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Strike In Schools Possible

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Parent Issue
Day
7
Month
May
Year
1970
Copyright
Copyright Protected
Rights Held By
Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
OCR Text

The possibility óf a student strike Monday by junior and senior high school pupils from the Ann Arbor public schools was discussed last night at the Ann Arbor Board of Education meeting. Circulars were distributed on the University Diagonal yesterday urging a strike Monday to protest the war in Cambodia and the killings of four Kent State University students three days ago by Ohio National Guardsmen. The leaflets said a strike by public school students would not be a strike against the schools, but against the Cambodia intervention and Kent State slayings. School Supt. W. Scott Westerman Jr. said he did not know how many students were involved in printing the circulars, but he said it does not necessarily represent the views of all Ann Arbor pupils in general. The circulars were not signed. Westerman said all seeondary school principáis have heard "expressions of concern" from the students about the "recent incidents" in the nation - the Cambodian intervention and the "tragic incidents" at Kent State. He said the principáis plan to be "responsive" to these concerns within the context of the school program, and many of them plan assemblies and programs to discuss recent events. Westerman emphasized that all the Ann Arbor principáis are "sensitive" to student feelings on these issues, and hope to be responsive. The superintendent cautioned that any student participating in the strike Monday would be "subject to our regular attendance procedures." On the senior-high level, this means an unexcused abasence, whether or not a parental request is made for an exception. There are no excused absences on the senior-high level. At the junior highs, an excused absence could be granted if written permission is submitted to the school by the parents in advance of Monday. School Trustee Joseph T. A. Lee said he "deplores" thei "unnecessary" killings at Kent State, and urged each board member to "stand up and express our feelings on this." Lee said the students "certainly have a right to express themselves," but he urged them to do it in an "orderly" fashion. Trustee Ronald Bishop said he "strongly endorsed" Lee'sl views.