McPerson's Plan On Whites' Ideas Okd By Board

Formal approval was given by the Ann Arbor Board of Education last night to the superintendente recommendations in response to negotiations with white students. Voting against the recommendations were Trustee Ralph Bolhouse, who also voted against the black demands, and Trustee Robert Conn. Bolhouse said, "Once again I find it necessary to vote no on the request and the recommendations regarding them. "I want to make it very clear that I am in favor of the direction of which we are going and that I was very impressed I by the sensibleness and similarity of the I concerns expressed by the groups with I whom we talked. I am sorry that two I groups had to come to us to make ihese I concerns known - it should have been I one group composed of students and I teachers." He continued, "In the discussions we have had it is apparent to me that all sides could identify it's adversary by quoting the comic strip character Pogo, I who says, 'We have met the enemy, and I he is us'. I firmly believe that until we I all get together - the two groups of stuI dents who came to us and other stuI dents, the teachers, and the board - I that any answer we give is an quate answer." . "The situation is grave," said Bolhouse, "the problems are very basic and serious - the solutions we need are indepth, long-term solutions. We do all an injustice by not including those most concerned in the solution." Trustee Conn who said that he feit a more clear definition of the job of "groundsmen" should be made and it should be established whom they would be accountable to. "Groundsmen" w e r e requested in previous black students' demands to insure the safety of all students, and also agreed on by the white students to maintain a safe school. Conn also voiced objection to the request for a smoking lounge saying, "I am a pólice officer and I cannot be a party to anything that is in violation of the law." The white students' recommendations we re: -Fair and equal treatment of all student? should be insured. - Invcstigation of nature and number of all thefts, extortions and assaults in the secondary schools during the last two years. -Steps to insure the safety of all students in the lavatories. - A vocational counselor be employecl by stcond semester. -The budget for industrial arts be adequately increased immediately. -English courses for general students be revised. - A smoking lounge for all students and teachers during their free hour be nutde available. Approval of School Supt. R. Bruce MePhcrson response to these recommendations was made by the board. There was agreement in all areas except the réquest for a vocational counselor, an incroace in the industrial budget, and ' tiov al hiring of English staff. "No additional counselors can be 1 ployed for 1971-72," said McPherson, 'hut the counseling role will be redefincd so that more effective services can J be delivered to students." I Iiegarding the industrial arts budget, I he sai(í each secondary school principal I wiíl have the responsibility of looking af I spocific needs of his building. I McPherson also said that the English I departments of both senior high schoolsl wi!I be asked to develop, with students,! a more appropriate curriculum since nol additiona! staff could be hired to de-l crease class size. -