Teachers Boost Black Recruitment

The Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA) last night urged the Board of Education to "clarify" its recruitment policy and to "actively encourage black educators to apply for positions on the staff of the Ann Arbor Public Schools." David R. Harrell, president of the AAEA, said the school board on June 26, 1968, "took a major step backward in the area of human relations by abolishing a recruitment and hiring policy which encouraged black professional personnel to apply for positions in he Ann Arbor Public Schools." In 1965, the Board of Education passed a resolution stating that "special efforts" would be made to recruit black teachers and staff to "enlarge the pool" of applicants for staff openings. Last June, former Trustee William C. Godfrey charged that this policy was illegal, since the State Fair Employment Practices Act says it is illegal to 'hire personnel on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age or sex. Godfrey's motion last June, which passed by a 5-2 vote, made it explicit that preferential treatment cannot be given in the actual hiring of black teachers. But it left unclear whether the change would affect recruiting practices of j the school district. Harrell said the AAEA's request is the result of a policy established May 28, 1969, by the association at a general meeting. It states: "We believe that a highly significant part of the educational experience of children in today's society involves cross-racial experiences. Part of that experience should be with minority group members who are educators. We support aggressive efforts to attract minority group members to apply for faculty positions in Ann Arbor." Harrell said the Association "recognizes the restrictions on actual hiring, prescribed by state law." But he said the AAEA feels ''actively encouraging black applicants will have the desired effect on increasing the number of black professionals hired." The AAEA president asked that the matter be put on the agenda for board action "as soon as possible."