Teacher-hiring Tiff Appears Ended

The month-long debate by the Ann Arbor Board of Education over the legality of recruiting and hiring Negro and male teachers in the public schools appears to be finished - officially at least. Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr. told the trustees last night that, following legal consultation, he considers the school board action of June 26, 1968, "appropriate" and not resulting in "legal or administrative ambiguities." The June 26 action stated that no preferential treatment will be given in the actual hiring of Negro and men teachers, and that hiring wül not be based primarily on race or sex. Such treatment would viólate the State Fair Employment Practices Act. But in the opinión of certain board members and the superintendent, this action does not prevent active recruiting of Negroes and males to "enlarge the pool" of applicants for jobs, providing no preferential treatment is given during the actual hiring process. Westerman told The News today he does not feel the new board policy will impede the progress made recently in the hiring of more Negroes and males. (Negro s t a f f members increased from 27 in 1966-67 to 41 thi's past school year). ' ' O u r past recruitment practices have been designed to give equal opportunity of employment to all," Westerman said. The revised board policy "in my view does not restrict us from continuing with this policy," he added. The policy adopted by the board June 26 reversed a policy adopted three years ago which stated "special efforts" would be made to hire Negro and male teachers. Trustee William C. Godfrey charged on June 12 that this policy was illegal, an opinión supported by Roscoe O .Bonisteel Jr., the board's legal counsel. G o d f r e y apparently still believes active recruiting of Negroes and males is likewise illegal, while some board members do not. This división of opinión was not resolved last night. Rather than get entangled once again in the varying legal interpretations o f recruiting and hiring laws, the board unanimously passed a resolution last night, introduced by Vice President Harold J. Lockett, guaranteeing "equal treatment and education to all" children. Lockett's motion read: "I move that the board reaffirm its position of equal treatment and education to all the children in this school system, regardless of race, color, religión, sex, economie status and considering the existing educational status of each child; and that the administration shall take all steps necessary to facilitate andor implement that goal. by continuing to créate a staff and program designed to insure that goal. . ." Trustee Hazen J. Schumacher Jr. called Lockett's motion the "key" to the entire debate of equal educational opportunity for all children. Earlier in the evening, Dr. Albert H. Wheeler, chairman of the state chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( N A A C P ) , urged the board to "interpret the civil rights laws the way they were written." Wheeler said these laws were passed to "give black people a fair shake," and he charged that Godfrey's argument (that active recruitment and hiring of Negroes is illegal) "distorted the intent of the civil rights laws." Several other memhërs of the audience supported Wheeler 's stand. Teachers' Move Irks Westerman Ann Arbor Education Association President Harold Collins read a statement at the Ann Arbor Board of Education meeting last night on the teachers' views of the status of negotiations between the board and the AAEA - a statement which drew an angry reply from Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr. The statement said in part: "Earlier in the summer, the class advisers, counselors and coaches adopted a "nocontract no-work" position relative to the starting of t h e i r responsibilities i n August prior to the opening of school. They have also given the Negotiating Team Advisory Committee the authority to make the final decisión on this matter. From this position, it appears we have until about Aug. 19 to reach agreement on economie items in the master agreement. "It is becoming increasingly obvious to the association that the Board of Education has not empowered its negotiators to make the compromises necessary for negotiation without returning to the board for approval. As a result, negotiations have been moving at a pace that is far too slow. We note with interest that the Board is planning to appoint a negotiator at tonight's meeting. We hope that he will be given full authority to negotiate. The association would like, in writing, from the president of the board, a statement assuring us that the Board's negotiators have full authority to negotiate and make compromises necessary in negotiating. The foregoing comments are in no way intended to reflect on the sincerity of Dr. Westerman." Westerman said the "snail's pace" of the negotiations was not "quickened" by the two-week absence of two AAEA negotiators from the city early this month. "I am eager to see us arrive at an agreement," the superintendent added, "but I will not be a party to a capitulation." He said he has "as much authorization as is needed" to negotiate for the Board of Education. Since May, Westerman has been chief negotiator for the school board. Ann Arbor High Title Retained Public high-school students in Ann Arbor this year will attend The Ann Arbor High School, Pioneer or Huron división. The Board of Education voted last night to retain the AAHS title for the 1968-69 school year, instead of designating the schools separately as Pioneer High and Huron High. Continuation of The Ann Arbor High School title will avoid any accreditation problems with the North Central Association wnlch may have I resulted from the shorteningl of class time at the high I schools because of the 1 ed doublé shift. f The two separate divisions, I Huron and Pioneer, will be I part of the larger unit of The I Ann Arbor High School. The two schools will tfunction autonomously. Theodore R. Rokicki, newly-appointed principal of Pioneer High, will serve as overall principal responsible for the resolution of problenis relating to the sharing of tie I single facility, Supt. W. Scqtt I Westerman Jr. said. Seniors will gradúate nekt ] June from The Ann Arbir j High School, Huron. or j' eer división, regardless kf whether the new high schold is ready to open for the 1 ter semester. School officials believe that if the labor strikes are settled by the first part of August, Huron High will be able to open by February of 1969. Other Items In Brief The board decided last night take a three-week summer vacation. The next regular meeting of the board will be Aug. 7. It is probable the August meetings will be held in the meeting room of the Ann Arbor Public Library. The library is airconditioned. The Administrative Offices where the board meetings are usually held are not. Tentative plans to air condition the Administrative Offices were postponed at least until the fall yesterday by the trustees. The estimated cost for air-conditioning the board meeting room and the rest of the building ranges from $44,000tO' $49,000. o o The board accepted the ! resignations of six ; al staff members last night. They are Daniel L. Banks, Robert Hunt, Mary Moore, Mrs. Jeanenne Nichols, Mrs. I Judith Werth and Catherine Wollenberg. Two cne-year leaves of absence were approved for Mrs. Grace I S t i e r 1 e and M rs. Janice j Swack. o o The board approved the j