Candidates Discuss School Discipline, Finances, Program

The moderator of a forum for school board candidates told his audience last night that as al member of the U n i v e r s i t y faculty he was pleased to con- duet a public forum whichj unlike recent campus disorders,! would be free of "sticks andl stones." Following his lead, the candidates proceeded to keep the verbal brickbats at a generally low level and instead focused constructively on school issues such as student discipline policy, finances and educational pre-gram inadequacies. Serving as moderator of the Miague of Women Voters' CanrdidateT Night sessipn was Herbert W. Hildebrandt, a U-M speech professor and assistant to U-M President Robben W. Fleming. One of the prime concerns at the session, which was attended by approximately 200 youngsters and adults in the auditorium of Huron High School, centered around the bonding and millage proposals on the ballot land where each candidate stood on them. Paul Carrington, N o r m a n Keef er and Charles Good (the lonly incumbent) answered that Ithey favored both proposals, Iwhile Roy Couch, Robert Conn land Dallas Hodgins said they [presently opposed both. Robert Barry was against passing more millage.butl Eavored three of the five sepa-l rate bonding questions. Gerald Gottleib also turned thumbs down on increased millage, but backed the bonding for school construction and renovations. Christopher Burke said yes on the millage, but no on four parts of the bonding. The two women bidding for the three open seats differed in their opinions. Mrs. Patricia Shipman advocated the bonding, but stated that she was Istill uncertain on the millage. Mrs. Harriet Powers gave her approval to the millage and all but one part of the bonding. A question from the audience iwhich may have stung some of the candidates asked how many board meetings each had attended this year. Both Burke and Mrs. Shipman had to lanswer "none," while Barry kind Conn said they had been to lonly one apiece, and Conn's [was prior to this year. Here is a summary of the Imain pointstouchedonbyeach candidate last night: BARRY - Citing finances, discipline and teaching methods as the three most important considerations in the schools, Barry stressed his belief that the system "is doing an excellent job on the top 10 per cent of the students and a rotten I job on the average and belowaverage student." He bemoaned the hih dropout rate in Ann Arbor, which he claimed has been nearly 16 per cent in Huron High School over the past few years. Knocking what he called the "pat solution to all problems of hiring more staff," Barry called for elimination of some non-classroom positions as one way to save money. He did, however, state the need for more counselors. While he supported the present discipline policy, he was critical of the idea of hiring security pólice to protect students from drugs or assaults, and suggested an alternative plan of paid student patrols on a rotating basis. BURKE - Despite telling the audience, "I hope to become part of your problems," Burke explained his reasons for wanting to become a board member, were to "bring respect back] into the schools" and halt "the eating away at our basic foundations" in education. Hecalledfora''total revamping of our educational system," which included stopping the " intimida tion" of students while in school and changing the trend toward placing numerous children in a general curriculum-type program. "We need to stop educating in degrees," he said. CARRINGTON - Emphasizing the great opportunities for "creative change" within the schools today, Carrington endorsed the "individual liberties" of each student and said that a modification of the present discipline policy would be desireable. "The discipline policy is not now completely realistic," he stated. He rapped the "homogenizing process" of the educational system, which he claimed tended to place all students in the same kind of mold. CONN - One of two local law enforcement officers bidding for a seat on the board, Conn urged parental involvement il school áffairs. He_ said that although he did not presently know all the answers to schoo problems, he wanted to help find them. Opposed to the use of pólice n the schools, Conn also mplied that the creation of a ;pecial and separate facility for lisruptive students was jnnecessary. "What this child leeds is a helping hand," he stated. COUCH - Cited drug abuse, which he has studied as a law enfor cement officer, as a major threat to students today. He said that the current discipline policy "has failed the student," and chided the schools for go ing "overboard" on creativity courses in art and music at the expense of a basic education. He also reiterated Conn's stand on the importance of parental involvement. Couch left the session before it had ended without explanation. He had apologized three times during the evening for being "unprepared." GOOD - As a present school board trustee, Good spoke of the effectiveness of programs initiated by the board in the last three years and praised the job done by Supt. W. Scott Westerman, Jr. Hetermedthe millage increase a "prevention measure" for stopping certain student problems before they are allowed to begin in the lower rades. In addition, he said that he bonding proposals were ecessary to ease the overrowded situation now found in ie Ann Arbor system and to liminate many portable classrooms. GOTTLEIB - Unsuccessful n his last attempt to beome a board member, Gotteib called for an end to the ule which p r e ve n t s board members from answering back to public complaints during veekly meetings. He suggested ;he appointment of a formal jody to deal with citizen gripes nstead of letting them go unanswered. He was also critical of the manner by which teachers gain tenure and then "become virtually impossible to fire" if they jre incompetent. He advocate 3. form of financial reward andpunishment for all teachers.! Further, Gottleib indicated hisl support of a vocational school 1 under the Washtenaw Intermediate School District proposal. HODGINS - Making somel subtle and not-so-subtle references to the effectiveness of the present school board, Hodgins charged that the system has become a "bureaucracy" with the board the last to know what is really going on in the schools. He knocked the "law and( rder approach to student I line," claiming it will serve to I lienate even more youngsters. I He also stated that the I r's unions are gradually I ng an inproportionate share of I ie power in dealings with the I oard. KEEFER - Placing strong I mphasis on making teachers I within the system more I etitive and hiring an increased I mount of black teachers, I r asked for a removal of the I absurdities" in the discipline I policy to make it more I tive to the students themselves. He brought up the possibility I of a separate facility to I porarily handle disruptive students away from the normal school setting. Keefer also noted his concern with the environment, stating, "I hope the board will practice what it preaches in terms of ecology." POWERS - Terming many student problems in the area of drugs and violence as "symptoms of boredom and I restlessness," Mrs. P o w ers nevertheless opposed the idea of I pólice guards in the schools. I She claimed that Ann Arborj retains "too many poor teachers who lack dedication but are protected by tenure." She called the junior high school concept "the biggest mow job ever put over on the American public" and said that :hanges must be made for the student at that age level. Mrs. Powers spoke for the idea of special classrooms for disruptive children. SHIPMAN - "The board is playing ostrich with discipline," charged Mrs. Shipman, who cited the need for all disciplinary rules being ejiforced fairly. She urged a school program on drug abuse as a means of decreasing the magnitude of I this problem. Mrs. Shipman also stated that while in school, "we must give the kids a chance to engage in responsible interaction between people." She, too, called for increased parental I involvement. I