AAEA's Enderby Raps Mcpherson

Anne Enderby, wkro is 1 ing her term as Ann Arbor Education Association president, told members Wednesday night that another year of similar upheaval in t h e system cannot result in anything less than apathy or anything more than total conflict. Her remarks were made at the annual membership meeting which formally installed Lawrence Stewart as president of the AAEA. She criticized the central administration for not establishing a better trust and working relationship with teachers. "About a year ago, as I was anticipating this presidency, the teachers in the system were beginning a groundswell of support and contained excitement at the prospect of having a new superintendent. He had begun to visit some schools and to meet with groups. Enthusiasm for the man and his ideas generated across the system from pockTts of people. He really liked kids ; he was turned on to the classroom and to f r e e i n g teachers to use their innovative talents; and he pledged fiscal responsibility," said the AAEA president. "As summer wore on, fiscal responsibility became-the big cry in negotiations. It may never be known who mandited a budget which included no salary increases for those allimportant classroom teachers. In any case, the long struggle j was initiated and the months from September through January ground themselves out, generating, in place of enthusiasm, bitterness and] distrust. Contractual settle-l ment offered the possibilityj for a peace time relationshipj which would build trust on thel basis of cooperative effort. Itl would take time, but it couldl be done. It wasn't done. "All of the people in thel system are suffering for itsl not being done, from thel superintendent to the studentsl and including everyone in be-l .tween. 1 "The question of process isl Ik e y in understanding thel Isituation. The superintendent] Isaid long ago that he thrives Ion conflict. His modus operanIdi is to effect change through Iconfrontation. He believes that Ithe real issues surface through Ithese mechanisms. His proIcesses, or lack of process, Ihave indicated repeatedly that ■his statements in this area jare not mere rhetoric. He beIlieves the philosophy and acts laccordingly. "To the people who live in Ithe system such a style of opleration is threatening. It crsates chaos, fear, confusión, and suspicion. It leads people I in the direction of preparing to cope with the latest conflict, rather than directingl their energies to cooperative efforts to change the system and to make it work for the people it serves." AAEA members were given forms to evalúate School Supt. R. Bruce McPherson and results of that survey are expected to be made public at the end of this week.