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Policy Changes Unlikely State School Boards

Policy Changes Unlikely State School Boards image
Parent Issue
Day
7
Month
November
Year
1970
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
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LANSING - The Democratie sweep of all the state education posts at stake in last Tuesday's election will give a more liberal look to the four boards, but radical policy changes aren 't likely. Some subtle new trends may develop, though, on at least the University of Michigan Board of Regents and the Wayne State University Board of Governors. The new faces at the State Board of Education and the Michigan State University Board of Trustees probably won't make much difference in practices although they may supply some personality fire! works. There also will be more women and more blacks on the boards. Before the election, Democrats had held majorities on the State Board (SBE) and MSU board, while the GOP had an edge among U-M regents and the parties held a 4-4 tie at Wayne State. Democrats, starting Jan. 1, will have majorities on the SBE and MSU and Wayne boards, and a 4-4 tie on the U-M board. Elected to the boards were: SBE- Thomas J. Brennan of Dearb o r n (incumbent), and M r s . Annetta Miller of Huntington Woods; U-M- Paul W. Brown of Petoskey and James L. Waters of Muskegon; Wayne - León H. Atchison of Detroit and Max Pincus of Pleasant Ridge; and MSU- Don Stevens of Okemos, and Mrs. Patricia Carrigan of Ann Arbor. The State Board probably won't react much differently because Brennan, an attorney, and Mrs. Miller, a nurse, are both liberal Democrats who have supported similar causes. One f act t h a t may spark some discussion at the board is that both Brennan and Mrs. Miller have a reputation for being blunt and outspoken. Mrs. Miller was extremely active in antiwar activities and is the first such crusading "dove" to be nominated and elected on a statewide ticket by either party. What might cause some spirited debate between Mrs. Miller and Brennan and other SBE members is her firm antiparochiaid position. Only two other board members, Miss Marilyn Jean Kelly of Detroit and Dr. Charles E. Morton of Detroit, are now on record against parochiaid. Passage of Proposal C, the antiparochiaid amendment to the constitution might seem to remove that issue from the board, but court actions appear likely to bring some questions back to the SBE for administrative decisions next year. At MSU, Chairman Stevens simply will be returning to the board, y but Mrs. Carrigan- also Dr. CaL rigan- will b e c o m e IHë first woman trustee on the board in many years. She is director of research for the Ann Arbor Public Schools and has a reputation as an articúlate, businesslike lady with definite views on many issues. She could thus add some more life to a board already featuring strongIwilled men. j New trends at U-M and Wayne I could be the result of new blacks I on the boards and perhaps more I concern with "eommunicating" with students and the communities I surrounding the two big I ties. Waters, 30, graduated from the I U-M law school just last spring. He is part of a Muskegon law firm, but apparently plans to continue taking some gradúate courses at the university, so he might be counted as at least a partial "student voice" among the regents, as well as being able to talk with the Negro community. He was one of the leaders of last spring's controversial BAM (Black Action Movement) student boycott at U-M. Atchison, the other black elected I to the state education posts, is head of a urban studies program at the University of Detroit, although he will be serving on the Wayne State board. He has had wide political experience as a former administrative aide to U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr., and in many state Democratie campaigns and activities. Both Atchison and the other new Wayne governor, clothing store executive Max Pincus, are known to favor emphasizing the university's role as a Detroit and part i c u 1 a r 1 y inner-city oriented university. In brief, the all-Democratie stamp of the new education boards should mean' some more liberal and youthful outlooks, more concern with keeping in touch with students and surrounding communities, but not any sudden or dramatic shifts. Strategists in both p a r t i e s acknowledge; in fact, that most of the boards probably wouldn't look much different if Republicans had taken most of the seats up for grabs. There probably would have been a few more conservatives, but also some young and black board members among the GOP slate. T h i s year's election simply seems to confirm the usual tendency in Michigan for the state education races to be decided not as femuch by personalities and issues lof board candidates, but by the Icoattail strength of those higher lup on their tickets.

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