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PAGE 6—MAY, 1965—SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS
FLORIDA
Federal Agency Notifies State
Board of Compliance Acceptance
MIAMI
lorida was notified officially
April 14 that assurances ol
compliance with the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 by the State Depart
ment of Education had been ac
cepted by the U. S. Office of Edu
cation.
The word was given while Thomas
D. Bailey, state school superintendent,
was attending a Washington confer
ence on compliance.
The decision clears the way for
Florida to receive some $58 million in
federal funds under new and existing
legislation which will be administered
by the state education department.
The certificate of compliance at the
state level was submitted by the State
Board of Education, consisting of
elected Cabinet members. This does
not affect the 67 individual counties
or the public and private colleges and
universities which submitted their own
certificates or programs.
10 of 67 Called Eligible
All of these, according to the state
department’s compliance division, took
some kind of affirmative action. But on
April 29, U.S. Commissioner of Educa
tion Francis Keppel announced that
only 10 of the 67 school systems were
eligible for federal assistance at this
time by having produced satisfactory
evidence of desegregation.
The Washington announcement said
seven Florida systems had submitted
no plans at all, but they were not
identified.
Among those listed as eligible, two
—Dade and Charlotte counties—filed
Form 441 pledging “unconditional com
pliance” with the new Civil Rights
Act.
Seven other counties—Bay, Brevard,
Duval, Escambia, Hillsborough, Leon
and Orange—were listed as eligible
because they are under court-approved
desegregation plans.
Full Approval
Palm Beach County is the only one
to receive full approval for a voluntary
plan that calls for complete desegre
gation as rapidly as possible.
But Florida school officials still were
concerned over Commissioner Kep-
pel’s guidelines calling for desegrega
tion of the first four grades of all
systems by next September and full
desegregation by 1967 in order to
qualify for federal funds.
None of the court-approved plans
now in effect calls for desegregation
at so rapid a pace.
The Palm Beach County plan, ac
cording to a previous statement by
Commissioner Keppel, “provides a
basis for the approval of applications
and for the payment of federal finan
cial assistance at this time.”
To Be Reviewed
The proposal will be reviewed from
time to time, Commissioner Keppel
notified the board, “to determine the
adequacy to accomplish the purpose
of the Act.”
The approved plan was made public
in all details for the first time on
April 23.
It consists of a four-step program
to be completed by the fall of 1968.
Its main features are:
• Desegregation by boundaries of all
elementary schools this fall. The net
effect will be to place Negro pupils
in 20 schools now all-white.
• Permitting each junior and senior
high-school student “free choice” of
attending the school nearest his home.
• Desegregation of grades seven and
10 by boundaries in the fall of 1966,
grades eight and 11 in 1967 and grade
12 in 1968.
Four “pocket” schools serving groups
of a single race will be eliminated this
fall as too small to support a quality
curriculum.
Supt. Robert Fulton said the plan
is based on “what is good for the edu
cation of our children, not on political
considerations.”
Desegregation
of teaching staffs
will begin next
fall. “There will
be desegregated
staffs in every
school that has
desegregated clas
ses,” said the
superintendent.
Teachers in
schools to be
closed will have
first priority on vacancies as they occur
without regard to race.
In a statement to the people of Palrq
Beach County, Supt. Fulton said:
“Our free American way of life
does not guarantee equality for all
because we are not all made alike.
“However, following recommenda
tions of Thomas Jefferson, our way
of life does seek to offer all Americans
equal opportunities under the law.
That’s something quite different.
“In Palm Beach County all God’s
children will be given equal oppor
tunities for a good education to pre
pare them to walk down the paths
to their tomorrows.
“Some will be equal to it, some
won’t. Some will take the opportuni
ties and others won’t. But all, regard
less of color, creed or nationality,
will have an equal opportunity.”
Fulton said the school board antici
pated problems but hoped that the
change would take place “smoothly,
quietly and with dignity.”
★ ★ ★
Disaster Relief Reported
Withheld Under Rights Law
School officials of Suwannee County
(Live Oak) in north central Florida
have complained that federal agencies
are putting them and their schools “in
double jeopardy” by withholding dis
aster relief funds under the Civil
Rights Act.
School Supt. Henry Folsom said that
$174,000 in federal aid promised to re
place Suwannee County High School,
seriously damaged in a flood during
Hurricane Dora last year, was being
held up pending approval of desegre
gation policies.
The county advertised for bids on
the building with assurance, Folsom
said, that the money would be avail
able. When it was not, the low bid
was rejected.
This, said Folsom, “is like coming
up to a drowning man and saying, ‘If
you promise to do so and so, I’ll
throw you this rope.’”
Contacted Lesser
Folsom contacted Alan Lesser, as
sistant commissioner of education,
to point out that a desegregation plan
was officially adopted by the Suwan
nee Couny school board last Septem
ber.
When a flash flood created serious
damage in the Live Oak area early in
September, President Johnson visited
the county and in a public address
promised to rush all possible public
aid.
Funds were made available immed
iately to repair streets and other public
works. Money to rebuild the damaged
school was held up until engineering
estimates could be made.
Suwannee County, in view of the
emergency need for school facilities,
requested a grant in lieu of funds for
repair. The formal application was ap
proved on Nov. 19, 1964, by the
regional Office of Emergency Planning.
NAACP Action Reported
School board officials declared that
the NAACP, at a meeting in Tallahas
see, questioned the use of federal
funds for Suwannee schools unless de
segregation was accomplished. Shortly
thereafter, the officials said, they were
notified that the disaster aid funds
Pinellas County (St. Petersburg)
will open its next school year with a
totally unsegregated system both as to
pupils and teachers, Supt. Floyd Chris
tian announced on April 5.
“Insofar as can be determined, this
will be the first such situation in Flor
ida,” Christian said.
The change, the superintendent said,
may result in some loss of jobs by
Negroes. However, efforts are being
made to upgrade the quality of teach
ing at all levels, Christian said.
Examination Scores
As one example of the situation, only
nine of the 60 teachers applying for
administrative and supervisory posi
tions were Negroes. National Teacher
Examination scores for these ranged
from 508 to 543 while scores for white
teachers ranged from 508 to 543 while
would not be forthcoming unless a
desegregaion plan was adopted.
This, said the Suwannee officials,
ignored the action taken by them two
months previously.
Folsom said several requests for
specific information have been ignored.
Rep. Don Fuqua of Altha, who
represents this district in Congress, has
sought unsuccessfully to get the dis
aster funds released.
★ ★ ★
Fort Lauderdale Negroes
Report Dissatisfaction
Negro leaders notified the Broward
County (Fort Lauderdale) school board
on April 27 that they were dissatisfied
with the progress made in desegrega
tion. The school system began de
segregation voluntarily in 1962.
In a discussion that was described
by some in attendance as “vigorous,”
local representatives of the NAACP
presented a series of questions to
School Supt. Myron L. Ashmore. These
included:
• Why isn’t the faculty of a single
county school desegregated?
• Why is only one Negro in a county
administrative post?
• Why does the school board con
tinue to use school districts which
gerrymander students of different
races to different schools?
• Doesn’t the present school transfer
policy preserve segregation in most
areas?
• What is planned to further de
segregation in the coming year?
In a general reply to these questions,
Ashmore replied: “We are moving as
far and as fast as we dare to move
and still have the respect of both
races.”
Broward County obtained court ap
proval of a desegregation plan in 1962
and has since followed it faithfully,
Ashmore said. There have been no
previous complaints.
Says More Steps Planned
A number of additional steps are
planned in the immediate future, the
superintendent said. These include:
• Elimination of one Negro ele
mentary school and reassignment of
all its pupils to nearby white schools.
• Modification of boundary lines of
several other schools, resulting in in
creased desegregation.
• Appointment of a Negro high-
school principal to an administrative
post to help co-ordinate the federal aid
program.
NAACP spokesmen were not entirely
reassured. Louis Benton, head of the
NAACP education committee, de
scribed some of these steps as “token.”
Calls for More Jobs
“We are not accepting nor are we
seeking tokenism,” said Alcee Hastings,
NAACP attorney. “Don’t give us just
one administrative position. Give us a
number.”
Supt. Ashmore replied: “I will not
be blackmailed for federal help. I will
not do something willingly to throw
Broward County into a turmoil like
the areas where wholesale integration
was tried.”
The school board is no longer guided
by racial criteria, the superintendent
said. “All youngsters have the same
civil rights. Any policy that favors one
race over another is wrong. We are
making progress.”
scores for white teachers ranged from
503 to 730.
“As Pinellas County has steadily
moved toward integration of facilities
and schools,” said Christian, “the Ne
groes have been aware that this would
necessarily work against many of
them. Those who have been involved,
however, have felt and insisted that
full desegregation was well worth the
temporary setback they would en
counter.”
Intensive in-service workshops and
encouragement to upgrade training
will reduce the effect, the statement
said.
★ ★ ★
The Elementary Principals’ Depart
ment of the National Education As
sociation, in annual session in Miami
Beach April 28, called on all state and
St. Petersburg Announces
FULTON
Florida Highlights
Florida was notified that its certi
ficate of compliance with the Civil
Rights Act at the state level had
been accepted by the federal gov
ernment. Ten school systems of the
67 in the state had been declared
eligible for federal assistance.
Suwannee County school officials
complained they were in “double
jeopardy” of losing federal funds
after a grant to repair a school de
stroyed by Hurricane Dora was held
up.
Desegregation plans in several
counties, including some with estab
lished programs, were sharply ques
tioned by local Negro groups.
Palm Beach and Dade counties
appointed Negro educators to policy,
making posts.
Economic pressures as well as
civil rights legislation are reducing
the number of separate junior col-
leges for Negroes and may eliminate
them entirely.
The Elementary Principals’ De-
partment of the National Education
Association, meeting in Miami Beach
asked all local affiliates to remove
racial barriers.
For the first time in six years, the
Florida Legislature passed a resolu-
tion on school desegregation. It
asked that control be returned to the
states.
When no agreement was reached, the
superintendent proposed a series of
meetings to discuss the situation. They
will begin in May.
★ ★ ★
NAACP Counsel Says Plan
For Speedup Acceptable
An NAACP attorney from New York
City who has been working with Negro
leaders in Monroe County (Key West)
announced on April 5 he had found a
school board plan to speed up de
segregation “generally acceptable.”
“There are only a few technical
points to be cleared up,” said Leroy
Clark of the national NAACP staff.
“We are very much impressed with
the sincerity of the school board and
of Supt. Harold Campbell.”
Clark said the remaining questions
concerned employment of Negro teach
ers and the concentration of Negroes
in atttendance areas.
To Close Negro Schools
The school board has announced all
predominantly Negro schools will be
closed. The students are to be trans
ferred to the nearest white schools.
Monroe County began voluntary de
segregation in 1963 under a plan ap
proved by officials of the Department
of Justice. Federal officials threatened
to withdraw funds to the school sys
tem, which serves a large number of
children from Navy installations, un
less segregation was ended.
Further steps were taken in 1964,
again with federal approval, and the
Monroe school board announced the
system was “fully desegregated.”
A suit demanding further speed was
filed last year and has remained ac
tive despite repudiation by two persons
whose names appeared as plaintiffs.
The question of withdrawing this suit
is still under discussion.
★ ★ ★
Miami Official Seeks
Biracial Faculties
For All Schools
A plan to have some desegregation
of teachers at every school in the
county is being promoted by Dr. Joe
Hall, Dade County (Miami) school
superintendent.
At a meeting of principals April 19
to discuss plans for the coming year,
Dr. Hall said he would like to have
at least one Negro teacher at every
predominantly white school and at
least one white teacher at every pre
dominantly Negro school.
The superintendent asked each prin
cipal to “make a special effort to em-
Total Plan
local affiliates to drop racial bars to
membership.
The proposal was debated with some
heat in preliminary sessions. Both
white and Negro groups representing
Georgia opposed a suggestion that a
mandatory time limit of July 1, 1966,
be set.
“If we try to force them we might
lose some ground,” said Frederick D.
Brown, head of the Georgia Negro
delegation. Leland C. Thomas, presi
dent of the white group from that
state, said it would be unwise to insist
on a time limit
Other Southern delegations supported
that view.
On final passage, the resolution was
adopted easily on a voice vote. But the
time-limit amendment proposed by a
local group from Minneapolis, Minn.,
was defeated in a show-down roll call.
ploy at least one person of each race
not predominant at your school.
“I do believe we should give special
attention to this point,” Dr. Hall con
tinued. “It will be a step forward if as
many schools as possible can do so
by next year.”
Under Dade’s system, principals
recommend teachers for appointment
to their faculties.
Suggests Guidelines
Dr. Hall suggested two guidelines for
the recruitment and assignment of
teachers and other personnel. “We shall
employ the best
person regardless
of race,” he said.
“We shall employ
without respect to
race.”
Dr. Hall told
the principals: “If
you trade teachers
with another
school, don’t trade
your poorest.
Trade your best.
If you all do this
it will work out even.”
The Dade superintendent also an
nounced that Dr. Gilbert L. Porter, for
11 years executive director of the all-
Negro Florida State Teachers Associa
tion, had been appointed district super
intendent of the Dade school system.
It is the highest post in the system
ever held by a Negro and the first time
a Negro has presided at a policy
making level.
Dr. Porter’s appointment followed
several months of interviews to find
Negroes for top-level jobs. The school
board, in a policy decision, asked that
this be done as part of the drive to
remove all racial barriers.
A graduate of Talladega College in
Alabama, Dr. Porter earned his mas
ter’s degree at the University of Mich
igan and his doctorate at Ohio State
University.
Legal Action
Federal Court Holds
Plan for Yero Beach
‘Realistic and Fair
A desegregation plan submitted m
federal court by the Indian Ri ver
County (Vero Beach) school board was
ruled to be “realistic and fair.
The approval by Federal Judge Dav>
W. Dyer on April 19 terminated a su:
filed by Joe Idelette Jr. and Ray®° n
Sharpton in behalf of their chfld^*’'
The plan begins this fall with .
choice” for children in the first, seco
and 12th grades, adding others
year until completion by the 19
term. Judge Dyer said this <corn!3 js
with the constitutional requirem
of deliberate speed.”
“We expect to administer the
fairly and equitably as soon as P
ble,” said School Supt. J. A. ThomP su
★ ★ ★ oft
Plans submitted by Lee County ( _
Myers) and Alachua County (D ,
ville) also have won court app r0 '
The Lee County plan was acc ^
by Judge Joseph Lieb at Tampa^jy
explained to the people of the c ^
on April 23. All first grades ^ igg
desegregated this fall, with succ^
grades added over a five-year &
Spelled out in letters to all Pgyst'
the plan gave an option to near® 5 *
graders. They may enroll at the
school or the nearest school h 1
members of their race are predo (0
The second option was open 0 ^ of
those who applied during the 5.
spring registration beginning
(See 10 DISTRICTS, Page l3)