{ title: 'The Spectrum (Buffalo, N.Y.) 1955-current, September 10, 1979, Page 28, Image 28', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/np00130006/1979-09-10/ed-1/seq-28/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/np00130006/1979-09-10/ed-1/seq-28.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/np00130006/1979-09-10/ed-1/seq-28/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/np00130006/1979-09-10/ed-1/seq-28/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
Image provided by: University at Buffalo
R Integration... —continued from page 3 — CL it is blacks, not whites, who are bused to integrate the schools. order show that about one-third of the students bused last year in the desegregation program (2629 of 7837) were majority students. Acker claims that the Board’s stated philosophy of a voluntary program is misleading, because he believes the program is not voluntary for blacks. However, Baugh asserted that the Board will continue its emphasis on voluntary integration. One parent of a Bennett High School student charged that the busing of blacks has disrupted the black community and destroyed the students’ sense of belonging to any school after sixth grade. She commented, “The busing of students has spread kids throughout the City and wiped out any potential for parent involvement in the schools.” Critics also charge that QIE is involuntary for 40 percent of the participants, even though iris heralded as a voluntary program by the Board of Education. The busing of blacks to predominantly white schools has lowered attendance in minority neighborhood schools. As a result, these schools have become prime targets for closing. In addition, many of these minority schools have been converted to the accepted magnet schools. Because quotas limit the number of blacks who can attend a magnet school, critics explain that neighborhood schools for black children have decreased. Thus, many blacks are left no alternative but to enroll in QIE—and suffer long bus trips to predominantly white neighborhoods. Same goal The President of the School Board contends that Judge Curtin did rfot throw out QIE, but rather asked the Board to devise a better plan. According to Baugh, this plan could include many portions of the QIE program, however, the Board Will have to deal with those criticisms addressed by Curtin. “If they (the Board) follow Judge Curtin’s guidelines,” noted Acker, “the new program will be acceptable. However, they are fortunate that Curtin hasn’t pressed them yet.” Baugh claimed that the Board and the plaintiffs have the same goal: desegregation, and that they differ only on the procedures for attaining this goal. Acker disputes Baugh’s contention that the Board supports desegregation. He remarked, “If we hadn’t won this suit the Board wouldn’t have done anything. Even with the lawsuit they have done little.” Furthermore, the NAACP President charged that part of the responsibility for the slow pace of desegregation in Buffalo lies with Judge Curtin. According to Acker, Curtin has permitted the Boartd to use strictly voluntary means of desegregation, when it is acknowledged that the voluntary plans have failed. He complained that even after Curtin threw out QIE, the Judge allowed the entrance of 788 new students to the QIE program for this school year. Acker said, “Curtin comes up with orders, but doesn’t enforce them. The Judge has been too lenient for three years.” The court ought to do what is necessary to desegregate the schools, said Acker. “People holler about busing,” he noted, “but the Sweet Home school district (a suburban school district) can’t operate without buses.” He explained that twice as many students are bused in the City schools for non- integration purposes as for integration purposes. “It’s not busing, it’s fear of us (blacks),” he asserted. Daniel Acker laments the slow pace of desegregation in Buffalo. He observed, “The Supreme Court decision on desegregation is over 25 years old. Southern cities have desegregated and forgotten about the issue. Here in Buffalo, we are still fighting the Civil War.” r—— • President of Buffalo’s NAACP Daniel Acker asserts that QIE is “forced busing for blacks.” Acker admonishes the Board to be more creative in using such methods as pairing schools for cross integration, clustering a number of schools for the same purpose, opening educational parts, and increasing the number of magnet schools. Rallying cry In his June 6 ruling, Curtin agreed with the above criticisms of the QIE program. Curtin also found that QIE is too costly and inefficient, and that busing patterns under the QIE program are too complex. This complexity contributes to the inefficiency of the program and creates bus rides that are intolerably long. One final criticism cited by Curtin was that QIE had a poor record of recruiting students from the lower grades. President of the Buffalo Board of Education Florence Baugh, a black woman, disagreed with the Judge’s finding that the burden of desegregation has been placed on the minority child. She asserted, “The plaintiffs have said this often enough that it has become a rallying cry.” It is Baugh’s contention that a larger number of majority children are transported on the City’s yellow buses than are minority children. According to Acker, Baugh's statement is inaccurate. In fact, figures given in Curtin’s June 6 Sunshine House Crisis Intervention Center 106 Winspear Ave. Buffalo , N.Y. 14214 716-831-4046 Open 24 hours every day Emotional, family & drug related problems Problems in living, rape & crisis outreach Referral services All eonfldentlal VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
