Forsythe's Classes Resume

Classes at Forsythe Junior High School resumed normally this morning after being canceled yesterday for what turned out to be a series of heated discussions attended by parents, faculty members and administrators. To the surprise of some 400 parents of students at Forsythe and Principal William Rude, suspended teacher Rebecca Vanderhprst appeared unexpectedly last night ai a meeting that was supposedly planned to complete planning for a Black History Week and to discuss curriculum. Miss ; Vanderhorst, who said she was called by some of her black students attending the meeting, came to the school aiter being told she was under aTscussion by the group. She was also Sínformed that there was nb'.one f rom f the teachers union, the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA), representing her there. The meeting revolved around suspension with pay of Miss Vanderhorst, who taught unified studies and had volunteered as coördinator of Black History Week at the school. Her suspension followed a Wednesday incident in which about 60 black students milled in the corridors discussing a flyer printed by Miss Vanderhorst which stated that she was being forced to resign as coördinator of their Black History Week. It was incorrectly reported yesterday that Miss Vanderhorst distributed a flyer stating that she was being forced to resign from the school district. Miss Vanderhorst further claimed that she has signed all of the evaluations of her. Because of the confusión that resulted from the flyer which also accused other teachers of expressing opposition to Black History Week and removing signs, some students thought that the entire project had been canceled. "I feel that the only thing I am guilty of is allowing black students to be creative," said Miss Vanderhorst to a stunned audience. "And giving them the right to conduct their own program." She alleged constant harassment from teachers and thé principal regarding the Black History Week and the way in which she was handling it, and said that I she had received little support from the faculty. "Anytime there were problems with black students in the halls pr out of J class," she said, "I was blamed for ït 1 as being part of Black History Week planning." Principal Rude was also accused of vacillating on dates for the program and making up specific rules that seemed to apply only for Miss Vanderhorst. She said he informed her that he was to be notified of any meetings between teachers and groups of students outside classtime at least two weeks in advance, a rule not in existence before Miss Vanderhorst came. The principal made no reply. Earlier in the meeting, before Miss Vanderhorst arrived, parents were told by one faculty member that "as far as I know every black staff member had contribu ted in planning the Black History Week program and that a bi-racial committee had met to assist in the program." The director of personnel administration, James Buntin, said that the meeting was not to resolve a personnel matter and no teacher should be on trial, but specific questions concerning Miss Vanderhorst and other faculty members were still aired before the group. "Why were we called here?" asked several parents both black and white. One black mother said everyone there was just playing games. "It's not just the teachers but all of us - now I understand why our kids act they way that they do." "As black parents we need to get together and find what the heil is going on here at Forsythe. Excuse my profanity but what I said was cool compared to what I hear in these halls from our ehildren," she said. Another parent said that the students didn't créate this problem, the parents shouldn't blame a teacher for the problems. "You can get rid óf this Rebecca Vani derhorst," said one white parent, "but the next one you get may be white." Tensión continued to mount when several white persons stated that they couldn't understand why blacks feit they were not getting the same quality of education as whites or that there was racism in the Ann Arbor school system. Mrs. James Baker told the audience to look at the whole system, not just one personality. Do you have to wait for a crisis before you show any concern, she asked? She also persuaded the f group not to to break up into small discussion groups as requested by the principal, saying that this was a mechanism of control by the administration and doesn't allow input to come back to the entire group. A large number of white parents (next page please) FORSYTHE'S CLASSES RESUME walked out of the meeting when a group I of black students began telling what had happened at the school Wednesday and the pressures they feit had existed concerning Miss Vanderhorst. A member of the audience then commented that "these were the people who will refuse to vote for a millage increase because of the 'black discipline problem' but still refuse to listen for some kind of understanding." Miss Vanderhorst, who received official notice of her suspension by telegram and I registered letter yesterday afternoon, was asked by several parents if she would be willing to return to her position I as teacher and coördinator for the Black I History Week if charges and opposition I were rescinded. She replied that she I wnuld. uaB