washtenaw Ave. route. Ac- cording to the proposal, the 22- coach fleet would be increased by two buses and the current five fixed routes would be doubled. 1 --, I V _ .' it( KIM r " y . " 'r " "" ' . q jz.^' ti _. . ,. SPORTS STAFF BillY S. l....... < nL Y i C. ...... - L - .. ... .................. Sports Editor -Executiv, Sports Editor -Managing Sports Editor S c "- i" : t= ~- " 's:#; "". .' X' onng: Ilnkne infly'5v (e1"J , 1979" 1979' . Week-in-review was written by Editor-inChivf Elizabeth Slowik and Editorial Director JudykRak owshy.