V ‘-‘ V i i i - a _ - a -' ‘l 4 a-_—-‘mr EEKING ifs AND we LAEN HEP 'F‘ SUPP .THE PROCESS. ‘0 o‘RTzroR’A N. .AV M ,U u.” 0F; 1" FOR THE CITY CENTER . , .WN: H H .D; . ‘ "WILLiAM 11.7.00 é'grgei’. in 1:0; the IS fThes —f—-V' ‘ mmum mm tn NM 31923 01093 0042 1HE$|$ This is to certify that the thesis entitled THE PROCESS OF PLANNING AND SEEKING SUPPORT FOR A HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER FOR THE CITY OF PONTIAC presented by William J. Condon has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for PH . D degree in ME ' \ c' 3* k \M Maior nrofessor 5-91-70 Date 0—169 THE PR( SUP] The Schoo Econstr cting :Jucaticnal 115i? talents a Lildren in the zererxtary schc f: Tenter will _:_‘;vations, e) was classrc ABSTRACT THE PROCESS OF PLANNING AND SEEKING SUPPORT FOR A HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER FOR THE CITY OF PONTIAC By William J. Condon The School District of the City of Pontiac, Michigan is constructing a Human Resources Center. This Center is an educational institution designed to help people develop their talents and human potential throughout their lives. Services and programs in the Center will be carried on for children in their pre—school years, children in their elementary school years, out—of—school youth, and adults. The Center will provide organizational and curricular innovations, extended services of social agencies, facili— ties for pre—school children, and facilities for community civic activities. Based upon the educational park idea, the Center will provide classrooms for up to twenty-three hundred elementary students while replacing a number of out—moded center—city schools. The unique features of the Center are described. The readel planning process final and arch: areview of per: aims, newsp. 12 selected ti iiea of the Gen :11: 3. Jtne , 1 The varic . .C:.El chang‘ "‘7 Citiyem u.( .:r 09 uses Spun “Sallie U “‘Dendices William J. Condon The reader is given a comprehensive analysis of the planning process. The historical course of this educa— tional and architectural innovation is presented through a review of personal interviews, a search of minutes of meetings, newspaper reports and other items of information. IThe selected time period is from the origination of the idea of the Center in early 1965 to the acceptance of the bids in June, 1969. The various portions of the study include a descrip— tion of the problem and the Pontiac community in which the Center is being built, the origination of the idea, the presentation of the program to the community, the coopera— tive development of plans, and the status of the Center at 1 l . the time of the completion of this work. I The study includes a review of the literature on educational innovation and community change with which the actual events are compared. The planning process for edu— cational change and the seeking of support and endorsement from citizens are relevant to many school districts. The findings in this study relating to successes or failures ”fight be used as a partial guide in such planning. An epilogue presents the author's views concerning the degree to which the original objectives are being met. The appendices include letters, charts, plans, and minutes Of meetings that are presented to support the events Itlated in the body of the report. THE P Halli] THE PROCESS OF PLANNING AND SEEKING SUPPORT FOR-A HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER FOR THE CITY OF PONTIAC By William J. Condon A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Administration and Higher Education 1970 Will. - I- G' 9V0 ‘74!" /0' 5 " 74"? Copyright by WILLIAM J. CONDON 1970 I wish to hdd,Dr. Arch hiddtLowry, hdrguidance i‘heChairmar firth criticz 1'1; ' . .__“ he WES net A study , ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my appreciation to Dr. James lbald, Dr. Archibald Shaw, Dr. James Costar and Dr. Sheldon Lowry, members of my doctoral committee for their guidance and help. I am particularly grateful to the Chairman of the committee, Dr. Samuel Moore II, for his critical encouragement and availability when— ever he was needed. A study of this type could not have been completed without the assistance of many people in providing in— formation. I am grateful for all their help. Particular acknowledgement must go to Dr. Dana P. Whitmer, Mr. William Lacy, Mr. Bert VanKoughnett, and Mr. Gerald White of the Pontiac Schools‘ administrative staff. Finally my heartfelt thanks must go to my wife, Joyce, and sons, Bill and Jim, for their patience and understanding while I was completing this task. ii 4—1. !: ACUOHLEDGEMEN'I EST OF APPEND] Rapter :44 - THE COPE Proble 11- FORMATI( SUPPOl - PRESENT The P( Hum. Invol Organ lnv Publi Pro 3' PROM Co " PRESENT CENTE “‘ A LOOK TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . LIST OF APPENDICES . . . . . Chapter I. THE COMMUNITY TO BE SERVED . . Problems in the Service Area . . . II. FORMATION OF AN IDEA — INTEREST AND SUPPORT . . . . . III. PRESENTING THE PROGRAM The Pontiac City Government and the Human Resources Center . . Involvement of Neighborhood Residents Organization for Continued Community Involvement Public and Non- Public Social Service Programs . . . . . . . IV. FROM CONCEPT TO PLANS V. PRESENT STATUS OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER . . - - VI. A LOOK AT THE LITERATURE Change as a Characteristic Characteristics of Communities Power and Policy Power and the Negro Community The Process of Change . . . Innovations in Education Page ii 11 25 86 9A 100 107 113 115 120 134 Chapter VII. SUMMARY EPILOGUE BIBLIOGRAPHY . APPENDICES Chapter VII. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS EPILOGUE BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDICES Page 1114 152 158 161 hpendlx C. Planning Neighbox ( 3 Newspape U 1 . .. brganizz 3 Site P12 FPOEran ChPonol LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix Page A. A City and an Idea . . . . . . . . . 162 B. Letter from Central Elementary . . . . . 165 C. Planning and Recommendations . . . . . 167 D. Neighborhood Involvement . . . . . . . 192 E. Newspaper Coverage . . . . . . . . . 202 F. Organizational Charts . . . . . . . . 22A G. Site Plans . . . . . . . . . . . 228 H. Administrative and Operational Organization . . . . . . . . . . 232 I. Criteria for Selection of Architects . . . 23A J. Programs to be Conducted . . . . . . . 237 K. Chronological Charts . . . . . . . . 252 Pontiac 1' :reater Detroit Pontiac is one :ems of popul: :: be the centl ..ll0.". people The stru zisition as th railroads conn i The region, 11‘ radial tran fl :0 Some Of Jug-tries km 71112. Some ( "W13 Divisi “L1 'iilt. the: ‘;""51‘3!ir.".erit.2 1. .. Demgr .1 lNy‘ , ‘~-by Urn « flote m CHAPTER I THE COMMUNITY TO BE SERVED Pontiac is located on the northern thrust of the greater Detroit Metropolitan region. The area around Pontiac is one of the fastest growing in the nation in terms of population. By the year 2000 Pontiac is expected to be the center of an urban region of one and a half million people.1 The structure of the city itself reflects its position as the center of the region. Highways and railroads connect the center of the city with every part of the region, radiating out from the center. This form of radial transportation into and out of the city has led to some of the city's problems. By long tradition, industries have located along these highways and rail— roads. Some of these industries such as General Motor's Pontiac Division and G. M. Truck are very large. More recently, these radials have attracted strip commercial development.2 lDemographic study done for Pontiac Board of Edu— cation by Urban Design Associates, 1967. See Appendix A. 2Note map on Page 2. rCh'IIA‘ slam, , .llqlllqe .\ .tl... . PONTIAC——TRANSPORTATION, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT EH 1 m r u 1 [13.4 m, T m I {Fl Industry m RailroadsW Commercial ‘ ' Development Central Business Area * while all the essential CI serve as barriei teas from one . some extent, re :ity areas, the snapping center ie'elooment, an :‘cilies into t failies can 11 his radial tre the city. In the pa grit their id! "a n: to m in: we bee an. in Pcnti Sinner form While all of these routes for transportation form the essential circulation routes for the city, they also serve as barriers separating the city's residential areas from one another. This situation has been, to some extent, responsible for the decline of the central city areas, the growth of competition among regional shopping centers, the above mentioned strip commercial development, and the outmigration of middle—income white families into the extending suburbia and exurbia. These families can live in the suburban areas and, because of this radial transportation network, commute to work in the city. In the past, geographic divisions gave neighbor— hoods their identity. School district lines were drawn according to neighborhood patterns. Today, these pat— terns have become patterns of racial and income segre— gation. In Pontiac, Black and Latin American minorities together form approximately thirty—nine per cent of the CitY'S population.l Yet schools in the southern part Of the city are from 90 — 100 per cent non—white, while schools in the remainder of the city are predominately white. The coincidence of poverty with the non—white lNegro population alone constituted thirty per cent according to the figures of Mr. John Perdue, Director of school Community Relations. "ante: and sc that young peop advantaged back The citiz recognize that iation must acl the economic f1 In 1967, the Pontiac Ar thirty-five ci Allowing pass “‘3 believe have hecon the Droble um piece SeE‘ments c achieve tl “int Mile} The 330( the fiI‘St l 9 AUCO DGIT fi-HI.' att a. .J 111C OmE ghettoes and school districts demonstrates the difficulty that young people have in overcoming segregated and dis— advantaged backgrounds.1 The citizens of Pontiac and the city government recognize that the city must be regenerated. Its popu— lation must achieve stability if it is to capitalize on the economic future as a center of this growing region. In 1967, the mayor of the City of Pontiac created the Pontiac Area Planning Council. This committee of thirty—five citizens represents all aspects of the city's life. The Council's organizing preamble contains the following passage: We believe that the problems of our urban centers have become so complex, the importance of solving the problems so urgent, that we can no longer rely upon piece meal, independent action or inaction by segments of our community, public or private, to achieve the level of coordinated developmental plan— ning which is required now. The 2300 student Human Resources Center in Pontiac is the first major project in Pontiac since the Council came into being. Problems in the Service Area In the central part of the city of Pontiac, three separate forces for change are now in operation. These l1960 census-—median Negro family income $A,678—— median income of all families $6,011. Figures gathered for Application for funding under Neighborhood Facilities ACt (see Chapter 5) show thirty-four per cent of families in H.R.C. attendance area below three thousand dollars Yearly income. :reate PPOblems l are: (1) The an the at1 residel (2) A tren< City a1 (3) The re school The following gresently form :‘aese problems There ar iia central-c needing servic are available. it children wh iiaclvement ti lf'izran. (Ex: 122‘» h service “A n », ‘39», and s ‘tfreational I Wm,“ sells, a nd create problems which need to be solved. These forces ,1 are. (l) The expanded needs of people for services, and the attempt by various federal, state, local and private sources to meet these needs have led to a multitude of service programs for area residents. (2) A trend toward economic decay within the center City area. (3) The need of the school system to replace old school buildings in this downtown neighborhood. The following paragraphs treat each of these as they are presently formed and resolutions that might be found to these problems. There are many sources of aid to people who live in a central—city area, but it is difficult for a person needing service to know and use all of the sources which are available. The school district offers some services to children which require a different kind of parental involvement than that needed in the regular instructional program. (Examples of these are psychological services, health services, special education instruction, speech therapy, and school social workers.) The city offers recreational programs, health services, public safety Programs, and court services. The state and county, too, offer programs in ADC and welfare, mental health, health services, and the state courts. The federal government lFrom statement of Pontiac Board of Education on lean Resources Center: "The Condition to be Altered." fliers a multit Health, Educati a the Social 5 inited Fund Age financed throug While ali people, one of selves who neev :onake contac‘ particular casv first must 100 clinical space services that services, or a reliable in t The seco trend for ecor iiin trends he .‘h‘sical deter .J‘~ -. defies, more “Tits with 1( life +-- M NO OI‘ t1 31W serv: We, but t] .. “'1 N la singlv offers a multitude of programs under the Department of Health, Education and Welfare including all the titles of the Social Security Act. The fifty—six Pontiac Area United Fund Agencies and local service club projects, financed through donations, offer many similar services. While all of these services are available to the people, one of the problems is that the residents them- selves who need the services sometimes do not know how to make contact with those that are necessary for their particular case. Any approach to central-city problems first must look at the problem of providing office— clinical space and a method of coordinating the many services that are available to the area residents. These services, or access to these services, would then be available in the local community. The second force in the center-city area is the trend for economic decay within the neighborhood. Cer- tain trends have become evident. There has been a slow, physical deterioration of the neighborhood; deterioration of homes, more renters and absentee landlords, home owners with lower income, and an increased population with two or three families living within a single unit. The city services which are provided are the same as before, but they must provide for a larger population in this single area. These include such things as pllCE pmteCtj There is conSti hoods.1 These ch achanged atti toward the nei sient populati schools. The economic situa and immediate situation like :19 students i find with the liiitei life v -.:SST".‘OfilS aP' police protection, fire protection and trash collection. There is constant mobility in and out of the neighbor- hoods.l A These changes, then, produce a community that has a changed attitude and a changed pattern of behavior toward the neighborhood, the city and the school. Tran- ‘sient populations do not identify with neighborhoods or schools. The time and energy of adults living in this economic situation are spent mostly in meeting the basic and immediate needs of their families. Of course, a situation like this presents educational problems for the students in the neighborhood. The teaching staff is faced with the challenge of working with students with limited life experiences and lower achievement level. Classrooms are over—crowded. Very often the teachers face a negative or apathetic attitude on the part of both parents and students. Transition in the neighbor— hood provides a constant change in student population. All of these trends of economic transition are complicated even further by the preSent civil rights nmvement and the trends in these neighborhoods towards 1In the 1960 census, Pontiac was found to have a stable community——50.2% lived in the same house they lived in, in 1950. This has changed radically in the suceeding 9 years, particularly in the inner city area, where the outward migration of white families to the suburbs has Greatly increased the mobility rate. :nial eransit black and othe coopepation wi medal progra city area migl or to reverse The thi] changed is W Mofmesd we over sixt} as possible' Plans are “1 theoonditiOn rasition th Pontiac saw t sea was P613 .....‘ .hlibecome ieitioned abt insideratiov lire been met ::‘ action th: up a nroblev 333‘s a condit fl.‘ unl" - with 8 social transition. As white families move to the suburbs, black and other minority group families move in. In cooperation with city planners and urban renewal, a special program provided by a school district in a center— city area might be able to take some steps to counteract or to reverse these trends. The third condition that needs to be altered or changed is the condition of the schools in the area. Two of the schools near the center of the City of Pontiac are over sixty years old and are to be replaced as soon as possible. A third school is over forty years old. Plans are being made for its replacement. In observing the conditions to be altered and the trends of economic transition that existed, the School Board of the City of Pontiac saw that if no change was made, the future of the area was relatively certain. The east side of Pontiac would become a low—income, predominately Negro community. If the school district is going to take action to replace or to completely remodel the three schools mentioned above, it would seem logical to take into consideration some of the other community needs that have been mentioned and, if possible, provide a course of action that might assist materially the solution of these problems. The real question raised by all of the above conditions is whether the traditional methods for dealing with the needs of the people, neighborhood ifiéh and rep: the answers f0] lunltl’ of Ponti The lead! Pontiac, and P that action mu problems. In‘ hdindiscuss anal groups ability to th establishment In the f bathe idea c hrthe idea a :22i3, one set were contactet :slo. flext is its school st; Till. Whic] iiiated into 3:13 idea of ‘ Tih’conclud wink --...er\ ~what was. A r “iiionshio an concebt decay, and replacement of schools are going to provide the answers for meeting the future needs of the com- nmnity of Pontiac? - The leaders in the school system of the City of Pontiac, and the people of the City of Pontiac realize that action must be taken to solve these and many other problems. In working together to define the problems and in discussing possible solutions, these two govern— mental groups came to realize a growing sense of respon— sibility to the central-city area which led to the establishment of the Human Resources Center (H.R.C.). In the following chapters the author discusses how the idea came into being, how support was sought for the idea and how the community, school neighbor- hoods, the school district and nearby suburban area were contacted in order to solicit their support, and help. Next is the topic of how planning was done with the school staff, the parents, and leaders in the com— munity. Which ideas were considered, which ones were adapted into the program, and which ones were not (and some idea Of why they were not) are described. The study concludes with a status report of the Human Resources Center-~what has been accomplished at the time of this writing. A final portion of this document describes the relationship of the community—public approach in creating a new concept such as a Human Resources Center to the already under: logical inter: 10 already understood and developed principles of socio— logical interaction and community development.' members t an _. -. .14 ,- 4 C / rho 7|. Pd ...1. CHAPTER II FORMATION OF AN IDEA-INTEREST AND SUPPORT Recognizing the problems of the Pontiac center-city area members of the Pontiac Board of Education and members of the administrative staff of the Pontiac Public Schools were looking to solutions both to the problems of replac- ing the deteriorating schools and to the problems of the people living in the affected areas. In 1965 President of the Pontiac Board, Mr. Monroe Osmun and Superintendent Dr. Dana P. Whitmer were trav— eling to the Atlantic City meeting of the American Assoc— iation of School Administrators.1 As they traveled they were discussing the situation. At this time in the professional literature of school administration there was a great deal of writing on the "educational park" idea. Discussing their problem, Mr. Osmun and Dr. Whitmer decided to look into this. It seemed to them that it might be a solution not only to the school situation, but a way in which the urban area might be made attractive E 1This and the remainder of paragraph reported by Dr. Whitmer in interview on March 18, 1969. ll w its residen became more an. toPontiac the talking to 0th sessions- MemberS evalua'fie plans lished some pr he of these v jHP-fOld: (l: serve, and 601 :itlzens Who 1 who enjoy rid sheators mus to influence ;:sltive atti i-rit‘nin each 9 ‘1‘ expectatio The SCh ..;mlng enVi 12 to its residents. As they talked about the idea, they became more and more sold on it and when they came back to Pontiac they began to talk to people. They began by talking to other members of the school board in executive sessions. Members of the Pontiac School Board, in order to evaluate plans for solving their problems, had estab— lished some principles which they intended to follow.1 One of these was that the ultimate goal of education was two-fold: (l) to produce adult citizens who will respect, serve, and continue our society, (2) to produce adult citizens who realize their potential as individuals and who enjoy rich full lives. In order to accomplish this, educators must attempt a partnership of all persons who influence each youngster, in order to establish a positive attitude toward learning. The idea is to develop within each person who deals with the student a high level of expectation for that student. The schools have a new role in affecting the total learning environment of each student. To enhance the learning environment, schools must attempt to coordinate all services that are designed to improve the life of the people. It is no longer possible for schools to ignore negative forces that affect the life of the —_ 1Statement of Pontiac Board of Education in H.U.D. application for grant to complete H.R.C.-~l968—69. students Just direct respons program must a that affect mo methods and me that will indi that a school~ “Ad that he is Environment. influences We will, become, Discuss: :bflfiby the Eran Resource filled, the a isdthis mig ‘5: In the :3 the Human ." _ "1 . «.etw -Oning. COnsids 13 students Just because they are not academic nor the direct responsibility of the school. A strong academic program must accompany the development of attitudes that affect motivation and the desire to learn. New methods and new technology must be sought continually that will individualize instruction. It is recognized that a school-aged child is influenced by many forces and that he is subjected to all that happens in his environment. Thus the level of life in a community influences what each child is, and what he can, and will, become. Discussing the possibility of solving these pro— blems by the establishment of an educational park or a Human Resources Center, (H.R.C.) as it soon came to be called, the administrators and Board of Education real- ized this might serve as a focal point for activities designed to improve the life chances of citizens of all ages. In the broadest sense, the activities centered in the Human Resources Center should enhance the status Of participants in the areas of economic ability, health, housing, education, community participation and family functioning. Considering efforts to alter the conditions which were described in Chapter I, the Board of Education realized that effort must be directed toward the needs ofpeople ir1 1 :Mectives: (1) Stabii as a < inc1u< integ: (2) ImprO' mater: (D Expan Hmah of co hmnn (I! C) 0 £1. <. O {-1) SD ‘3 (/1 (/2 yo C" * H. Cf t—‘- ’1 (‘3 Q7 (D l-—‘ 3 Cu 14 of people in the service area and they chose six major objectives: (1) Stabilizing a present transient neighborhood as a deterrent to a high future mobility rate, including the question of ethnic and economic integration. (2) Improving the facilities, content, methods and materials of instruction. (3) Expanding the community school concept so the Human Resources Center will become a focal point of community activity for the development of the human resources of the area. (A) Improving in-service training for teachers, especially in regard to working with socially and economically integrated groups of children. (5) Coordinating the services to people that are available through the public school: local, state and federal agencies of government, and social and cultural agencies. (6) Physically renewing an area through the replace- . ment of old schools and the replacement and upgrading of poor housing.1 Research indicates that the basis of educational patterns and the overtones of prejudice are established in children in their early years.2 Studies also show that efforts to improve educational achievement that are limited to dealing with children during the usual school u 1"The Desired Outcome"-—section of H.U.D. applica- tion for grant, see Note Do 9- 2People make other People Important, Bulletin No. 2150, A Human Relations Guide for Classroom Teachers, Michigan Department of Public Instruction, pp. 8—11, 37-38; Noar, Gertrude, The Teacher and Integration, National Education Association, 1966, p. xiTIntroduction). aghave not h relationship h heelementary pnsnnly exis hrespecific tent for the l (1) Enricl progr utili and h techn E.S.E ducte Q)Dwel and 5 adult withi ance OPDOP vocat credi Unive would w PPovi socie year Summe Soh0( extra than dim-N Of a( 15 day have not had much success.1 For these reasons, the relationship between the objective mentioned above and the elementary school program and facilities as they presently exist in Pontiac has been carefully studied. More specific objectives representing desirable achieve- ment for the Human Resources Center were then established.2 (1) Enriching and strengthening of the educational program for children by more effectively utilizing the resources of the school district and implementing instructional methods and techniques that proved to be effective in the E.S.E.A. Title III Self-Concept expegiment con- ducted at Bethune Elementary School. (2) Developing life-long opportunities for education and self-development for out-of—school youth and adults through providing more adequate facilities within the four or five elementary school attend— ance areas for the extended school day. The opportunity to attend classes in basic education, vocational education, retraining, high school credit classes, adult seminars conducted by university personnel, and college credit classes would be provided. (3) Providing for the recreational, cultural and social service needs of children and adults the year round, after school, evenings, weekends and summer, through an extension of the community school concept including specialized programs, extra teaching personnel, additional adminis— trators, community workers, community school directors and facilities to handle these types of activities. 1The Negro Family, Office of Policy Planning and Research, United States Department of Labor (Daniel Moynihan), March, 1965, United States Government Printing Office, pp. 25-27, 30; Noar, op. cit., pp. 62-63. 2See Notes pp. 11 and 12. 3Self concept program patterned after the one made famous by Dr. Sam Shepherd, Banneker District, St. Louis, Missouri. ‘ UH Coordil ment,‘ servicl adviso sented depend , , ; 1 :7 p. L : :12 a) :1 '5 .. (l7 1‘4 3 Cr (1 (D J ,J (J r! {a :3 - t (n 16 (H) Coordinating with the schools and the city govern— (5) (6) (7) (8) ment, the public and private agencies that offer services to the area residents through a combined advisory council of the service agencies repre- sented in the area such as mental health, aid to -dependent children, Oakland County Dental Depart- ment, Oakland County Medical Department, legal aid, family services, and so forth; and to offering a focal point with the community where these agencies could establish substations to move their services closer to the area residents with whom they work. Stimulating community pride and interest which will assist in the development and maintenance of an attractive residential area through a con- centrated educational effort on the part of the schools and service agencies, and physical rehabil— itation of the area through the city government in conjunction with fundable projects under the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Promoting a stable, racially and economically integrated residential area by encouraging people to live in the area in order to have the benefits of the Human Resources Center. Promoting a stable, racially and economically integrated student body in the Pontiac Schools that would represent the present racial and economic composition that exists city—wide. Planning a campus center, arrangement of facil— ities and design of new facilities to adequately house a new educational program and the other services as described above. In their discussions in early 1966, board members and administrators began to see in the idea of a Human Resources Center one method of solving some of the problems of the community and the school system at the same time. The replacement of McConnell School was becoming a very impor_ tant issue in the school neighborhood.l Another option lSee maps; Chapter I and III. racing these an three other so After th the administra 7etruary 28, ] c? the Mott Ir "hilt. Robert idea of 3 Hum; has reviewed ; '.". ‘ "' ’ «3'33 :4, 190‘ _" " " . “‘22P- btat e :iefivary Sk irlCOur l7 facing these men was the necessity of replacing two or- three other schools. After the school board had discussed the idea with the administrators, Dr. Whitmer made an appointment on February 28, 1966 with Mr. William Hawley, then Director of the Mott Institute for Community Improvement, (M.I.C.I.), and Mr. Robert Marsh, also of the M.I.C.I. staff. The idea of a Human Resources Center or community—park plan was reviewed and encouraged. At a later meeting held on March 2M, 1966 these men were joined by Dr. Floyd Reeves of Michigan State University; Dr. John E. Ivey Jr., Dean of the College of Education of Michigan State University; Dr. Ted Ward of Michigan State University; and Mr. Duane Gibson of the Institute for Community Development of Michigan State University. The general consensus was that the educational park idea was sound and that it would be applicable to the McConnell, Wilson and Central Elementary School Areas.l Encouragement was given that the idea should be pursued. The Mott Institute of Community Improvement said that it would be willing to help by bringing in resource people and by making available M.I.C.I. people to come to Pontiac to help plan and meet with local EPOups. Among other conclusions were that there is no 1See map, Chapter III. saezcn which nhesor Effe honot know a h‘strict whicl Emvsuggestev icvelopment o nah and the nanously pr 1econtinued, he; udy and "l3 p- H turvlt, Conn -Ilienhens ' 15h ievej in An: ELj 3 c onf ‘L“7310hal \ 1 See 18 research which can give hard evidence concerning the values or effectiveness of this idea-~in fact, the group did not know at that time of any community or school district which had already implemented the idea.1 Dean Ivey suggested that consideration should be given to the development of community consensus and commitment to the goals and the development of the human resources as previously presented here. The study of these goals, he continued, should have wide citizen involvement, and the study and idea should be initiated by the Mayor and the City Commission. From the study a broad community plan for the development of Pontiac's human resources would be evolved. The plans of the schools would then be a part of the broad plan and the educational park idea would be a part of the schools' plan. The administrative group having received this encouragement, meetings were held with the City Manager and members of the Pontiac City government. There was a high level of interest shown by city officials. On April 26, 1966, Dr. Whitmer, Mr. Osmun, and Mr. Bert VanKoughnett, Director of Community Action Programs for the School District of the City of Pontiac, held a conference with Dr. Harold Gores, President of Educational Facilities Laboratories, (E.F.L.) in New ~__._ 1See Chapter III. on City. 3‘ conference, 14 ionelmma": become a part for three 0°“ members of th leaders and m novere DP' institute 1“ snodoff, A55 to. (3er 331 Kev York- There l sehction of onliminary ‘ nsthe hope iatthe des {hole and C tineet with :rfiitable i hiicated tt idnging sue :hool diStI Tithe fact It has makf .. its fart} 19 York City. Summarizing the elements arising from this conference, it was found that the E.F.L. was interested in the Human Resources Center concept and wanted to become a part of it. They were willing to pay expenses for three consultants to come to Pontiac and meet with members of the school administration, parents, community leaders and members of the city government. These three hen were Dr. David Lewis, of the Carnegie Technical Institute in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Mr. Mitchell Svirdoff, Assistant to the Mayor of New York City; and Mr. Cyril Sargent, associated with the City College of New York. There was also discussion of the desirability of selection of an outstanding architectural firm to do the preliminary design for the Human Resources Center. It was the hope of the Educational Facilities Laboratory that the design would be new and refreshing and attract people and children. The E.F.L. expressed a willingness to meet with these architects and consult with them on profitable ideas to be developed in the design. It was indicated that E.F.L. would again defray the expenses of bringing such a group together for this purpose. The school district was given permission to give publicity to the fact that E.F.L. was interested in the project and was making these kinds of financial contributions to its furtherance. As the ! held. Alistf the veovle to and to whom t] On may lh. hoval‘d F1 the Editors a hill “e“spap 0n may leloreanv MP. executives wi these meeting {m and sup? On July to :he E'F'L' and the carn€ :mtlac with Richard I finals; MI" in; MI“ Be: an his assi: ogre, ih‘. JOSI Ezrltiaé; MI“ Zaio‘ Vandel‘ 2:: members .. his meet '20 As the year 1966 moved along, other meetings were held. A listing of these is of interest because it shows the people to whom the project was presented initially and to whom the appeal for support was made: On May A, 1966, Dr. Whitmer held a meeting with Mr. Howard Fitzgerald and Mr. John Fitzgerald who are the Editors and Publishers of The Pontiac Press, the daily newspaper. On May 11, 1966, administrators met with Mr. John DeLorean, Mr. Cal Werner and Mr. Thomas Wiethorn, all executives with General Motors, Pontiac. In both of these meetings there was a favorable reaction to the plan and support was expressed. On July 16, 1967--One of the consultants recommended by the E.F.L., Dr. David Lewis of Urban Design Associates and the Carnegie Technical Institute of Pittsburg met in Pontiac with the following people; Mr. William Lacy and lhn Richard Fell, Assistant Superintendents of Pontiac Schools; Mr. Gerald White, Director of Elementary Educa— tion; Mr. Bert VanKoughnett, Director of Federal Programs and his assistant Mr. Thor Petersen. Also at the meeting were Mr. Joseph Warren, City Manager of the City of Pontiac; Mr. James Bates, Urban Renewal Director; Mr. David Vanderveen, Study Director for the City of Pontiac; and members of the city commission. As a direct result Of this meeting, another meeting was held——a joint ohmssion met or the city C‘ thnmet toget nsto proceet 0n Augul him too, wa: hhdofEdum Education mem‘ lawley and MI‘ Toseph Warren hepurpose o On Augu kmtyCounoi Lions. In a hiorof Loc . ease" Hal lotor of Pontie ”It“ -mliC Motor Ind Program. into w.Pest i “ATEG theil hipsters ma. \ Also tholo w . x 4., 4. 21 discussion meeting on August 2, 1966——in which members of the City Commission and the Pontiac Board of Educa— tion met together to discuss the project. The consensus was to proceed as rapidly as possible. On August 12, 1966 a further meeting was held. This, too, was a discussion meeting sponsored by the Board of Education. In attendance, besides Board of Education members and administrators, were Mr. William Hawley and Mr. Robert Marsh of the M.I.C.I. and Mr. Joseph Warren, City Manager. The meeting was held for the purpose of further exploration of the concept. On August 19, 1966 a meeting was called by the County Council of the U.A.W. for the Presidents of local unions. In attendance were Dr. Whitmer, Mr. Robert Taylor of Local 5A0, Mr. Wally Johnson of Local 59A General Motors Truck and Coach, Mr. John May of Local 553 of Pontiac Motors, Mr. Edward Keen of Local 296 of Pontiac Motors, and Mr. Arthur Heaton, Director of United Fund Program.1 All of these men expressed a great deal Of interest in the Human Resources Center project and offered their cooperation. On August 22, 1966, Dr. Whitmer and other admin— istrators made a presentation to the school Human lAlso Liaison person between Unions and United Fund. Employed by Unions as Coordinator of Activities. Relations COMitt’e‘ endorsement of thi 0n luaust 2" Passed a formal re human Resources Ce process. On September Concept was made t on official endor Many of thee in later parts of On September to the School Dist Into Institute for Preliminary studic Terrier for the Ci‘ On September ii‘ornal resolutiv isSources Center. During Octo REM Warren and Erenges in explo tastings were hel Michigah State hill. Staff; Dr. :ileh 'A. . ‘Slblv‘ and 0t 22 Relations Committee and the project was given the official endorsement of this group. On August 2H, 1966, the Pontiac Board of Education passed a formal resolution to endorse the concept of a Human Resources Center and to proceed with the planning process. On September 8, 1966, the presentation of the H.R.C. Concept was made to the city Human Relations Commission and official endorsement was given. Many of these meetings are reported more completely in later parts of the dissertation. On September 14, 1966, a grant award was announced to the School District of the City of Pontiac from the Mott Institute for Community Improvement for $10,000 for preliminary studies of the concept of a Human Resources Center for the City of Pontiac. On September 20, 1966, the City Commission adopted a formal resolution endorsing the idea of a Human Resources Center. During October and November of that year, Mr. Joseph Warren and Dr. Whitmer made visits and held con— ferences in exploration of the best planning procedures. Meetings were held with, among others, Dr. John Hannah of Michigan State University and other members of the M.S.U. staff; Dr. Durward Varner, President of Oakland University and other Oakland University personnel; and 1 Dr. James LeWis of i U. of M. staff meml On November 5 VanKoughnett and D1 United States Offi‘ present them with ‘ At this poin District of the Ci with the planning The Board of Educa shad the City Co issions. Money w the grant from the Eministrative sta in presentation c £1‘itOSI‘Oups, bot it served. 31‘. Whitmer, .. this time in ti '19 initiators 09 ”wition that th< “nation and the imp -. ' Ehstd satisfat iiiyn k. . tJ Other 19' smen 3f the 91 7% Mt ’ too) tha 23 Dr. James Lewis of the University of Michigan and other U. of M. staff members. On November 5, 1966, Mr. William Lacy, Mr. Bert VanKoughnett and Dr. Whitmer met with members of the United States Office of Education in Washington, D.C. to present them with the plan and to get their ideas. At this point, nearing the end of 1966, the School District of the City of Pontiac was ready to proceed with the planning phase of a Human Resources Center. The Board of Education had formally endorsed the project, as had the City Commission and the Human Relations Com— missions. Money was available for planning, thanks to the grant from the M.I.C.I., and the members of the ‘ t administrative staff were beginning to formulate plans for presentation of the idea to the community as a whole and to groups, both formal and informal, in the area to be served. Dr. Whitmer, in a recent interview, recalled how at this time in the planning of a Human Resources Center, the initiators of the concept were pleased with the reception that their idea had received by the Board of Education and the Pontiac City Commission. He also eXpressed satisfaction about the feelings that were shown by other leaders in the community——their encour— agement of the plans and their willingness to participate. He felt, too, that the interest shown by the representatives or the various edu‘ Facilities Laborat nmity Irmr'overnent planning and imple order to effect th Dr. Whitmer cooperation and in administrators, th city government we community for aoce The next cha at presentation of renters of the edt Edninistrators, p; i3) parents of the 3113le in schools 3“ 0f the old bu: 33d? new facility ;that School Di :1 presents the wins. Methods “95 and the ad iris -~~m:3nted, and 24 of the various educational institutions, the Educational Facilities Laboratory and the Mott Institute for Com— nunity Improvement would be beneficial in the long-range planning and implementation which would be necessary in order to effect the program. Dr. Whitmer said that his hope was that the interest, cooperation and involvement would be continued as the administrators, the school board and the members of the city government went forth to present their idea to the community for acceptance and further development. The next chapters treat the attempts and the methods of presentation of the program to three main groups: (1) members of the educational community itself, teachers and administrators, particularly those in the schools involved; (2) parents of the children throughout the city, partic— ularly in schools which might be involved in the closing— out of the old buildings and the transfer of children to some new facility; and (3) the greater community of the Pontiac School District and the City of Pontiac. Chapter III presents the type of approach used with each of these groups. Methods for two-way communication between these groups and the administrative staff are discussed, as well as which ideas were considered, which ones were implemented, and which ones were discarded. Personnel if Pontiac worked for rmtofthe idea c mmnmty needs it cdtmal aspects < imnthedbtt Ins‘ di.dl.) a six 1 inndanuary l to Ednnrneds wer 3hisworking wit‘ diereeds were hrseof the stu (U There is tunities Programs recreatio after sch that had CHAPTER III PRESENTING THE PROGRAM Personnel in the School District of the City of Pontiac worked for more than two years on the develop- ment of the idea of combining resources to meet the community needs in education, housing, and social and cultural aspects of society. As a result of the grant from the Mott Institute for Community Improvement, (M.I.C.I.) a six month feasibility study was conducted from January I to June 31, 1967. As part of this study, certain needs were identified by school and city offi— Cials working with area residents and resource people. These needs were then to be examined in depth during the course of the study: (1) There is a need for extended and enriched oppor— (2) tunities for school pupils. Community school Programs and the provision of educational and recreational opportunities for school children after school, on weekends and during the summer that had already been in operation gave evidence of the benefits to children which can be provided. There is a need for continuous and life-long educational, recreational, cultural and social programs and services for out—of—school youth and adults. Again, residents in the community who participated in the earlier programs attest to its value in the development of human resources and the meeting of the educational needs of area residents. 25 (3) There is a public and of the are these 861‘“ useful to community (it) There wilJ ties in 13* because 01 (5) There will ElementaPI tary Scho< these strl extend f0] (6) There is 5 school fa' integrated The plannin; ienter complex be nier the grant f rector of Conmu Eitcinted Co—Dire school district; the city airport 3;rpinted Co~Dire The idea of the E ire than thirty iir‘rice clubs, at imp was asked 1 7571‘. 01‘ the idea :Hpj, . ‘siaminatf . want And 26 (3) There is a need for coordinating the extensive public and private agency services to the people of the area. While the school would not direct these services, they would be more available and useful to residents if they were centered in the community school. (A) There will be a need for additional school facili- ties in the Central and McConnell school areas because of projected pupil population growth. (5) There will be a need to replace the Central Elementary School building and the Wilson Elemen— tary SchoOl building. The usefulness of both of these structures as elementary schools cannot extend for very many years into the future. (6) There is a need to provide, where possible, new school facilities which will serve racially integrated student and residential populations. The planning procedure for the Human Resources Center complex began in 1966. As part of the program under the grant from the M.I.C.I. Mr. Bert VanKoughnett, Director of Community Action and Federal Programs was appointed Co—Director of the study to represent the school district; and Mr. David Vanderveen, Manager of the city airport and former Assistant City Manager was appointed Co—Director of the study to represent the city. The idea of the Human Resources Center was presented to more than thirty city—wide groups including P.T.A.'s, service clubs, and professional organizations. Each group was asked for its reactions and its formal endorse- ment of the idea of continuing the study Of the Center. _g________________________ 1"Examination of Problem Characteristics," p. ILU.D. Grant Application NF l23—-Supplement. 56-— SCHOOL N] Eigh S Chools 0 :‘QRQ . ' - Site *[ 27 SCHOOL NEIGHBORHOODS INVOLVED IN THE HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER High Schools 0 Junior Highs I Elementaries . H.R.C. Site *D E-7 Alternate I] F—7 31-month” Manager: Superint Renewal and the t These meetings be through the entir savkes t0 peopl MM oftheir dip listed below: Planning Youth De; Parks and Human Rel Public WC Police DE Library~~ Health DE finnty service ag inph were also Tmseinclude the Oakland ( A.D.C. a: Communit: The execut: “Relicsented w: I‘d Th5 possibil. LL: l 3-hewspaoer ' 28 Bi—monthly meetings were held involving the City Manager, Superintendent of Schools, Director of Urban Renewal and the two feasibility study Co—Directors. These meetings began on January 1, 1967 and continued through the entire study. All city departments offering services to people were contacted both at general meet— ings of their directors and individually. These are listed below: Planning Commission—-Mr. James L. Bates Youth Department——Mr. George Coronis Parks and Recreation-—Mr. David Ewalt Human Relations Committee——Rev. Arlond Reid Public Works--Mr. Joseph Neipling Police Department——Mr. William Hanger Library——Miss Phyllis Pope Health Department——Mr. Charles Cohen County service agencies that offer direct service to people were also contacted and gave support to the idea. These include the: Oakland County Medical Department——Dr. Berman A.D.C. and Welfare-—Mr. Hoard Community Mental Health-—Dr. Walden The executive directors of United Fund agencies were presented with the idea of a Human Resources Center and the possibility of participating in the study. The local newspaper accepted the idea and gave support through :lrerate- The ext under Dr. David DC under Dr. Walter I support by offerir college-credit c1: are involved in a pith Michigan Stat related to the Hur naserplored, alt! Representatives 0 trinity endorsed t the planning. Mr. B. C. V 1.". the United Sta Ill Office, revie 1“Tirade listed b He Sa 29 coverage. The extension divisions of Oakland University under Dr. David Doherty, and Oakland Community College under DP- Walter Flightmaster, reviewed the idea and gave support by offering to schedule both extension and college—credit classes within the Center. Pontiac schools are involved in a new form of internship teacher training with Michigan State University which might become directly related to the Human Resources Center. This possibility was explored, although nothing definite was decided. Representatives of the local Office of Economic Oppor- tunity endorsed the study and offered to participate in the planning. Mr. B. C. VanKoughnett, Co—Director, spent two days in the United States Office of Education, E.S.E.A. Title III Office, reviewing the 12 approved educational park programs listed below: Harriston, Alabama San Jose, California Berkeley, California Wethersfield, Connecticut Biddeford, Maine Baltimore, Maryland East Orange, New Jersey Alburquerque, New Mexico Brooklyn, New York Syracuse, New York Pi‘ Ph: The State Departm occasions and gaVI development of tho Title III proposer loodson, Michigan dothermill, Assis have also been in Social agen Zine community. T lift of the Human 31PM them have Clete list: City Plan Youth De; Parks and Human Rep DeDartmer City Libr City Heal 0akland ( A'U-C- ar CC‘mlllrlitp Parent p. Ullited Fl 3O Pittsburg, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The State Department of Education was contacted on various occasions and gave suggestions and assistance in the development of the feasibility study and of the E.S.E.A. Title III proposed study grant which came later. Mr. Don Goodson, Michigan Title III Coordinator, and Mr. Ray Rothermill, Assistant Superintendent of Federal Programs; have also been involved. Social agencies contribute to the welfare needs of the community. These agencies were invited to become a part of the Human Resources Center Program. Although some of them have already been mentioned; this is a com- plete list: City Planning Commission Youth Department, City of Pontiac Parks and Recreation Department Human Relations Commission Department of Public Works City Library City Health Department Oakland County Health Department A.D.C. and Welfare Departments Community Mental Health Services Parent Teacher Associations United Fund Agencies Oakland U’ Oakland C( Public 301 Private 3‘ Oakland C‘ 14H Club, ( Social 39: Family 391 Child Car- Probate C Oakland C Pontiac AI Michigan inalater part 0 these agencies is with letters and iiman Resources C Tsasibility study thinking towa ii” e pin the H.R.C ., lne remaind -~ tltport and e 3 “int «n 3f the fe 335A - . Laln SPOUP S dried apbr :3} jfm . ,1 JEP‘Y‘W 'w ~- l he 31 Oakland University Oakland Community College Public School Staffs Private Schools Oakland County Board of Education UH Club, Co-op Extension Social Services of Oakland County Family Services of Oakland County Child Care Facilities Probate Court, Juvenile Division Oakland County Commission on Economic Opportunity Pontiac Area Community Arts Council Michigan Employment Security Commission In a later part of this chapter, the approach made to these agencies is explored. The agencies that responded with letters and endorsements of the objectives of the Human Resources Center are enumerated. As part of the feasibility study, many of these agencies began working and thinking toward the establishment of sub-centers within the H.R.C. complex. The remainder of Chapter 3 involves the approach for support and endorsement that was made, during 1967, as part of the feasibility study, and after the study, to certain groups in the community. Varied approaches were made to gain support for the program. The strongest appeal was made to the group ofparents and te: affected by the Cl the organization 3 stupi“ such a ‘ thseschoolse A with the types of ifcitizens' COmm A second set the approach to S' inmptto gain t :nnedis the pr EmHacCity gove snhns and soci Titration of Mr. PmHacCity admi inerrimarily a fidnhcrativc st :Eli’dx' ”b x .c I‘ECC‘ mission indies 32 of parents and teachers in those schools that would be affected by the construction of the Center. As part of the organization, the meetings involving parents were set up in such a way as also to involve the teachers in those schools. A section of this chapter is concerned with the types of presentation made to the organization of citizens' committees. A second section of this chapter has to do with the approach to social service program agencies and the attempt to gain their involvement in the program. Also covered is the program as it was being evolved in the Pontiac City government. Approaches to the parents, teachers and social agencies, while done with the co— operation of Mr. Vanderveen and other members of the Pontiac City administration and the City Commission, were primarily a responsibility of the Pontiac Schools' administrative staff as directed by the Board of Edu— cation. The record of communications with the City Commission indicate their doubts and the action that they felt was within their area of planning and promo— tion.l lThe chronological tables on page 39 shows the relationship of events in the remainder of this chapter and Chapter IV. Appendix K lists these events in Sequence by date, description and page number. The P0111 ”‘7 On August 2 mdSmerintenden‘ meCHy Manager pmmntthe educa individually , gav idnedlns appro shdyand discuss immedto the id Cfcdmntment unt .MPI‘E was agreeme mmldcontinue t hetmmission at rnrnentatives c inctwould work 1133. it appearec Ha: er which it is:;of officiai _"; nl ~ y‘all. There (4: H1 istrict committe action i EOVernin 33 The Pontiac City Government and the Human Resources Center On August 2, 1966 members of the Board of Education and Superintendent Whitmer met with the Mayor of Pontiac, the City Manager and five of the City Commissioners to present the educational park concept. The Commissioners, individually, gave verbal support. One, Mr. Robert Irwin, delayed his approval until he could have time for further study and discussion. He indicated that he was not opposed to the idea, but did not wish to make any kind of commitment until he was completely familiar with it. There was agreement, however, that the school district should continue to pursue development of the concept. The Commission and the Board approved a plan whereby representatives of the city government and school dis— trict would work together in further development of the idea. It appeared that the Commission wanted a plan put on paper which it could study and which would become the basis of official action by the Commission to support the plan. There was some discussion of how to proceed. As summarized by Dr. Whitmer, the consensus of this part Of the meeting seemed to be that: (l) The concept would be presented to the city's Human Relations Committee and the school district's Human Relations Committee. Each committee would deliberate and take official action in the form of a recommendation to the governing board for their consideration. (2) There Sh° elicit th‘ (3) The Sch°° publicly the city by the SC (M)The final governmen presentat organizat Hm pPODO (N Evidence in the f0 contacted present t Community funds. fiasclear that useuhported bV raflvea grant f isqnekly as pos Jrauimibecame 4scnees Center. During this 31':le l' ‘ . M L \Pu togett "33‘ l". V - «3. tile play- .answers for *V- m r ‘ eJSlVE plar l w- mm, a,“ s, . . ‘ 9,. 3H (2) There should be contacts with the labor movement as quickly as possible to explain the idea and elicit their support. (3) The School Board should take initial action publicly in support of the notion; action by the city could then follow that which was taken by the school district. (U) The final endorsement by the two city groups and governmental agencies should be made and then presentation made to P.T.A.'s and other community organizations who would be vitally interested in the proposal. (5) Evidence of community support should be gathered in the form of resolutions by the various groups contacted. These could be used as evidence to present the Educational Facilities Laboratory of Community support in the request for planning funds. It was clear that the school people felt, and this feeling was supported by the Commission, that it was necessary to receive a grant from the Educational Facilities Laboratory as quickly as possible.1 Many of these recommendations for action became part of the planning program for the Resources Center. During this meeting in August, 1966, many questions were raised about costs, about what would be required of the city in terms of commitments, how the city and schools would work together on this project, etc. At this early Stage in the planning there was difficulty in providing exact answers for these questions. It was indicated that an extensive planning period with professional help and 1Minutes "Joint Meeting of City Commission and Board of Education," August 2, 1966. Signed by Dana P. Whitmer. consultation wouli September 20, 196‘ concept of a Humai the McConnell Sch‘ mmtforthe sout hjohnly sponso hedeol Board pre~planning (fea :oddhay the cos Throughout haihlity study denther study ihumsed the pla WSemdy part of Phsunations on W17, 1968, pr ffifinrconsidera SEW ‘ a. meeting wit 3% . NJ) t0 anSWeP’ (1) How mugh the city“. (2) what is t rom oror taken 3.87 acquire 1 3) What Nil‘ Stabilitx ?Lin‘; r “ AM the I was being 1 35 consultation would be required to derive answers. On September 20, 1966, the City Commission endorsed the concept of a Human Resources Center for development in the McConnell School area as part of the total develop— ment for the southeast quadrant of the city. They agreed to jointly sponsor the development of the concept with the School Board and to participate in the request for a pre—planning (feasibility) grant from the Mott Institute to defray the cost of the initial study for the project. Throughout the remainder of 1966 and in 1967 the feasibility study was completed, its reports made public, and further study was undertaken. The City Commission discussed the plans and the results of the study, during the early part of 1968, (while the School Board was making presentations on the concept throughout the city), and on July 17, 1968, presented questions which they felt deserved further consideration. The City Commission suggested a joint meeting with the Board of Education on August 1, 1968, to answer, in particular, the following questions: (1) How much will this Human Resources Center cost the city? (2) What is to be done about objections received from property owners whose homes were not to be taken as part of the purchase proceedings to acquire land? (3) What will the H.R.C. do in bringing about racial stability and an integrated community? By mid—1968 the progress of the H.R.C. was such that the QUestions being raised were reflecting not the future Morning: bUt rat pening and "Why 1 from the extensiv by school persom people in the 00“ On August 1 the City Commissj city and school 5 called the meetir Commission for ar the opportunity i 31/2 years from Communicati Education had cor 31" the Study, hac iélations Councii ftncerns and prog :;~monthly meetir .14! Manager and ~11? Purpose of k. At this Au; ‘-“-eer.ted a reboo led to the < FE::V\\ . ’ ‘“ SmDIiasizet P in the on Titan, ' ‘ 3103' 31‘. ' 36 planning, but rather the "here—and—now" of what is hap— pening and "why is it happening?". This resulted partly from the extensive public relations program undertaken by school personnel in attempting to gain support of people in the community. On August 1, 1968, a joint meeting was held with the City Commission, Board of Education, and members of city and school staffs. The Board of Education had called the meeting in response to requests of the City Commission for answers to questions. They also used the opportunity to report on the progress over the past 2 1/2 years from the 1966 meeting until the 1968 meeting. Communication between the Commission and Board of Education had continued since Mr. Vanderveen, Co—Director of the Study, had been very active——as had the Human Relations Council of the City of Pontiac——in reporting concerns and progress to the governmental body. The bi—monthly meetings of the Superintendent of Schools and City Manager and Director of Urban Renewal also served the purpose of keeping governmental officials up-to—date, At this August 1, 1968 meeting Dr. David Lewis presented a report on the Urban Design Associates' study that led to the site recommendation and selection. His rcport emphasized racial integration as an important factor in the project. The minutes of the meeting, as prepared by Dr. Whitmer, indicate that some commissioners coinegration a project and did n educational progr untyservice pr buicgoals." Th meeting by the va (llProblems houses ar that such sale and construct rx.) The H.R.C the trend north and area. LU The H-R.C Community plan. 1;« The H.P -C Other CON racial 1r (Slit was st should be the caste c) There was hewing the :LitJConnissi ;ilTerrid' In: PFC T‘Pl“: ,s.yonof~1~ v‘le tn’geems to be ~“MON to the TNS \ ‘W 37 saw integration as the most important factor in the project and did not "fully appreciate the significant educational programs, community School programs, com— munity service programs and residential improvement as basic goals." The concerns that were raised at this meeting by the various commissioners were as follows: (1) Problems had been raised by residents whose houses are adjacent to the site. It was felt that such properties might be unattractive for sale and decline in value as a result of the construction of the Center in that neighborhood. (2) The H.R.C. will not cause racial stability, rather the trend toward segregation will continue to move north and the Center will become an all—black area. (3) The H.R.C. alone cannot bring about an integrated community. There should be a total educational plan. (A) The H.R.C., therefore, should be supported by other community efforts and activities to achieve racial integration. (5) It was suggested that the site for the Center should be east so that Paddock Street would become the eastern boundary. (6) There was some concern about expense to the city. Viewing these concerns, Dr. Whitmer‘s indication that the City Commissioners were concerned with integration as an overriding problem which might be solved by the con- struction of the Center seems valid. The implication, too, seems to be that the feasibility study and the pre~ sentation to the City Commission and City Planning Depart— ments concentrated on the idea of the H.R.C. concept as a single entity and educational pI’OEI’i had been prepared The discuss: ceeded in bringinl School Board membc planning, were coc andnust be carri< cecned, however, Commission would Support of the pr directed to inten Toe city governme “inc made. The plannin lid involve the C Tmunitl’ involve ibilities were d EmillStrative st in N. "its and Dlann .ICSPegts loci are . uoan Renewal, utohorhood Deve '33:; ‘P DPOQQ c dure “‘u A . Lollowiqr ‘ b 38 single entity and not as part of a complete social and educational program for the neighborhood. This program had been prepared and was in existence. The discussion at the August 1, 1968 meeting suc- ceeded in bringing out the fears of the Commissioners. School Board members, who had been more active in the planning, were convinced that the program was correct and must be carried out and endorsed. They were con— cerned, however, that doubts in the minds of the City Commission would cause reservations about their continued support of the program. The school administrators were directed to intensify their efforts to keep members of the city government knowledgeable about the progress being made. The planning schedule established for the H.R.C. did involve the City of Pontiac in preparing for wider community involvement in the service area. These respon- sibilities were divided among various members of the city administrative staff. The reports asked for and the surveys and planning undertaken were indicative of their interests and areas of involvement. Mr. Bates, Director Of Urban Renewal, (which had now changed its title to Neighborhood Development Program since this provided a faster procedure for carrying out urban renewal) took On the following activities: ..P2U:.w.. >J 6).): \. :1ch L: .5 E2uu>co 3.5 cc A Q . u. civil.~.33._.niwl I. .rhs .L... .hu...9.:\ .u... 4. Inn. . m. c n“! will ... . claw. carol. filmnv lfll . . |I4 O> 2. WW LiZmul/M L 3.,\ AIM .vih. Lie/\Q 4L 0 Wk MG E AU .9... {.0 7w five c $7..me u g0 n) oenneati city I 8 ob i. Date for (N Determina improveme l of the he of tr 2_2 PPepa budse comp1 W Implement plete LN w New B compl 3.3 City 7-1—7 yd Devel plete Field SUr‘Ve .p‘ a ' .e srvice area in ' e.ont1ac CitV :on men as For. F :uorcement; MI’ T.Knhith BillE ‘3 .. j Y‘" my Webster. tear. Their < -aduions, adeQL -wuhtwding and «hiel lses of c ~.unent and i1 A0 (1) Delineation of the service area to meet the city's objective of community improvement. Date for Completion 3—15—69. (2) Determination of the area requiring community improvement in the H.R.C. area and preparation of the neighborhood development program. 2.1 delineating of sub—area boundaries by type of treatment completion 5—1—69. 2.2 Preparation of plans, programs and annual budget for the first treatment area— completion M—l—69. (3) Implementation of treatment areas. 3.1 Existing Urban Renewal Projects to be com- pleted 10—1—72. 3.2 New Renewal area within the program area— completed 7—1-71. 3.3 City sponsored projects to be completed 7—1-71. 3.U Development of neighborhood support. Com— pleted 12—31—70. Field surveys to determine problem conditions in the service area were undertaken by various members of the Pontiac City government administrative staff including such men as Mr. Ralph Florio, Director of Housing & Code Enforcement; Mr. Charles Honcho, Assistant City Engineer; Mr. Kermith Billette, Assistant Director of Planning; and MP. Gary Webster, Administrative Assistant to the City Manager. Their surveys included such things as building Conditions, adequacy of public facilities, social attitudes, overcrowding and excessive density of dwellings, incom— Datible uses of structures, available vacant land, and employment and income patterns. These reports were due at the end of 19‘ that many or the: the construction which would be a the concern of a which was in the it should be not one of the on—go the involvement nent coordinator involvement as a Permitted a char City schools and Inc The invol‘ began prior to ' citizens of the their interest which would be when Woeram :hi‘ ‘ A ° 1nLerest w Ye h ' -a.es1dents inn‘ “1126, 1966, l ‘31 Run NOPG.‘ ""‘tlng 1 it; A1 at the end of 1968 or early in 1969. It might be noted that many of these programs, while directly related to the construction of a H.R.C., were nevertheless those which would be a part of a well—planned program reflecting the concern of a city government with a center-city area which was in the process of deterioration and transition. It should be noted, too, that——while not mentioned here-— one of the on—going activities throughout the program was the involvement of Dr. David Vanderveen as a city govern— ment coordinator in the planning of the H.R.C. His involvement as a Co—Director of the feasibility study permitted a channel of communication between the Pontiac City schools and the Pontiac City government. Involvement of Neighborhood Residents The involvement of neighborhood residents actually began prior to the feasibility study. It began when citizens of the McConnell School community demonstrated their interest in the construction of a new building which would be designed to accommodate the community school program as well as the regular day school program. This interest was expressed in a petition signed by 256 area residents and received by the Board of Education on April 26, 1966, and also by the present representatives who discussed their concerns with the board on May 11,1966 lWording of petition from minutes of School Board meeting. 1 we, the under McConnell Sch ment of Conce for a new and in which to e that your new adults alike' need to carry gram. we, th meetingS to d Following t lear was deVOted for continued nei an application fc study. Many inf< representatives 1 The formal uation of a Citi: on February 13, 3 it the Board ROOI were llr. Bert Val etudy Directors; JilSS Marion Hincl neutral Elementa tentative from t cvnior High Comm 331d a v.11, Princi Fred c arter, McC 1llcC W onne scans with :1 42 We, the undersigned parents and citizens of they McConnell School district are signing this state— ment of concern because we are aware of the need for a new and larger school building and facilities in which to educate our children. We also are aware that your new program is very good for children and adults alike. The program further points out the need to carry out a better 'community—school' pro— gram. We, the undersigned will attend any and all meetings to discuss plans to this effect. Following the action, the Fall of 1967—68 school year was devoted to developing an organizational plan for continued neighborhood participation and preparing an application for the funds to conduct the feasibility study. Many informal meetings were held with parent representatives from the McConnell area. The formal planning structure began with the for— mation of a Citizens' Steering Committee at a meeting on February 13, 1967. At this meeting, which was held at the Board Room of the Pontiac Administration Building, were Mr. Bert VanKoughnett and Mr. David Vanderveen, the Study Directors; Principal of Central Elementary School, Miss Marion Hinckley; Mr. Henry Katip, President of Central Elementary P.T.A. and Mrs. Mary Hepner, Repre— sentative from that P.T.A.; Mr. James Davis, Eastern Junior High Community School Director; Mr. Howard Caldwell, Principal of McConnell Elementary School; Mr. Fred Carter, McConnell Community School Director; Mrs. lMcConnell had one of the first Community school programs with a director in the City of Pontiac. JeanBenion, McC< Mary Sampson, RE] Dave Crawford’ P: it". HueVOYl PeeI'y withMrs. Willie and MP5- Barbara At this me ofinformation O role of the (30mm meeting dates an utive Committee elementary SChOC ionnaire to P-T- Testing was a dc held on Februarh attendance the t :thec officers c concerned elemer :cted that, as \ '73? the center—< elementary scho' Principal prior Tornunity Actio The conce "33 followed by Sign e .m for the “3 Jean Benion, McConnell Elementary P.T.A. President; Mrs. Mary Sampson, Representative of McConnell P.T.A.; Mr. Dave Crawford, Principal of Wilson Elementary School; and Mr. Huevon Peery, Wilson Community School Director along with Mrs. Willie May Hamilton, Wilson P.T.A. President and Mrs. Barbara Hoover, Wilson P.T.A. representative. At this meeting, discussion included a background of information on the Human Resources Center, and the role of the Committee. Procedural topics included the meeting dates and times, plans for a joint P.T.A. Exec— utive Committee meeting, meetings of P.T.A.s in the three elementary schools and the idea of circulating an opin— ionnaire to P.T.A. members on the concept. The following meeting was a joint P.T.A. Executive Committee. This was held on February 27, 1967. This combined meeting had in attendance the people previously mentioned as well as other officers and P.T.A. City Council Delegates from the concerned elementary school P.T.A.s. It might also be noted that, as well as being the initiator of programs for the center—city area, McConnell School was also the elementary school at which Mr. VanKoughnett had been Principal prior to accepting his position as Director of Community Action Programs and Federal Programs. The concept of the H.R.C. was presented and this was followed by a question and answer period. In seeking support for the study, approval was gained from all present except 01 was approved' T1 and Block Meetint pletely later. ' as part of the p: meeting. As part Of P.T.A.s were ask endorsing the CO Letters were rec lay 12, 1967; MC E1ementary-—June toines, Presiden lssociations, wa study of the HA? ”:me Council on t was not received that letters weI trade School. Pri whool on May 3{ rwlncipal of St fume 5, 1967. Also inter moral Element: Sign :3 a number 0‘ UN present except one. An area—resident involvement plan was approved. This included the use of "opinionnaires" and Block Meetings, which will be discussed more com— pletely later. The topic of the H.R.C. was scheduled as part of the program at each school's March P.T.A. meeting. As part of the programs of these two meetings‘ P.T.A.s were asked to send to Mr. VanKoughnett letters endorsing the concept of the Human Resources Center. Letters were received from Central Elementary dated May 12, 1967; McConnell Elementary—-May 29, 1967; Wilson Elementary—~June 5, 1967; and a letter from Mrs. Lucille Goines, President of the Pontiac Council of P.T.A. Associations, was sent on June 1, 1967 endorsing the study of the H.R.C. Action, it is noted, was taken by the Council on this on January 10, 1967 but the letter was not received until later. It might be noted, too, that letters were received from: Sister Jane Therese, Grade School Principal at Saint Fredericks Parochial School on May 30, 1967; and from Rev. Herman Schmidt, Principal of St. Trinity Evangelical Luthern School on June 5, 1967. Also interesting is the letter received from the Central Elementary School P.T.A. on May 12, 1967 expres- sing a number of concerns. Among these was the fact that their members were concerned with the site proposed for :he Center and 1 safety of the chi They also felt t1 hother concern l agencies were pre of sub-branches w ability to provi. concern was that for children tha Letters we “We elementary COmments DGPhaps Miss l-lario School—-"If the iicipate . n Mr. David School—J'The sta 1nd therefore we imposed in-dept Mr. Howarc‘ Sihool suggestec‘ 538 already beer :73: . cram ascertaf ‘EZWS at the . u 1 Letter it 45 the Center and the distance to be travelled and the safety of the children in going to and from school. They also felt that racial balance must be adjusted. Another concern was that City and County service agencies were presently understaffed and the addition of sub—branches of these agencies might limit their ability to provide services to special areas. The final concern was that small schools might be more desirable for children than one large facility.l Letters were received from the principals of all three elementary schools on May 31, 1967. Some of the comments perhaps should be quoted: Miss Marion Hinckley—Principal, Central Elementary School-—"If the study is to continue, we wish to par— ticipate." Mr. David Crawford—Principal, Wilson Elementary School——"The staff does have some unanswered questions and therefore wants to be very closely involved in the proposed in—depth study." Mr. Howard Caldwell-Principal, McConnell Community School suggested an in—depth study. "Since the concept has already been accepted and the feasibility of the Program ascertained . . . ." The arrival of all three letters at the same time might lead one to believe that 1Letter included in Appendix B. :‘mese endorsement were. It is inte were not at all i about the IDI‘OJ'ect cooperate. Mrs. Jean E Elementary School many informal €01 district. As nee about 20 of these speaker. These t Chairman of the i was how the R6801 the community. i attended and a g] YamKoughnett stat informal coffee 1 Elementary Schoo‘ :79 Central Eleme 173d not establisl The Commun ~39 beliefs tha U6 these endorsements were requested—~which, in fact, they were. It is interesting to note here that the principals were not at all hesitant to express doubts and concerns about the-project, but also showed a willingness to cooperate. Mrs. Jean Benion, (then) President of the McConnell Elementary School P.T.A., in an interview recalled the many informal coffee hours that were held throughout her district. As nearly as she could recall, McConnell had about 20 of these in which Mr. VanKoughnett was the main speaker. These usually met at the home of whoever was Chairman of the Block Club in that area. The message was how the Resource Center will serve each person in the community. Mrs. Benion recalls that these were well attended and a great deal of interest was shown. Mr. VanKoughnett stated that there were also neighborhood informal coffee hours in a few instances in the Wilson Elementary School neighborhood and that none was held in the Central Elementary School neighborhood since they had not established a neighborhood organization. The community involvement program was based on some beliefs that might be well included here: intersect: a.etszrtatzeetnrteart: life than they, themselves, have obtained. If there is an apparent lack in the education of their chil— dren it springs not from a lack of interest, but from a lack of sophistication on how to most adequately ' the school help their children. One obligation of should be to help provide this type of sophistication. Another 3 the confidenl needed to ra: students. I' each student and toward ti This expecta the student, high.1 The second in-service train classroom teache students, teache same value syste of problems. Th tidied and unide Provides a class tion with the st communication at if these needs 5 “BF the years c Problems , This type %Wem1middle_c .berefore, it be ”"me personal; .nantaged youtl jinti Unous Dlam lo 13%; Jethered , s also incl] 31.; “ L (W *mi‘dl ”7 Another important aspect is to instill in parents the confidence in schools and in themselves that is needed to raise the expectation level of their students. It is necessary that all people surrounding each student express a positive attitude toward school and toward that student'sability to succeed in school. This expectation level, as observed and interpreted by the spudent, of all people surrounding him, must be high. ‘ The second function of community involvement was an in—service training program that would benefit present classroom teachers. In our middle—class society, the students, teachers, and parents all operate within the same value system and address themselves to the same types of problems. There is a similarity of needs, both iden— tified and unidentified, within the class structure. This provides a classroom teacher with a basis for communica— tion with the student. All forms of direct and indirect communication are centered on a complete understanding of these needs and problems and of the method developed over the years of working toward the solution of these problems. This type of intuitive communication does not exist between middle—class teachers and disadvantaged youth. Therefore, it becomes imperative that classroom teachers become personally acquainted with the families of dis- advantaged youth. The calssroom teacher should have a continuous planned and prolonged contact with the 1Gathered from Mr. VanKoughnett, interview March, 1969, also included in H.U.D. application previously mentioned. _—'yy‘!l' individual were“1 Parents and (1150‘ implement the ed] will also become and the Communit understanding: 1 to truly communi In order f place with the 5 its part, initia anew educationa based upon commu imserwice trait to the children who directed the 31.3.0. program, i‘elt that approe soup meetings r :‘irst contact at working with tea him will reflet 9f the center—c 0n Novemb Efusible of me Tinnittee. At lilllw' . ti be inc lud A8 individual parents of each child. As they visit with the parents and discuss the problems they face in helping to implement the educational program for the child, they will also become aware of the problems facing the parent and the community. Through this personal contact and understanding, it may then be possible for the teacher to truly communicate with the disadvantaged student. In order for this type of communication to take place with the school and the family each contributing its part, initial contact must in some way be made, if a new educational concept is to be developed that is based upon communication, community involvement, and the, in-service training of teachers to develop sensitivity to the children from disadvantaged homes. Mr. VanKoughnett, who directed the community involvement portion of the H.R.C. program, and the other administrators involved felt that approaching parents in both P.T.A. and small— group meetings might serve to initiate and motivate this first contact and achieve interest and cooperation in working with teachers. This might insure that their pro— gram will reflect both the social and educational needs Of the center-city community. On November 9, 1967, Mr. VanKoughnett released a schedule of meetings to form the Parent-Teacher Planning Committee. At this time, he was not sure which schools would be included in the Human Resources Center. Plans Karel-1349 to invc schools and to ir Frost, Longf 911‘“ for the followiné (1) Communitl be avail: total a1“ (2) In the fl from Fro: included or for 0 It was sug representatives theP.T.A. Presi group itself fir and Central Elem and actions begs future of the H. 3M. did not H would still be I Both McCor their Elementars “incised, and ( Ember attending film the plan] l . Tat :rTlposal \en fr. 149 were made to involve McConnell and Central Elementary schools and to include representatives from Wilson, Frost, Longfellow and Baldwin schools on the Committee for the following reasons: (1) Community activities begun at the H.R.C. would be available to children and adults from the total area. (2) In the future, Wilson and possibly some sections from Frost, Longfellow and Baldwin would be included in the H.R.C. due to high enrollment or for other reasons. It was suggested that, whenever possible, the representatives from these four additional schools be the P.T.A. President and the principal. The planning group itself first involved representatives of McConnell and Central Elementary schools since the decisions made and actions begun would be implemented regardless of the future of the H.R.C. concept. In other words, if the H.R.C. did not materialize, McConnell and Central schools would still be replaced. Both McConnell and Central were represented by their Elementary P.T.A. Executive Board, the elementary Principal, and elementary teacher representatives. Each member attending the meetings was asked to become involved beyond the planning group in the following ways: Taken from Community Involvement section of H.U.D. DrOposal. (llfiach memt week- (2) Become” meeting ° (3) NameS 8’“ be submi‘ the minu Since the weraflwr inVOl offiw meetingS thrweting, and this list, the S imlMed. The a nefmmd in ADE The first krnttee was hE prswlfor the r wnhnstrators f Twrweting was :zhedule and tow Tmeeresources on~ ~ .oem were ex 50 (1) Each member was urged to discuss the current topic with eight to ten neighbors during the week. (2) Recommendations were discussed at the weekly meeting. (3) Names and addresses of those contacted should be submitted each week so they could be mailed the minutes of the meeting.1 Since the recommendations and methods of operation are rather involved for each of these meetings, the dates of the meetings are included, the topics discussed at the meeting, and some general comments. At the end of this list, the summary of the recommendations are also included. The actual printed minutes of the meetings are found in Appendix 0.2 The first meeting of the Parent—Teacher Planning Committee was held on November 16, 1967. The resource person for the meeting was Mr. VanKoughnett (other administrators served this role at different times). The meeting was mostly organizational. A proposed time schedule and topics for the next meeting were presented. Three resources to aid in the H.R.C. decision making process were explained to those in attendance. The Taken from "Proposed Plan to Develop Recommendations Concerning the Human Resources Center." Bert VanKoughnett, November 9, 1967. Also included in Appendix C is an organizational schedule and a summary sheet of recommendations. Minutes Of the meetings were prepared at the end of each meeting by Mr. VanKoughnett and submitted for correction to those in attendance. The copies included in Appendix C he certifies as correct. first resource W Committee- A 56‘ rstrative staff ‘ able to them Who information. F1] would conduct de‘ education, tPaff nomic comDOSite’ relocation of pe perks and recrea litions, and 0th The second lcCohnell School school program, and facilities n in general agre Should be planne Citizens in the the regular schc adults during tr Evenint- Plans 30T1001 and commL PWinundations The third “'13 at Central Appendix 51 first resource would be this Parent—Teacher Planning Committee. A second resource would be the central admin— istrative staff and the instructional specialists avail— able to them who would make recommendations and compile information. Finally, an architectural consultant firm would conduct detailed studies of the area including education, traffic and street patterns, racial and eco— nomic composite, condition of homes and business, relocation of people if necessary, present land use, parks and recreation, available utilities, soil con- ditions, and others. The second meeting was held on November 27 at the McConnell School. Under discussion were the community school program, student-adult—family life and problems, and facilities needed. Important in this meeting was the general agreement that community school programs should be planned to offer classes and recreation to all citizens in the area including school—age children beyond the regular school day, and classes and activities to adults during the regular school day, afternoon, and evening. Plans were made for community facilities for school and community use indoors and outdoors. The exact recommendations are available in the Appendix.1 The third meeting of the Planning Committee was held at Central Elementary School on December 5, 1967. 1Appendix C., p. 167. , 1'7 mics confidew district speech l Programs) State 1 minutes Show that should include 5 county and Unite while the presen adults was adequ separate agency have to be exp1C independent ager 0n Decembe icConnell Elemer program. GenePE fact that the pl allowing HO‘C on: implementation ‘ establish a mOd‘ in years to 00”” tion and attent all aspects. T over in detail :ional program :eetings be dev limittee meeti tion .8 were com 52 Topics considered were special services such as school district speech correctionists, county medical and dental programs, state mental health programs, etc. Here the minutes show that it was generally felt special services should include services from the school district, city, county and United Fund. The thought was expressed that while the present range of services to students and adults was adequate, the amount of service from each separate agency could be expanded. This later would have to be explored in much greater detail with each independent agency. On December 12, 1967, the Committee met again at McConnell Elementary School to discuss the educational program. Generally the recommendations included the fact that the program of education should be outstanding, allowing not only for the traditional programs but the implementation of future trends. The H.R.C. should ‘ establish a model that will become the standard in Pontiac in years to come. It must allow for individual instruc- tion and attention. It must be adequately staffed from all aspects. The Committee felt that they could not cover in detail all of the recommendations for the educa— tional program and made the suggestion that additional meetings be devoted to this topic in the second round of committee meetings. In matter of fact, the recommenda— tions were comprehensive and for the time being could ‘ W" snveas guidelil tondghborhood I uhleconcerned \ tothem. The next ml or December 19, imicto be cons ization of pupil cwldbe best le thalfirm emplc pmswhation was Ehmwmary Educe 3“pupil organi: (a)A pre—s< be estal for the teacher half da; and parl (b) The ide. could b tinuous between Student Special against (C) The bui lishing an uppe (d) Year~aI COUSide academj activit 1 See mini 53 serve as guidelines. The administrative staff went on to neighborhood meetings and individual meetings which, while concerned with these topics, did not relate directly to them. The next meeting of the Planning Committee was held on December 19, 1967 at Central Elementary School. The topic to be considered was site organization and organ- It was generally felt that this topic ization of pupils. could be best left to local educators and the architec- tural firm employed to design the building and site. A presentation was made by Mr. Gerald White, Director of Elementary Education, who emphasized the following points on pupil organization: (a) A pre—school home communication program could be established by using one kindergarten teacher for the half day as a regular kindergarten teacher and utilizing this person the other half day in working with pre-school youngsters and parents in the community. The idea of continuous educational progress Con- (b) could be incorporated in the program. tinuous progress would include a readiness room between kindergarten and grade one for those students who would need special attention. Special precautions would have to be taken against the labeling of students. The building organization should consider estab— lishing a primary block for younger children and an upper—elementary block for older children. \J (c Year—around operation of the Center should be (d) considered including the regular nine month academic program and remedialland enrichment activities during the summer. See minutes of December 19 meeting in Appendix C. The meeting with site locatic nesting had been pupils. The CO"m pone most of thef the consultant f5 ?ennsy1vania, ha< area including a‘ of buildings, 001 routes, vehicula hither, Superin liabilities of t however, that Ur hith a third or sites he discuss Street south of part of the atte Auburn Avenue (h 0n Februar 15 “fl her Planniné 3‘. the Administi Education at wh: Etrative staff Maniac Board 0 l ‘8 GE map 5A The meeting of January 2, 1968 was also concerned with site location since much of the time of the former meeting had been spent considering the organization of pupils. The committee at this meeting decided to post— pone most of their discussion and recommendations until the consultant firm, Urban Design Associates, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, had completed preliminary studies of the area including available space, housing pattern, condition of buildings, commercial development, pedestrian traffic routes, vehicular traffic patterns, and population. Dr. Whitmer, Superintendent, discussed the merits and liabilities of two possible sites. He pointed out, however, that Urban Design Associates might come up with a third or fourth site recommendation. The two sites he discussed were the Kiawanis Park area on Sanford Street south of Auburn and the location in the northern part of the attendance area, between Pike Street and Auburn Avenue (which was ultimately selected).l On February 14, 1968 all members of the Parent— Teacher Planning Committee were urged to attend a meeting at the Administration Building of the Pontiac Board of Education at which Urban Design Associates and the admin- istrative staff of the Pontiac Schools presented to the Pontiac Board of Education their recommendations for the 1See map on page 27. —- *pv"i snbhthnent of Center of the Oil Between the 1%8,a short me« mdthr.Vanh I hindsummarize matthe Parent- hndttee review awauons to th thsewere accep mdtwo were to sunnizes these hcwmmnded Auditori Large gp Cafeteri OUtdoor Park are Communit Communit Two aduj Adult 1f Ppe‘SCh< Nursery Art Ceni VOCatior Health , PaPking CoanHi‘ Air Con. SPECial Office Space f v» N0 minUt 55 establishment of the H.R.C. at its site east of the Civic Center of the City of Pontiac.1 Between the meetings of January 2, and February 1A, 1968, a short meeting was held on January 16th. At this meeting Mr. VanKoughnett presented recommendations that he had summarized as a result of the planning sessions that the Parent—Teacher Planning Committee had held. The Committee reviewed these and presented thirty—two recom— mendations to the Board of Education. Twenty—nine of these were accepted immediately, one was not accepted, and two were to receive further study. The list below summarizes these recommendations: Recommended and accepted: Auditorium Large gym Cafeteria Outdoor play area Park area Community room Community school director's office Two adult classrooms Adult library Pre—school unit Nursery (baby care) Art center Vocational center Health clinic Parking Community Involvement plan Air Conditioning Special education unit Office space for other agencies Space for specialists lNo minutes of this meeting seem to be available- probably since it was more of a presentation. Home ecor cuitural Science ( Instructj Instructj Library 5 Small W0] Flexible Separate facili‘ Recommended ‘ Pool Recommended TranSDOI’ Lower C 1 Smhofthese re hide Parent-Te hefound in ADD ntheCentral O needmational :mow entirely A time set henwmhs of JL Whinize neighbc .ihllimplemer :ittees .. The ff it was tl or a poo ppose th: uhu inn 0 2n l e C0118: alread S in the 56 Home economics and woodshop Cultural wing Science center Instructional leadership Instructional materials center Library substations Small work areas Flexible interior space Separate upper elementary and lower elementary facilities Recommended and rejected:1 Pool Recommended for further study:2 Transportation Lower class size Each of these recommendations is stipulated in the minutes of the Parent-Teacher Planning Committee meetings which are found in Appendix C. The recommendations were given to the Central Office Committee responsible for writing the educational specifications of the H.R.C. and were almost entirely implemented in that planning. A time schedule was drawn up for meetings during the months of June through August 1968 to be held to organize neighborhood H.R.C. Committees which would lead to full implementation by September of a system of com— mittees. The first plans called for a series of 1It was the feeling that funds provided would not allow for a pool construction and that public opinion might oppose this at the elementary school level. 2The consideration here seemed to be that the school district already had plans, policies and procedures for progress in these areas as part of their established pro— gram. r1gghhorhood mee meeting held in tmtin that the to the H.R.C. Wh minutes of this Appendix D, it b of the problems The agenda progress report has to be disple somleh,2 and it tentative plans heFall of 196$ wbhc and priv; Schedules.3 It We to be invoi "women, wus. h those school: 51min Resources Seiihborhood Ad sh3,0ne of t 1 Appendix 2 Apremix 3A . The b‘S OI th * POhen, 34" bee man 57 neighborhood meetings, the first round to include one meeting held in each school. These meetings were impor— tant in that they showed the strength of the opposition to the H.R.C. which remained at this time. Although the minutes of this first series of meetings are found in Appendix D, it would seem wise to make some note here of the problems encountered.1 The agenda for each meeting were similar: a brief progress report was to be given on the H.R.C., a map was to be displayed showing the general layout of the complex,2 and it was to be explained to parents that tentative plans called for moving into the complex in the Fall of 1969 although this would depend on both public and private site acquisition and construction schedules.3 It was explained that the six schools that were to be involved in these meetings: Central, Baldwin, McConnell, Wilson, Frost, and Longfellow, would probably be those schools involved in the initial move to the Human Resources Center.” The purpose of the area and neighborhood Advisory Committees was explained. In most cases, one of the city officials explained the role of 1Appendix D. 2Appendix G. 3As of the Summer of 1969; actually, ground is yet to be broken. “See map on page 27. :he city in the interest to the would attack prc them as 500“ as street lights w} streets which W‘ would also make city parks in t1 reational facili Center. The first Elementary Scho along with the :ne school, Mr. Billette of the expressed conce adjacent to the boundary of the There was Sthents in the hay are on those f :rowiwitw to t} xeiinite time ‘ "£1: could make 1 :ea _ Ce entral in nwhich 25111;“ attend le purch 58 the city in the development of the Center. It was of interest to the residents of the area that the city would attack problems in each neighborhood and correct them as soon as possible. This included such things as street lights which were not working, broken sidewalks, streets which were in need of repair, etc. The city would also make long range provision for the use of city parks in the general area in order to provide rec— reational facilities as an extension of the Human Resources Center. The first meeting was held on June 18 at the Central Elementary School. Seven parents were in attendance, along with the Principals (in-coming and out—going) of the school, Mr. James Bates of the N.D.P. and Mr. Kerm Billette of the City Planning Commission. The parents expressed concern for the property owners who lived adjacent to the H.R.C. They wanted to know the exact boundary of the Center and when the land might be appraised.l There was also concern for the high concentration of students in the one Center area, and the effect it would have on those families whose homes would remain in close proximity to the Center. Parents wanted to know more definite time schedules for all phases of the project so they could make individual plans. 1Central Elementary school boundaries include the area in which the H.R.C. was to be built. Some of the parents attending this meeting had homes involved in the possible purchase area. On June 2C at Baldwin Eleme hay Ninotti, 1 parents gave 301 about the conce} fnorof the co mmyeducationa watn~Shelton, m an move on HmanResources hteresting: (1) Baldwir was no school (2)He hel He mov. attend (3) He was to ano open h 80 to area. (14) If the Resour to MC( and mt On June 20, 1968 two parents attended the meeting at Baldwin Elementary School with Mr. Billette and Mr. Perry Ninotti, Principal of the Baldwin School. The two parents gave some interesting insight into their feelings about the concept. One parent, Mrs. James Parry, was in favor of the concept. She believed it would provide many educational opportunities for her children. Mr. Walter Shelton, on the other hand, expressed opposition to any move on the part of the Baldwin School area to the Human Resources Center. His reasons are important and interesting: (1) Baldwin School is an adequate building and there was no need to have students leave it to attend school in another area. (2) He believes in the neighborhood school concept. He moved into an area so that his children could attend a certain school. (3) He was opposed to moving children from one area to another for the purpose of integration. With open housing, parents who want their children to go to a particular school can move into that area. (u) If the students at Baldwin were to go to the Resource Center, he wanted his children to go to McCarroll School which is below capacity and much closer to his home. (5) Providing bus transportation for children from an area which had a school building for them to another area, was an unnecessary burden on the taxpayer. The recommendations of this meeting were (1) to continue with the development of the Center but to keep the com— munity involved, and (2) leave the schools as they are and replace thoS seems to be oij are contradictor seven DarE athBfellow E: Principal: and 1 taoa were the Phans'reaCti first of all: t: centrations of H.R.C. They "9 so many stud‘ent unjustified whe buildings. The McConnell, but inable. Parer arenot oppoSE ‘rorhood concept ityoodes and mothey did n< up ~uw expected 1 shoots going sinuoung chi 60 and replace those schools which need replacement. It seems to be obvious here that the two recommendations are contradictory. Seven parents attended the June 24, 1968 meeting at Longfellow Elementary along with Mrs. Margaret Luther, Principal, and two members of the City government. These agenda were the same as for the other meetings; the parents‘ reactions were somewhat different. They felt, first of all, that they would be opposed to large con— centrations of students such as there would be in the H.R.C. They were concerned about safety problems with so many students. They felt the cost of bussing was unjustified when children could remain in existing buildings. They recognized the need for replacement of McConnell, but felt that the other buildings were serv— iceable. Parents at Longfellow pointed out that they were not opposed to integration but believe in a neigh— borhood concept of the school.1 Parents also noted that City codes and ordinances are not being enforced now, and they did not expect any change because of the Center. They expected problems in the control and discipline of students going to and from the Center. They did not want young children bussed. Some general reactions 1It is interesting to note that as generally planned, it would be the majority of Negro pupils from Longfellow who would be attending the H.R.C. It was the white parents Who were in favor of the plan. imhned these: move out of the hmmepredominz hrranal balaI Education and t1 hradueving t] Thirteen 1 W-VanKoughnet Bahwin SchoO1 lflslelementa atllilson, in c 5Ch0015’ was ve part in the new ortheplanning wegity and me necity to und inomi’ he Sta afnm WilSOn F amwsohool bL ano‘overcpowdeC enable them to in favor of it. AlthOUgh Effie Was comm :oténded the J] Held on 61 included these: parents felt that white parents would move out of the H.R.C. area and thus the schools would become predominately Negro, this would destroy the plans for racial balance; they suggested that the Board of Education and the administration look into other plans for achieving their goals. Thirteen parents, the Community School Director, Mr. VanKoughnett, Mr. Billette and Mr. Perry Ninotti of Baldwin School attended the meeting on July 15, 1968 at Wilson Elementary School. The reaction of the parents at Wilson, in contrast to that at many of the other schools, was very favorable. The parents wanted to take part in the new facility and were willing to be a part of the planning. They were interested in the role of the city and mentioned some improvements they wanted the city to undertake. In a recent interview with Mr. Ninotti, he stated that he felt that the burning concern of the Wilson parents was to get the boys and girls into a new school building—~their present one was inadequate and overcrowded and if being in favor of the H.R.C. would enable them to achieve this goal, they would be entirely in favor of it.1 Although each family in the Robert Frost School area was contacted about their meeting, only five parents attended the July 21 meeting, with Mr. Fred Carter, 1Held on May 2“, 1969. hmumly SChOOl punts who atte They were a1so " sch001-communit3 They wanted to 5 advisory commitl mendations, as l as to the types misneighborhOl tale. There is opposition to t the plans as ge indicate that t area would be a newhite child in the fact the .09? cent white in increase. Seven pa] L:I'inoipal at W newly 23, 1f :79 parents at :3 the point. 0 itthis time \u 3253M, Cente " "1931‘, Na 62 Community School Director at Frost and Mr. Ninotti. The parents who attended were in favor of the Resource Center. They were also more in favor of developing a strong school—community relationship program in their area. They wanted to set up block clubs and a neighborhood advisory committee to achieve this goal. The recom— mendations, as will be noted in the Appendix were mainly as to the types of improvement which the citizens of this neighborhood wanted the city government to under- take. There is a strong possibility that the lack of opposition to the H.R.C. might stem from the fact that the plans as generally presented to these people would indicate that the Negro children from the Frost School area would be attending the H.R.C. while very few of the white children would be taken. This is significant in the fact that the school is presently about fifty per cent white with the percentage of Negro children on the increase. Seven parents along with Mr. Howard Caldwell, Principal at McConnell and Mr. Perry Ninotti attended the July 23, 1968 meeting at McConnell Elementary School. The parents at this meeting were quite upset sometimes to the point of open hostility. They were not interested at this time with the long-range plans for a Human Resource Center. What they wanted, and they made this Very clear, was an immediate replacement for the McConnell Consul facility interested in t] complex' Althow heyfelt that . hwk. Their r bereplaced inun immediately, Ch sand that the Hmomwll in th wrenot to the of time it woul nhg and the p wtwait; the F hmediate. in summar hnhal, Longfe Iobeopposed t llhon School E Thorof the 1C wanted more imm During tl 1lithe respon: he ~ Seseven pa] Summary ges of M lfhn . « cent 63 School facility. They indicated that they were not interested in the other schools that will make up the complex. Although they saw integration as desirable, they felt that the complex would end up being totally black. Their recommendations were that McConnell School be replaced immediately. If the school cannot be replaced immediately, children should be bussed elsewhere. They stated that they would not send their children to McConnell in the Fall of 1969. The objections here were not to the H.R.C. concept itself, but to the length of time it would take to get the facility open and oper— ating and the parents of this school felt that they could not wait; the problem of housing their students was too immediate. In summary, then, the neighborhoods of the Baldwin, Central, Longfellow and Frost Elementary Schools seemed to be opposed to the concept of a Human Resources Center.1 Wilson School area residents were pretty obviously in favor of the idea and McConnell School, while not opposed, wanted more immediate reaction to their problems. During the months of July and August, Mr. Ninotti had the responsibility of contacting parents in each of these seven particular schools to organize block committees lSummary statement can only be based on the small percentages of parents attending these meetings. ~ W VI‘ for civic and SC lament area advi advise but dispe interest: partic Mr NinOtti foll census Cards of the ucconnell SC clubs Operating Almost unanimouf found no one in’ Slad to be info: but they did “O which needed to areas and that problems themse :o do so. Many stated that the :bat they ”will As a mm :3 organize pal sum was postDC interest of pa] taken to impler 1 See char ”solution 1 64 for civic and school action. The idea was to form per— manent area advisory committees which could not only advise but dispense information of general community interest, particularly about the H.R.C.l The procedure Mr. Ninotti followed was to call people using the office census cards of each school from A—Z. He did not include the McConnell School area since they already had block clubs operating doing the task that he was to organize. Almost unanimously during his telephone campaign he found no one interested in participating. They were glad to be informed about the formation of the committees, but they did not want to serve. They felt that the action which needed to be taken immediately was action in civic areas and that they had been handling these types of problems themselves for a long time and could continue to do so. Many of the parents, according to Mr. Ninotti, Stated that they did not want the H.R.C. to happen and that they "will oppose it when it happens." As a result of the lack of success of this attempt to organize parents, the remainder of the summer's pro— gram was postponed with the idea of reassessing the interest of parents once more definite steps had been taken to implement the concept of the H.R.C. It was lSee chart of proposed structure of community organization in Appendix F. w" assumed by the : board that Pare‘ see more ViSibll perhaps, be mOI" The next them about the Central Element Design Associat and various adm acquiring land administrators llhitmer, Mr. Va of Elementary E were opposed tc 1969 racial prc many parents we eKhr‘ess their c l“Ontiac Board ( This might expi light be expla: FiPents to see in. \\ 1. Swim Newspam‘ «what from 65 assumed by the school administration and the school board that parents were tired of talk and wanted to see more visible evidence of action and would then, perhaps, be more willing to cooperate. The next attempt to organize parents and inform them about the H.R.C. took place on May 22, 1969 at the Central Elementary School. Dr. David Lewis of Urban Design Associates presented the plans for the building and various administrators gave progress reports on acquiring land and beginning construction. Among the administrators participating in the program were Dr. Whitmer, Mr. VanKoughnett, and Mr. Gerald White, Director of Elementary Education. The parents at this meeting were opposed to the H.R.C. concept.1 In the Spring of 1969 racial problems were rife in the community and many parents were using public meetings of any type to express their dissatisfaction with the policies of the Pontiac Board of Education and its administrative staff. This might explain part of the hostility. Another part might be explained by the understandable impatience of parents to see actual "brick and mortar" construction begin. lNewspaper report in Appendix E, p. 202, differs somewhat from the reports of persons in attendance. The H.R.C ing the total 1 majorpartner O istheCOmmunit Community inV01 categories: (1) Adult p recreat (2) Adult w gram ar sionalS (3) Communi P.T.A'l Parents and 0t? requested to DE program. Volur special activii Ly nmrm P .T.A. library helper aefined by the scone availab isS,teehnica :l'Jw‘ - «mound suo Sin ‘» All supervis Ii.R.C. sta Communi t ill 81"" ‘ b. ‘90 throur 66 Organization for Continued Community Involvement The H.R.C. was planned to play a new role in affect— ing the total learning environment of each child. The major partner of the school in this approach to education is the community, including both parents and other adults. Community involvement can be divided into three major categories: (1) Adult participation in adult classes, adult recreation, and family activities. (2) Adult workers in the basic instructional pro— gram and the community program as paraprofes— sionals and/or volunteers. (3) Community planning through advisory groups, P.T.A., and block clubs. Parents and other adults within the community will be requested to participate as working partners within the program. Volunteers will be used as individual tutors, special activity superivsors, homeroom mothers, lec— turers, P.T.A. fund raisers, field trip chaperones, library helpers, pre-school helpers, and other duties defined by the H.R.C. staff. As local or federal funds become available, residents could be employed as clerical aids, technical aides, adult registrars, noon supervisors, playground supervisors, home contactors, after—school study supervisors, and other jobs again identified by the H.R.C. staff. Community participation in planning will be accom- plished through a network of advisory groups and P.T.A. l'V' participation' T way this could be their attention t Interest Sim-comm clubs or “Eighbor recreational prob student behaVior blems, or program These groups Will Director and his men are selected, become resource 9 Much plannii ment of parents a: lead in this, sup} Perry Ninotti.1 '. provide the struc‘ irepresentative 1 identified for the community people i iann. officer: the summer of 1965 his approach that ASSistagi' ‘Richarc ”Am-P191210 3Abel 57 participation. The charts in Appendix F, illustrate one way this could be accomplished. These groups would address their attention to any community activity or concern. Interest sub—committees should be formed from the block clubs or neighborhood advisory committees dealing with recreational problems, street repair, social services, student behavior in the neighborhood, educational pro— blems, or programming of afternoon and evening activities. These groups will be organized by the Community School Director and his staff. As the groups develop and chair— men are selected, the professional representatives will become resource people. Much planning was done for this continued involve— ment of parents and citizens. Mr. VanKoughnett took the lead in this, supported by Mr. Richard Goodwin and Mr. 1 The community organization chart will Perry Ninotti. provide the structure for the involvement of parents on a representative basis from the neighborhoods tentatively identified for the H.R.C. The original contacts with community people were to be taken from the 1968—68 list of P.T.A. officers, and from the list developed during the summer of 1968 by Perry Ninotti. As we have seen, the approach that Mr. Ninotti made to the parents of er. Richard Goodwin was working as an Administrative Assistant in the school central office while awaiting completion of Lincoln Elementary where he was to be prin— Cipal. ; these seven school viding members to 1 groups. At the pre the fact that parer to be based on thre (1) "we want 01 the old or“ (2) "This H.R-< (3) "It will té school nOW br. Whitmer also S at the present timt ested, because the that their feeling let's get it built in spite of neighborhood organ heling of the sch be continued for t W) P.T.A. , and have be .en worked c an ' ithe limits alc ll'. Hist of some of Nether school di the : 0f Educatior interview in 68 these seven school communities was unsuccessful in pro— viding members to form the structure of the neighborhood groups. At the present time, Dr. Whitmer characterizes the fact that parents' opposition to the H.R.C. seems to be based on three main contentions:l (1) "We want our new school building right where the old one is." (2) "This H.R.C. is just another newfangled idea." (3) "It will take too much time, and we need a new school now." Dr. Whitmer also stated that there were no parent meetings at the present time even for those parents who are inter- ested, because they do not seem to want them. He said that their feeling is that "we have talked enough, now let's get it built." In spite of the seeming lack of interest in the neighborhood organizations at the present time, it is the feeling of the school administration that plans must still be continued for the functioning of the various neighbor- hood, P.T.A., and block club meetings. Accordingly, plans have been worked out which would specify the groundwork and the limits along which these groups could function. A list of some of these activities might be of interest to other school districts planning this type, or a similar type, of educational innovation. Among the things that 1Interview with Dr. Whitmer, March, 1969. :- ituas felt these g mendations on were a) Building an b) InstruC’CiOr ) Community e d) Social serV ) Neighborhoc ) student 13°F ) TranspOrtat ) Parent OPE;E ( ( (C ( ( ( ( ( Asecond list whici features" listed ti ) City-wide i ) Pre-school ) Volunteers ) Use of T-V ) Staff pre—i ) Oakland Un ) G. l. L. con ) Staff sele it was understood initiated by the D parent groups work Could identify pri suh~ooumittees to ho ..oohmendations to his, as a part Plan joint activit sented for the H F 35% but . -lding was c {R3361}: neral lllé Ex» 61 ntiac Schehi? K 69 it was felt these groups could discuss and make recom— mendations on were these: Building and site Instructional program Community education Social services Neighborhood renewal Student population Transportation Parent organization AAAAAAAA 5'09 Ham Q: 0 0‘ $13 vvvvvvvv A second list which is titled simply "other special features" listed these activities: City—wide in—service education Pre—school Volunteers Use of T.V. Staff pre—service and in—service Oakland University teacher training G.I.L. concept.l Staff selection AAA/\AAAA 5.0.9 “"3 (D Q: 0 C. 90 VVVVVVVV It was understood that at any time questions could be initiated by the parent groups for discussion. The parent groups working through the neighborhood committees could identify priority concerns and establish working sub—committees to investigate in depth with reports and recommendations to be made to the total group. Local P.T.A.s, as a part of the human relations program, could plan joint activities centered around the concepts pre- sented for the H.R.C. These would take place before the building was opened during the 1969-70 school year lGeneral instructional Leader——a teacher—consultant (master teacher) proposal still to be adopted by the Pontiac Schools. } on a need basis an P.T.A. board meeti potluck dinners. A third phas would be conducted During this third would meet on a 50 developed in Phase Although dur 59 school year, tt involvement in the little interest it if the City of For administrative ste were completed anc become aroused an< renewed interest 3‘ theooncept. The .L‘Pogress is made 5 na ' .rents in the ne 0 receive and di :o t he planning 0 Phase I, Phase II, Phase III, C 70 on a need basis and would include such things as joint P.T.A. board meeting, joint P.T.A. meetings, and joint potluck dinners. A third phase of the parent involvement program would be conducted during the 1970—71 school year.1 During this third phase, parents and citizens groups would meet on a scheduled basis to continue the ideas developed in Phase II. Although during the summer of 1968 and the 1968— 69 school year, the activities concerned with parent involvement in the H.R.C. concept seemed to be drawing little interest it remained the hope of the government of the City of Pontiac and Pontiac School Board and administrative staff that as the plans for the building were completed and construction began, new interest would become aroused and parents would be willing to take a renewed interest in the planning for implementation of the concept. The attitude seems to be that as building progress is made, new efforts will be made to involve parents in the neighborhoods to serve on area Committees, to receive and distribute information, and to give advice to the planning of the H.R.C. lPhase I, Completion date——6/30/68 Phase II, Completion date——6/30/69 Phase III, Completion date——6/30/7O Publi Mthough the to assist pupils a! dhroflmr service school team, namell mmolpsychologisi mhmt,school 1L dhatm’keep agen communities. Some totm school chil housed in the Huma suvhes will be c ftheschool and school. The followin ”Utribute to the lMyofthese ager umrunof the H.F City Planr Youth Depg Parks and human Rel; Department City Librg Health Dep Oakland Ce .. -C. an< oahland u, Lakland c\ 71 Public and Non-Public Social Service Programs Although the schools provide many services designed to assist pupils and their parents, community agencies offer other services not provided by the schools. The school team, namely the classroom teacher, principal, school psychologist, nurse, counselor, curriculum con— sultant, school liaison worker, and the community school director keep agencies informed as to the needs of the communities. Some of the agencies which offer services to the school children and their parents will need to be housed in the Human Resources Center. Other agencies' services will be coordinated through the regular staff t Of the school and the staff that serves the community t school. The following agencies offer services which may contribute to the welfare and needs of the community and many Of these agencies will be coordinated in the school DPOgram of the H.R.C.: City Planning Commission . Youth Department, City of Pontiac Parks and Recreation Department Human Relations Commission Department of Public Works City Library Health Department (city) Oakland County Health Department A.D.C. and Welfare Departments Community Mental Health Services Parent-Teacher Associations . Pontiac Area Community Arts CounCll United Fund Agencies Oakland University Oakland Community College aw” Oakland CO UH Club-CO Social1 Ser' Family SeI' Child Care Probate CO Oakland CO Michigan E Letters of e received during th tors of many of th and the time of tt 1m; the month of ii MP- D. H. Hoard, [ of Oakland County Oakland County De; were received from m ‘ ' .mlly Seerce 0f Coordinator of For Charles S. Cullen Health; Mr. James lrhan Renewal and of ' .Communlty SerV‘ JUN n shay, lettel :‘he ....I‘ l ' t], DlI‘ECtOI‘ nifairs and Mr. R( lids dd Teacher Ev liter: ca .me from I'Jé‘fi-Q-fn' o 0 Division 3. ll_ 13- «itinerald «0 Press 72 Oakland County Board of Education UH Club—coop Extension Social Services of Oakland County Family Service of Oakland County Child Care Facilities Probate Court, Juvenile Division Oakland County Commission on Economic Opportunity Michigan Employment Security Commission Letters of endorsement and encouragement were received during the Spring and Summer of 1967 from Direc- tors of many of these departments. A list of the writers and the time of their letters might be of interest. Dur— ing the month of March, 1967, letters were received from Mr. D. H. Hoard, Director of Department of Social Services of Oakland County and Dr. Bernard D. Berman, Director of Oakland County Department of Health. During April letters were received from Mr. Robert J. Janes, Director of Family Service of Oakland County; Mr. George P. Caronis, Coordinator of Pontiac Youth Assistance Department; Mr. Charles S. Cullen, City Sanitarian, Department of Public Health; Mr. James L. Bates, Director of Planning and Urban Renewal and Dr. Walter J. Flightmaster, Director Of Community Services of Oakland Community College. DUPing May, letters were received from Mr. David J. Doherty, Director of the Mott Center for Community Affairs and Mr. Robert D. Trautman, Director of M.S.U. Oakland Teacher Education Center. Finalle in June, letters came from Mrs. Cordelia Petrie, Chairman, Women's Division of Pontiac Area United Fund and Mr. R. H. Fitzgerald III, President and Publisher of the Pontiac Press. The planning the H.R.C. was 60“ Phase was a series nation, answer que The first of these attendance were re Department of Heal Services, M.S.U. C has Planning Comm Youth. Conducting and Mr. Bert VanKo meeting was a prog such things as att model of the facil curriculum (as far itation of space—e aEencies , and com “091 advi S ory c omr Some of the ittendunce at thic Writ would hat if“ Children “-9 possible i 73 The planning of involvement of social agencies in the H.R.C. was constructed in three phases. The first phase was a series of meetings which would provide infor— mation, answer questions, and form a basis for discussion. The first of these was held on January 10, 1968. In attendance were representatives from Oakland County Department of Health, Oakland Community College, Family Services, M.S.U. Continuing Education Center, Pontiac Area Planning Commission and the Citizens Committee on Youth. Conducting the meeting were Mr. Perry Ninotti and Mr. Bert VanKoughnett. The general agenda for this meeting was a progress report on the H.R.C. which covered such things as attendance area, preliminary drawings, model of the facilities, discussion of the planned curriculum (as far as it had gone at this time), util— ization of space—especially as it pertained to the social agencies, and community involvement through the neighbor— hood advisory committees. Some of the questions raised by the people in attendance at this meeting were these: What would happen to the elementary school buildings when children move to the H.R.C.? . The possible uses of the facilities were discussed. a encies? $5.255;aiiiiiéirifiaéieiiitiiealiriii‘:_ stace could be made available by scheduling a faoility for two agencies at different times. How extensive are demands for the use of social agencies in the area? Probably the highest in Oakland County. This is one of the rea: available '00 ‘3] Who will assum‘ at the H.R.C.? The present ag and the variOu As a result were made. The fi adequate planning theH.H.C. for the represented wanted of the H.R.C. Thi lormal, external, the H.R.C. On August BE hill ' - ...n a number of l 3 .h, .. 317.13. Win . - . Sesse olar' ' L . mlng between t 's‘l‘vcational parks ‘Imp L' end): a lilac, he met iFII‘ative staff o‘ 7” one of the reasons that the facility is being made available to the social agencies. Who will assume the costs of the services provided at the H.R.C.? The present agreement between the school district and the various agencies will continue. As a result of this meeting, several recommendations were made. The first of these was that there should be adequate planning in order to provide sufficient space in the H.R.C. for the various agencies. Second, the agencies represented wanted to be kept up—to—date on the progress of the H.R.C. Third, provision should be made for a formal, external, public relations program concerning the H.R.C. On August 28, 1967, Mr. Thomas Sessel of Community Progress Inc. of New Haven, Connecticut, met in Pontiac with a number of representatives of social service pro— grams.2 Mr. Sessel was associated in New Haven with the planning between the school district and the city for educational parks. During the time that Mr. Sessel was in Pontiac, he met with representatives of the admin— istrative staff of the schools, the executive boards of Central, Wilson, and McConnell School P.T.A.'s, City department heads, executive directors of Big Brothers, g here is that there would be no 1 . The ' ortant thin _ 1mp r fees to the agenCies to be increased housing costs 0 housed in the Center. 2Costs for this visit were assumed by Educational Facilities Laboratories. inScmhs, Family Urban League. AlS( Manager; Mr. James hr. David Vanderve oer.Sessel's vi depossibilities mmthy that cou tmnwihla concep hese meetin marked Phase I dtheSocial Agen Phase T _, which was new ,included the mdservices by T6 mssmn to each : ,.. The sug accordf 3 would i vehement in on. :s .' “Puget There .. was found nece «HR two meetin 75 Boy Scouts, Family Services, Legal Aid Societies, and Urban League. Also present were Mr. Joseph Warren, City Manager; Mr. James Bates, Urban Renewal Director, and Mr. David Vanderveen, City Study Director. The purpose of Mr. Sessel's visits was to acquaint these people with the possibilities of programs that would benefit the community that could come about as a result of associa— tion with a concept such as the H.R.C. These meetings and a few other activities, char— acterized Phase I of the "Plan for Coordinating the Work of the Social Agencies." Some other activities during Phase I, which was scheduled to be completed by May 1, 1969, included the preparation of a catalog of agencies and services by Teacher Corps Teams. A short invitation was sent to each agency inviting them to attend the meetings. The suggestion was made that agencies could be grouped according to the type of service. Sub— committees would be formed to proceed with ultimate involvement in the H.R.C. and the coordination of their services. There is no evidence at the present time that it was found necessary to form sub—committees at either of the two meetings mentioned earlier. Each agency, however, was asked to develop possible areas of concern which might include such items as the following: (a) Each agency could identify the scope of their services needed by the residents of the H.R.C. area. (b) Determine personnel each agenc (0) Develop a conference (d) Develop a (e) Consider 8 area and i (1‘) Discuss th (g) Develop l school yea proceed into Phase which is inch-i others, the Preparing a D] by the various .leetings of ti tonmlttees COL interest items in“ particibal fweloped in '. «.ner service D . ~ .hese til it ’9 ['31 ~ L w “New bv .m pm. ' 1:3. he .t lnzluded ’.lli*li,.,_‘ T 1 iograzw ' \,L l >w,n" ' . the. 3\'o . 31)) u this F‘l‘ezrt in» W1” ‘11‘.‘. 76 (b) Determine the amount of time that each agency's personnel could spend in the H.R.C. in terms of each agency's budget. (c) Develop a system of cross—referral and case—study conferences. (d) Develop a public information service. (e) Consider space use of other buildings in the area and in the vacated schools. (f) Discuss the inclusion of other services. (g) Develop a planning schedule for the 1969—70 school year. Following these activities, the agencies would then proceed into Phase II of the Planning Schedule. Phase II, which is to be completed by April 1, 1970, calls for, among others, the following activities: Preparing a planning schedule which would be designed by the various representatives of the service agencies. Meetings of the entire group and meetings of sub— committees could be held representing both general interest items and specific interest areas. The participating role of each agency could be developed in writing including its relationship with other service agencies. Phase 111 includes two parts. The first part should be completed by July 17, 1970. Here the material developed would be included in the H.R.C. Staff Post—Selection Training Program and the summer workshop which is planned for tho H.R.C. staff during the dates June 23, 1970 to Iulv 17, 1970.1 Part two of Phase III includes 1At this writing, the dates appear to be at least a year premature. implementation of agencies and conti the H.R.C. Staff P during or at the e is open. To fully coc tion of the total that a Director of appointed. This; operation. In a i that the Director assistance in thre 310 grade 6, and in charge of Comm iould wort: primari involvement, COOIW WM curricular . H-,',. his person no all: ‘ shun under 5‘» 77 implementation of the activities of the social service agencies and continued discussion and evaluation under the H.R.C. Staff Post—Opening Training which is scheduled during or at the end of the first year that the Center is open. To fully coordinate the effort once the implementa— tion of the total project is begun, it is anticipated that a Director of the Human Resources Center will be appointed. This person will be responsible for the entire operation. In a latter part of this paper, we will note that the Director will be given additional administrative assistance in three areas: pre-school to grade 3, grade 4 to grade 6, and Community Services. The administrator in charge of Community Services, one of these three, would work primarily in the areas of continued community involvement, coordination of agencies, and adult and extra curricular activities. The main responsibility of this person would include implementing the plans as outlined under the three phases of the Planning Schedule. ~39 'Iiniidi Urban Design ire layout for an design adequate fa Center which will pupiiS, adult room ’ serviC‘35~ Part: on SC ectly east of city .stmtion Buildinf :pprnven‘ this s i t: specificai staff membel ns: inclt “31] V. O .‘n '. J .1 [ll “U t CHAPTER IV FROM CONCEPT TO PLANS Urban Design Associates was hired to design the site layout for an approximate forty acre site and to design adequate facilities to house the Human Resources Center which will include approximately 2,000 elementary pupils, adult rooms, facilities for the extended school idea, special recreational facilities—indoor and outdoor for all ages, and office and clinic space for other related services. U.D.A. made in—depth studies of the Kiwanis Park on South Sanford Street and the area dir— ectly east of City Hall and the School District Admin— istration Building as possible sites. The latter area was recommended as the best site.1 The Board of Education approved this site on February 28, 1968. A group of school district administrators, with the assistance of an educational consultant from U.D.A., worked intensively during the period November 1, 1967 to February 1, 1968 to Produce specifications for the H.R.C. Staff members who participated in the planning of the building included two or three teachers from each of 1Shown in Appendix G and Map on page 27. the involved eleme consultant teacher Librarian, Reading Specialist, Direct of Elementary Phys Education. At a meeting Director of Urban lhitner establishe The schedule calle lune l, 1968 which school staff membe action by the City Ll‘ ,‘ D n ‘ .ml 0. hducatior fgln neTot' : . lation he proposal woulc wiii members and n: School Board :Tli'l ' ' n3 acunsiticr ~ l Dwo l‘lW\'.,_ Night of‘ fr ".0 g . «K npnv 79 the involved elementary schools, the three elementary consultant teachers, Audio-Visual Specialist, Head Librarian, Reading Specialist, Art Specialist, Science Specialist, Director of Elementary Vocal Music, Director of Elementary Physical Education and Director of Special Education. At a meeting on May 10, 1968, City Manager Warren, Director of Urban Planning Bates, and Superintendent Whitmer established a schedule for site acquisition. The schedule called for approval of the H.R.C. site by June 1, 1968 which would include agreement by city and school staff members, action by City Planning Commission, action by the City Commission and finally action by the Board of Education. By June 15, 1968, they hoped to begin negotiation for the public land in the Center area. The proposal would be developed by the city and school staff members and discussed with the City Commission and the School Board. The Board of Education began to work on the acquisition of the site hoping to complete it by September 15, 1968.1 Acquisition of site included activ— ities such as obtaining appraisals, conducting engineering Studies, selecting a realtor, and getting options to pur— chase the privately—owned lands. Through all of this, one Of the things that these men worked to achieve was to avoid flight of families from the area. They intended to M 1It was Spring 1969 before purchase was completed. in; mlmisin two wag that this was a p: md(2)through p1 m He plans for ‘ Members of ‘ wmoladministra meufilization 0 thstaff with c‘ pmcms. Some of (U Determina (N Provision (D Vehicular (a) Aeees (b) Effec (M Pedestria (9 Developme leading t Access of Delineati by the n. (a) Exami K areas \b) Formu the p L, Jnat publ El) Cheat €011le (bi ppoee advay [1 ‘ ) P13303118 :. (“1) To C” 80 do this in two ways: (1) through stressing the fact that this was a psychological ownership of the center, and (2) through providing a great deal of information on the plans for the Center. Members of the city government worked with the school administration and school board in planning for the utilization of the site. Concern was shown by the city staff with certain elements of the total planning process. Some of these items of concern included: (1) Determination on the size of the site. (2) Provision of adequate parking. Vehicular access to the site. (a) Access within the site. (b) Effect on other streets around the site. (3 v (A) Pedestrian overpass. (5) Development of a street as a pedestrian mall leading to the Center. (6 v Access of the site to nearby Richardson Park. (7) Delineation of the total area to be influenced by the H.R.C. (a) Examine all the problems relevant to these areas. (b) Formulate a city plan for the treatment of the problems. (8) What public improvements are inadequate. (a) Create a capital improvement plan to correct inadequacies. (b) Proceed new with some local plans in advance of federal support. (9) Prepare a G.N.R.P. application.1 (a) To take advantage of the schools' 1G.N.R.P.: General Neighborhood Rehabilitation PPogram. inveSt (b) Lead“ progr’E The school 2 making plans for 1 Director of Elemei the administratiw was made that the General PrinC charge Of all A Principal O hPrincipa:L O Coordinator’ 0 General Instr‘ to two people it. Community SCh Assistant C01i n .. «Nae noted by t he position of i "m .v ' ”mam scnools r airninistratorS- at attract the organizations 1.; \ may be i‘o D n - tiinning w "~11 would suoo ‘Ti‘h' ' i me included :41}? 1 .nke ppoi‘jpam 81 investment in building. (b) Leading up to a possible urban renewal program. The school administrative staff, too, was busy making plans for the Center. A group, working with the Director of Elementary Education, formulated plans for the administrative staff of the school. The suggestion was made that the staff include the following personnel: General Principal or Coordinating Principal in charge of all programs. A Principal of the upper elementary school. A Principal of the lower elementary school. Coordinator of pre-school and kindergarten. General Instructional Leader—~may later be expanded E: two people if the federal project would support Community School Director. Assistant Community School Director. It was noted by the Director of Elementary Education that the position of Principal(s) of the upper and lower ele— mentary schools must be filled by experienced, capable administrators. The title "Assistant Principal" would not attract the type of person needed for these positions. An organizational plan for the administration of the H.R.C. may be found in Appendix H. Planning was also done for pupil personnel services which would support the regular school program. A general outline included a discussion of such things as the school guidance program; the duties and areas of concern of an I elementary counsel to assist teachers standing of pupils not profiting from logical program, i have major respons as candidates for serve in a consult was anticipated tl approximately one also call for a fi lime equally betw< Schools. This pe: and as a resource in coordinating h t“Fetch health ed {in .rsonnel staff W social worker, a mi 3 ful l—time :3 :Pati‘le nf‘P' “ k“—lCE‘S l "‘39,“ e . " t-Pi‘llminae 5t in De" . In 019;] ASSC 82 elementary counselor; the school social work program, to assist teachers and other staff members in an under— standing of pupils and to give help to pupils who are not profiting from the school program; a school psycho- logical program, in which the school psychologist would have major responsibility for the study of pupils referred as candidates for mentally handicapped programs and also serve in a consultant capacity to the school staff.1 It was anticipated that this psychologist would spend approximately one half of his time at the H.R.C. Plans also call for a full—time school nurse to divide her time equally between the lower and upper elementary schools. This person would serve as a health consultant and as a resource person to students, parents, and teachers in coordinating health projects and developing programs through health education. In summary, then, the pupil personnel staff would consist of two counselors, a school social worker, a school psychologist on a half—time basis, and a full—time nurse. Other activities were taking place at the adminis— trative offices leading to Board decisions which would accept preliminary plans for the H.R.C., and the use of Urban Design Associates as project architects.2 A school 1Plans call for one Counselor for the upper ele— mentary school and one for the lower elementary. g LFactors in selection process are in Appendix I. mnnhtrators' Ex luy15, 1968 to I was. Items on t Prdiminary P] (D Educatione (Blhppraisal (3lhppraisal (”)Appraisal (5)Conformit1 (M ADpraisal (N Assessmen (8) Appraisal other its (9) Appraisal— PESOUI’CGS hmraisal Of (1)Check O“ N Check wit (3)Check wit worked. (M Other ite achof these age .mtnu administ: shovel was givi .: Ll -D.A. as pro; On August . UNLiLcwis and l .13 hi i ' J. Richard 83 administrators' Executive Council meeting was held on July 15, 1968 to review appraisal of the preliminary plans. Items on the agenda included: Preliminary Plans (1) Educational organization and functions (2) Appraisal of the professional staff (3) Appraisal of parents (A) Appraisal by cooperating agencies (5) Conformity to state code (6) Appraisal by operation and maintenance departments (7) Assessment by contractors (8) Appraisal of cost estimates, area per pupil and other items of significance. (9) Appraisal of the adequacy of available financial resources with possible courses of action. Appraisal of U.D.A. as Project Architects (1) Check on credit rating (2) Check with owners of projects completed (3) Check with contractors with whom U.D.A. has worked. (A) Other items of interest Each of these agenda items was presented by one of the Central administrative staff and, after discussion, approval was given to both the preliminary plans and to U.D.A. as project architects. On August 2%, 1968 representative of U.D.A., Dr. David Lewis and Mr. James Porter met with Dr. Whitmer and Mr. Richard Fell, Assistant Superintendent, to set .7 oposchedule of C the activities the completion of the sentation of final trict staff on Se; and discussion wit 1968. The schedui heat of plans was December 30. The: sentatives and a i it was hoped that developing H.R.C. 1953.1 A firm to the school distri “cortices would be final preliminary r his firm on Janu Things were in stem of the sc Various functions community was Lorhood area of t TCZQBI‘ne d with t‘r in lgates are a o; to show .bgram of t 1:51 p) L‘ 9‘38 Apps» 84 up a schedule of completion dates for activities. Among the activities that were listed were such things as the completion of the site engineering study and the pre- sentation of final preliminary plans to the school dis— trict staff on September 26, 1968, with a final presentation and discussion with the Board of Education on October 3, 1968. The schedule of reviews of progress and the develop— ment of plans was set up for October 30, November 30, and December 30. These reviews would involve U.D.A. repre— sentatives and a large group of school staff administrators. It was hoped that the preliminary cost estimate of the developing H.R.C. structure could be made by October 30, 1968.1 A firm to do this would be selected mutually by the school district and U.D.A. and the cost of this firm's services would be shared by the two selecting groups. A final preliminary cost estimate would also be made by this firm on January 30, 1969- Things were progressing. A site had been selected. Members of the school district staff were planning for the Various functions which would take place within the school.2 The community was expressing concerns regarding the neigh— borhood area of the site. Elementary administrators were concerned with the type of program which would be provided 1Dates are listed often to show the sequence of events and also to show the importance of scheduling specifically in a program of this type- 2See Appendix J. I‘ ".. for the school. i site acquisition i be far enough alox deal of delay in l F27.‘-=-w— 7:1be far enough along so that there would not be a great deal of delay in breaking ground. L" PRE It was recc such that the H.F Tm mmstion of I h mcessary that hinted earlier. mhlyYOO elemei Nlhelementary l 93.0 and accomr ihih. The sch< hrPhase I as a Tmhthat had be< inuewhich was 1 on , .- “flbxnntelu tw use in orde ”fiihnng funds '\ ‘ l h _ Whl I me 1.15::1" .tcs met 0 CHAPTER V PRESENT STATUS OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER It was recognized that the needs to be met were such that the H.R.C. should be constructed in one step. The question of finding sufficient funds, however, made it necessary that planning be scheduled in three phases as noted earlier. Phase I would accommodate approxi— mately 700 elementary pupils. Phase II would accommodate lUOO elementary pupils and Phase III would complete the H.R.C. and accommodate approximately 2,100 elementary pupils. The school district already had enough money for Phase I as a result of the bonded indebtedness pro— gram that had been established over the years. A bond issue which was passed in 1968 provided money for Phase II. Some money was available for Phase III because of a gradual decrement of elementary school enrollment. The fiscal resources available would be for building aDproximately two and one half of the proposed three phases. In order to complete all three phases, the remaining funds would have to be from external sources. Dr. Whitmer and Dr. David Lewis of Urban Design Associates met on December 26, 1968 with Mr. Harold 86 thwnof the Educ: tm mugress and ( suggestions from T wwrhg addition: Areport of the me ehhmiastic and t ofgrants for par hwespecific int‘ Dl‘ojects. For ex Em KS. Mott and hm hm Ford Pou grams. Gores dis mundation. It W (V L. , mental health as ~‘»L he of health in 3,. . . “0mm c Opportur earl: childhood 6 " i-‘av. Halt-3r [-1351 1“ 9f the .Elnfim‘ «h: . ‘ (‘1‘ .h‘. J" Lil "‘quw» v .. ment ~ . and III ' ~11 'r‘ “lwl‘atcrs. unbsequent 87 Cores of the Educational Facilities Laboratory to discuss the progress and development of the H.R.C. and to get suggestions from Mr. Gores on promising approaches to securing additional funds for completion of this project. A report of the meeting indicates that Mr. Gores was enthusiastic and encouraging. These men discussed sources of grants for parts of the project with organizations that have specific interests related to these same parts of the projects. For example, adult facilities might interest the 0.8. Mott and W.K. Kellogg Foundations. It was noted that the Ford Foundation had no money for building pro— grams. Gores discouraged any contact with the Rockefeller Foundation. It was suggested that the community service (mental health aspect) might interest the National Insti— tute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. The Office of Economic Opportunity might be a source for monies for early childhood education. Mr. Gores suggested talking to Mr. Walter Mylecraine, Commissioner for Construction Services of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare or Mr. John Cameron, his assistant, for help with government bureaus or offices. A Ford grant and/or Title I and III might be used for training teachers and administrators. Subsequent conferences were held with representa— tives of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, PLeprcsentative of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, With School District an explore ways 0f Ob possible to build struction stage- ustic interest in, found that there it 1|.U.D. which appeé tion costs for cei were explored as 1 building. On January sentatives of H.U in order to explo iifiuanoe the H. hues Bates, Dr. hm Schiller, :‘lr FL". Thor Petersen ‘Efktfitive u: as Mr. fl ' v «3,.»cmkn ‘ 9 ‘33. 3 v ‘Jlat .“h .xosal seehim {) we made to the .219 u w ..e1;,hborhood \ A 88 Development, with legislators who represent the Pontiac School District and with the State Superintendent to explore ways of obtaining additional funds to make it possible to build the entire H.R.C. in the initial con- struction stage. The contracts indicated an enthusi— astic interest in, and support of the project. It was found that there were federal programs administered by H.U.D. which appeared to be applicable to the construc— tion costs for certain facilities in the H.R.C. These were explored as potential additional revenues for the building. On January 9, 1969, a meeting was held with repre— sentatives of H.U.D., the city, and the school district in order to explore ways of applying for H.U.D. programs to finance the H.R.C. Present at the meeting were Mr. James Bates, Dr. David Lewis, Mr. Ray Rothermill, Mr. Vern Schiller, Mr. William Lacy, Mr. Bert VanKoughnett, Mr. Thor Petersen and Dr. Whitmer. The H.U.D. repre— sentative was Mr. Richard LaVernway. The meeting resulted in agreement that the school district should submit a proposal seeking funds as soon as possible. Application was made to the Neighborhood Facilities Program of H.U.D. The Neighborhood Facilities Program (N.F.L.) provides funds for construction of facilities, in schools, which serve non—school age persons. Under this program, por- tions of the H.R.C. which would qualify for federal funds include the We" auditorium, arts arts, and the gy included two req in the Center de for dual—use fac funds. At a Schoo James Dyer, a re supporter of VOC raised a number community partic certain other me made to H.U.D. f million dollars. Lil p L ..J.J. t0 (163133’ is. At the meet 2.: blocks in lull :31“ the heel for £44 93‘ a ..i1e of manv Y ,uickly as DOW" _ co. l5" .s cont“ , erenc: films in made hv \h tout the , distri the o . constructim 413er a he conol 89 include the pre—school wing, community action area, auditorium, arts and crafts area, homemaking, industrial arts, and the gymnasium area. The district's application included two requests, one for $676,284, for facilities in the Center defined under the N.F.P., and the other, for dual—use facilities, for $U33,896.00 in federal funds. At a School Board meeting in early April 1969, Mr. James Dyer, a resident of the Pontiac Community and a supporter of VOCAL (Voice of Oakland County Action League) raised a number of questions about the adequacy of the community participation in planning, cost estimates, and certain other materials in the application which was made to H.U.D. for a N.F.P grant of three-quarter of a million dollars. Mr. Dyer indicated VOCAL might urge H.U.D. to delay funding until these matters were cleared up. At the meeting, Dr. Whitmer expressed the hope that no blocks in implementing the H.R.C. be created because of the need for the Center and its program and the intense desire of many parents that the new facility be built as quickly as possible. School administrators called a press conference on April 23, 1969 to deny the allega— tions made by VOCAL, and to clear up misunderstandings about the district's application for a grant to help in the construction of the Center. They discussed partic— ularly the concerns in a letter signed by Mr. Dyer and sent to the Dem? In this letter M: Education 00““th application did and contained 80 VOCAL was concer’ ment in the Huma up the charges b ulent in its int During the cipal, Howard Ca President of the was satisfied wi Center. Bert Va with community g cational park id himurily c ORCEI‘ the service area so, there was no sect“ ‘ .lons oi the .ihce Dfler's let xfTZl‘Pd with the TTZL: _ «LLDII efforts 3 41% the stateme 3P Purposes i i \ a ob eel 90 sent to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In this letter Mr. Dyer, who is Chairman of the VOCAL Education Committee, said that the school district's application did not meet minimum requirements for approval and contained some untrue statements.‘ It also said that VOCAL was concerned with the "lack of community involve— ment in the Human Resources Center concept." It summed up the charges by saying that the application was ”fraud— ulent in its intent and in fact." During the press conference McConnell School Prin— cipal, Howard Caldwell, and the President and Vice President of the McConnell P.T.A. stated that the P.T.A. was satisfied with the community involvement in the Center. Bert VanKoughnett stated that he had worked with community groups since the inception of the edu— cational park idea. He stated, too, that H.U.D. was primarily concerned with community involvement within the service area of the Center and that since this was SO, there was no effort to include parents from all sections of the city in the planning of the complex. Since Dyer's letter on behalf of VOCAL was also con— cerned with the school district's alleged lack of inte— Eration efforts, Assistant Superintendent Richard Fell made the statement that the H.R.C. has as one of its major purposes integration on the elementary level, at least in its service area. Mr. Fell said that this was the first major e The VOCAL letter district did “0t owaan£ OppOP mntand make rec that during the f mmesentatives “ amlone O‘E-O- re To the charge by on hmluded in 1 said that this W in the applicatiE olPontiac's his also said that t was not asked to the Center. The mdDr.Lewis, p insement 3353 P6 References in the dpplicati '1'? r \ .nhougnnett sai .~:'cording to V0( he s ‘ .tsted furthe L. city human 1 I ‘m. “ . ntiac ~«Cla ‘o L l D \ eny C) S 91 the first major effort to integrate the elementary schools. The VOCAL letter to H.U.D. also charged that the school district did not ask the Executive Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity to participate in the develop— ment and make recommendations. Mr. VanKoughnett said that during the feasibility study starting in 1966, O.E.O. representatives were invited to the planning meetings and one O.E.O; representative did attend a few meetings. To the charge by VOCAL that the local N.A.A.C.P. was not included in the planning of the Center, Mr. VanKoughnett said that this was correct. He said that the only mention in the application of the N.A.A.C.P. was in a discussion of Pontiac's history and its problems.1 Mr. VanKoughnett also said that the Pontiac Area Planning Council (P.A.P.C.) was not asked to endorse, and did not formally endorse, the Center. They were briefed, however, by Dr. Whitmer and Dr. Lewis, planners of the complex. Informal en— dorsement was received according to Mr. VanKoughnett. References to the City Human Relations Committee in the application was used in a historical sense, Mr. VanKoughnett said, however the city group is now defunct according to VOCAL and was not involved in the planning. He stated further, that the Center plan was presented to the city human relations group on two occassions. John 1Pontiac Press, Thrusday, April 2A, 1969 "SChOOl Officials Deny Charges." Perdue, Director for Pontiac 30h“ Human Relations ( was well infomec the site was “‘0‘” to north of AUbu] hope was eXDTeSS‘ struction of the badly needed and apart of the 8d‘ district of Font While all was proceeding D were working on representatives December 27, 195 for special educ learning center, auditorium, cafe 9r1vate1y~owned 1969, the final 9'1F‘3'flased by the 33““ 1 ° .01 operties all ~ ~ Ornate hart lifeloped and Ct \ 92 Perdue, Director of School, Community and Human Relations for Pontiac Schools and a staff member of the schools' Human Relations Committee said that he felt the committee was well informed and informally endorsed the plan after the site was moved from Kiwanis Park, South of Auburn, to north of Auburn just east of City Hall.1 Again the hope was expressed that there be no delay in the con— struction of the H.R.C. since the facilities were so badly needed and the program was becoming so important a part of the educational planning of the city and school district of Pontiac. While all this was going on, architectural work was proceeding pretty much on schedule. The architects were working on detailed plans. They met with staff representatives from the school district as early as December 27, 1968 and reviewed in detail the facilities for special education, practical arts, office areas, learning center, science area, community facilities, auditorium, cafeteria, and gymnasium. The purchase of privately—owned property continued, and by mid—April 1969, the final parcel of privately-owned property was purchased by the Board of Education. Demolition of some properties started and will be accelerated now that all private parcels have been purchased. A plan was developed and completed by the city and school staff 1See Map on page 27. for the transfer to the school dis application to H' hoped the entire project was put C struction was 915 The disseri the H.R.C. from 1 parations prior 1 for support and < to both formal a1 parents in the or agencies who wou been studied. A blems which arcs ' g sched be given to the the more recogni fixation of commu attempt will be 13 a result of t 93 for the transfer of ownership of public lands of the city to the school district. With sufficient progress on the application to H.U.D. for N.F.P. program grant, it was hoped the entire Center could be built at one time. The project was put out for bids during June, 1969 and con—- struction was planned as soon as bids were accepted. The dissertation has reviewed the development of the H.R.C. from the birth of the idea to the final pre— parations prior to breaking ground. The various appeals for support and endorsement which were made to individuals, to both formal and informal groups, to faculties and parents in the concerned schools, and to the social agencies who would become a part of the program, have been studied. An examination has been made of the pro— blems which arose as part of the development of a concept, a planning schedule, and a program. Attention will now be given to the directions taken with regard to some of the more recognized principles of initiation and organ~ ization of community action and change, and then an attempt will be made to summarize some of the findings as a result of this study« A study of and the process canhm the mOSt part of the rape mfhmd. The de ohenin the lit "mwng" "p01ioy miMrmL" The Hunter, and Frar Miles def? Hesays that it daiberate, IhOVt thuym to berm Ofa system. T‘ motor or will Iiis the eleme Floyd Hun 3(hfinition of UsEdto describ \ T lMatthew orh ., . Burea h. . . u c *lVer81ty, lQE CHAPTER VI A LOOK AT THE LITERATURE A study of the literature of community involvement and the process of change should have agreement con— cerning the most used terms. For the purposes of this part of the paper, four terms have been selected to be defined. The definitions are those which appear most often in the literature. The terms are "innovation," "power," "policy" and "disadvantaged" or "minority children." The sources quoted are Matthew Miles, Floyd Hunter, and Frances Purcell. Miles defines innovation as a species of change. He says that it is useful to define innovation as a deliberate, novel, and/or specific change which is thought to be more effective in accomplishing the goals of a system. They are usually considered as being plan— ned for or willed rather than as occurring haphazardly. It is the element of novelty that seems to be essential.1 Floyd Hunter's Community Power Structure provides a definition of power. "Power is a word that will be used to describe the acts of men going about the business 1Matthew B. Miles, Innovation in Education (New York: Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia University, l96U), p. 14 9U of moving other m mwgauc things- which he calls a Policy, by defini . . adopted anc‘ body, or individt Hillson say minority childrer then, or culture not always, inteh circumstances th: the lower classe pockets. They s disadvantaged so There are be accepted by m 3%Peed that the Center-city area «OMunity organi l L Floyd Hur 2 The Unive 95 of moving other men to act in relation to organic or inorganic things."l Hunter uses a definition of policy which he calls a "dictionary definition." It is concise. Policy, by definition, is "a settled or definite course adopted and followed by a government, institution, body, or individual."2 Hillson says that the terms disadvantaged children, minority children, lower-class children, deprived chil— dren, or culture of poverty children are frequently, if not always, interchangeable because of a combination of circumstances that they have in common. They are from the lower classes. They usually live in slums or poverty pockets. They suffer much deprivation, and they are disadvantaged economically, socially, and educationally.3 There are some general assumptions which appear to be accepted by most of the authorities. It is generally agreed that the problems of housing in the slums or center—city areas cannot be separated from family and community organization, poverty and disease. Lives as 1Floyd Hunter, Community Power Structure (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1953), p, 2. 2Ibid., p. 207. 3Maurie Hillson, "The Reorganization of the School: Bringing About a Remission in the Problems Faced by Minority Children," in Maurie Hillson, Francesco Cordasco and Francis P. Purcell, Education and the Urban Community (New York: American Book Company, 1969), p. 450. well as houses aI occupants into be these other prob: show that impr0V€ the social benefz‘ There is a urban renewal all Redevelopment ha. ests, but has me general public a affected areas.2 true 'urban rene we need a little renewal' . "3 The pursui I‘ECOEnized, in f tion of a plan c be viewed as par this Common—sens Pecognized by p} managers, and a‘ 1 D0. John G. 1 % (New York h; , eckonij «UP J1 WE (BlOQmi 96 well as houses are blighted in these areas. Moving the occupants into better homes will not solve, automatically, these other problems. Empirical evidence is beginning to show that improved housing does not really have many of the social benefits originally ascribed to it.1 There is also much question about the success of urban renewal alone in solving these slum problems. Redevelopment has remained popular with business inter— ests, but has met with increasing resistance from the general public and particularly from residents in the affected‘areas.2 Bertram Gross says that "If we want true 'urban renewal' instead of merely 'Negro removal,‘ we need a little 'myth removal' and a lot of 'mental renewal‘."3 The pursuit of a single standard has come to be recognized, in fact, by city planners to spell destruc— tion of a plan or a capital program. Standards must be viewed as part of a system. Dyckman points out that this common—sense feasibility constraint has been recognized by physicians, public health officials, city managers, and all practitioners who attempt to accommodate 1John G. Bollens and Henry J. Schmandt, The Metro— polis (New York: Harper and Row, 1965), p. 5 . 2Ibid. 3Bertram M. Gross, "The City of Man" A Social SYstems Reckoning,” in William R. Eward, Jr., Environment fOr Man (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 19 7 , p- 155. the facts of scie systems. The 913 of the system to On the othe faith in the abil councils, as pres hlinsky says that of the community problems" and the nition of the Ob‘ borhood is to a I transcend the 10( intelligent atta« 0f crime must tai unenlDloyment, di council is not u and its Very Cha :9 do that kind abstain from cut The latter iestroy the mean jv‘q _ John N. I: . bClence,n in 97 the facts of scientific findings to complex, balanced systems. The planner must keep in mind the complexity of the system to which these findings are applied.1 On the other hand, there does not seem to be much faith in the ability of the community agencies or city councils, as presently constituted, to do the job. Alinsky says that community agencies "view each problem of the community as if it were independent of all other problems" and that they have a "complete lack of recog— nition of the obvious fact that the life of each neigh— borhood is to a major extent shaped by forces which far ”2 transcend the local scene. He also states that any intelligent attack on the problems of youth or the causes of crime must take into account the basic issues of unemployment, disease and housing as well. The city council is not "equipped to attack basic social issues, and its very character is such that it never was meant to do that kind of job . . . . They will vigorously abstain from entering any controversial field.”3 The latter statement is included so as not to destroy the meaning of Alinsky's words, but it is not 1John W. Dyckman, "City Planning and the Treasury Of Science," in Ewald, op. cit., p. 2 . Saul B. Alinsky, ReVeille for Radicals (Chicago: Chicago University Press, l9u6), p. . 3 Ibid., p. 82. meant to be pres€ is general agrees are finding diff: Bollens states: One mighlC art ProblemS of I sphere 0f 10‘ action at th‘ would ever1 "1" private hand? agencies: pr' individually are Valid up But whether they exist D government C for they are ronment. UP though the n share of the must desigh difference a the program- The national tion in pUhl discriminati but the full depend upon ments and p1” Nevertheless, tt is not proceedir unilateral actic :he business lee h} were urban rede lesin ‘ .es of the C \\ l Bollens, 98 meant to be presented as being generally accepted. There is general agreement, however, that most city councils are finding difficulties in attacking basic social issues. Bollens states: One might argue that the major social and economic problems of modern urban society lie outside the sphere of local government and cannot be solved by action at the local or metropolitan level. Some would even maintain that their resolution lies in private hands, by business, labor unions, social agencies, property owners, and people acting individually and together. Arguments of this kind are valid up to a point. But whether these problems are "national" or not they exist principally in the metropolis. Local government cannot escape involvement with them, for they are part and parcel of the Local envi— ronment. Urban renewal is a case in point. Even though the national government furnishes the lion's share of the money, it is local authorities who must design and initiate the project, resolve the difference among competing interests, and administer the program. The same is true of race relations. The national constitution may bar racial segrega— tion in public schools and state laws may forbid discrimination in employment on account of color, but the full enforcement of these rights will depend upon the active cooperation of local govern— ments and private groups. Nevertheless, the pace of redevelopment or land clearance is not proceeding as fast as originally. The days of unilateral action by the city fathers under pressure of the business leaders appear to be over. Almost every— where urban redevelopment which ignores the needs and deSires of the affected residents and which fails to w l Bollens, op. cit. , p. 2H9. enlist the counS groups is runnifl The proble usable scien’cifi the kinds of res still in their 1 include in parti and related mult as behavioral St and social enviI creative imaginé to bring the fir bear upon conter While the maintain a stem high and almost cation a critic; whereby educativ which are suppo: and at the same true inorovemen yossible soluti 1 . Ibld., p 7 Dyckman , 99 enlist the counsel and support of representative citizen groups is running into serious difficulties.1 The problem is that there is very little directly usable scientific research in or for city planning and the kinds of research studies that are most useful are still in their infancy but growing rapidly. These include in particular, the studies of complex systems, and related multivariate analysis techniques, as well as behavioral studies of decision-making in individual and social environments. It takes a major exercise of creative imagination and the use of scientific judgment to bring the findings of the scientific community to bear upon contemporary American city planning problems.2 While the tendency of any organization is to maintain a steady state, innovation and change have high and almost automatic creditability today. In edu— cation a critical problem is to find reasonable means whereby education can guard against spreading practices which are supported more by testimony than by evidence, and at the same time remain open to programs that promise true improvement. Moore and Heald point out that a Possible solution may lie with schools and school lIbid., p. 259. 2 Dyckman, op. cit., pp. 29~30. administrators accept the equa Other g9” fact that the " usually Comes f the organizatic but always 3 pr consideration: for chant;e is S not ensue as a 9 There are change as a 0m our society is tochange. 0913 change is the C indeed, valued. The Unite 1n the throes C 2D H aniel E ”Hinge in Orrav .3 100 administrators becoming more skeptical and less apt to accept the equation that change equals good.l Other generally accepted statements include the fact that the major impetus for change in an organization usually comes from the outside rather than from inside the organization.2 Second, change is never an event, but always a process.3 Third, time is an essential consideration, since time must elapse before the need for change is seen and even then the desired changes do u not ensue as a matter of course. Change As A Characteristic There are two conflicting ideas of the role of change as a characteristic of our society. On one hand, our society is characterized by stability and resistance to change. Opposed to this idea are those who say that change is the characteristic of our society and is, indeed, valued. The United States is itself a transitional society in the throes of a great transformation from the last 1Samuel A. Moore II and James E. Heald, "Resistance to Change: a Positive View," Phi Delta Kappan, L, No. 2 (October, 1968), pp. 117-18. 2Daniel E. Griffiths, "Administrative Theory and Change in Organizations" in Miles, op. cit., p. 431. . 3Eli Ginzberg and Ewing W. Riley, Effecting Change in Large Organizations (New York: Columbia University Press, 1957), p. 131. ulbid. stages of indus‘ industrialism-1 The role ( more studY- Tr: ronment must be more subjeCtive toward risk and nature, of real jmtive studies conduct a major Ginzberg . is good; the 01‘ souety gain pr come up with s0) ahersocieties in progress. I major and conti not all America mismodel but and thereby inf These ant h" .. C. n ‘ Woe is co in - ly a shifting 1 Gross , o 9 i Fuel 3. blnrzbew {man , lOl stages of industrialism to the first Stages of post— industrialism.1 The role of change in American society must receive more study. Traditional scientific studies of the envi— ronment must be supplemented by behavioral studies of more subjective factors such as the attitudes of people toward risk and uncertainty, by studies of an engineering nature, of real costs of developments, and of other pro- jective studies for future possibilities. 2 Planning must conduct a major inquiry into values. Ginzberg and Riley state that in America the new is good; the old is unsatisfactory. People in our society gain prestige by being the first to change; to come up with something new. This is not true of some older societies: As a people, Americans tend to believe in progress. In turn, they are willing to put forth major and continuing effort in its pursuit. Of course, not all Americans live their lives in accordance with this model but business leaders uphold these standards 3 and thereby influence the These authors point Of change is continuing. only a shifting from time 1 Gross, o 2Dyckman, op. cit., pp. 3 Ginzberg, op. cit. cit., p. direction of American life. out, further, that the process There is no end to the process, to time in its intensity. A 137. 49—50. pp. 18—20. quiet pad“ ”1: which speciea1 e: that developed ‘ however, that t] impede change. cause they are ‘ and are transfe? management as a Griffiths acterized by 0h outstanding cha izations are em commonly accept noticeably over organization do comes into bein which creates a Inertia i izations. Anyo 01‘ organization DPOblems that w lam people, th jlsturhed. \ 1%., p 21M» r 3,. . Jr‘lffiti‘ 102 quiet period will be followed by a more active one in which special effort will be made to solve the problems that developed during the quiet period.l They admit, however, that the forces of tradition are strong and impede change. These forces are even more powerful be— cause they are often deeplyimbeddedin.the leadership and are transferred through succeeding generations of 2 management as a result of shared experience and exposure. Griffiths says that organizations are not char— acterized by change. Over a long period of time, their outstanding characteristic seems to be stability. Organ— izations are employed by society to achieve certain commonly accepted goals. Since these goals do not change noticeably over a period of time, the activities of the organization do not need to change. An organization comes into being with a great deal of built—in stability which creates a powerful resistance to change.3 Inertia is inherent in both individuals and organ— izations. Anyone considering major changes in the system or organization must be prepared to deal with the human problems that will be created once the change is launched. Many people, though by no means all, do not like to be disturbed. lIbid., pp. 138—39. 2Ibid., pp. 131-2. 3Griffiths, o . cit., p. A25. In looklné viduals and the that the degPee amount of emoti( community that : interested in C‘ at the image thz Here, the DI‘Obl‘ referred 1:0 ari: dwellers to spe. “were something ‘ speak of it as individual come he finds the wh he sees the ice that the less h and politicians Local gov he . 0.019. Those .th to symboli at» . - 4.1 and h1s nig .,u. -.ntr 31 city; t dilating; which .ndividual desi l Bollens, QT' M r 103 In looking at the problems of dealing with indi— viduals and the process of change, Bollens points out that the degree of commitment will be reflected by the amount of emotional attachment and attitude toward the community that is possessed. In other words, those interested in community change would do well to look at the image that citizens hold of their community.1 Here, the problem of identifying the unit that is being referred to arises. There is a tendency among city dwellers to speak of their local government as if it were something quite apart from their own lives. They speak of it as ”it," "they," or "the city hall." If an individual comes in contact with his local government, he finds the whole process complicated and impersonal. He sees the local bureaucracy as the enemy. He feels that the less he had to do with the whole thing, politics and politicians, the better off he is.2 Local governments mean different things to different people. Those in the low income ethnic and racial groups tend to symbolize local city government with the police— man and his nightstick. They feel alienated from the central city; they feel alienated from government and planning which they feel is not responsive to their individual desires; and they feel frustrated by a lack 1Bollens, op. cit., p. 216. 2Ibid., p. 218. of communicatio their needs, id the building an The local schoo to the suburban The low 1 is often linked lead to politic the individual effect on commu participation i Problems. Christoph We may sumn forces peop allows then aUtonomy, P World Where Surflcient. enVironmem way of life the same il belieVe in intimate CC it more am RieBman \ involVe not On. to feelings of 1. MW] 2 Q Christel h if)“ 104 of communication between planners and citizens as to their needs, ideas and values. To the slum landlord, the building and health inspectors are the bureaucracy. The local school district might well be the government to the suburban mother and active P.T.A. member.1 The low level of involvement of urban residents is often linked to apathy and indifference, which can lead to political alienation—-a feeling on the part of the individual that his vote or activity can make little effect on community policy. So, he withdraws from participation into his world of immediate and personal problems. Christopher Alexander describes what happens: We may summarize this syndrome briefly. Stress forces people to withdraw into themselves; autonomy allows them to. Pushed by stress, pulled by autonomy, people have withdrawn into a private world where they believe that they are self— sufficient. They create a way of life, and an environment, which reflects this belief; and this way of life, and this environment, then propagates the same illusion. It creates more people who believe in self—sufficiency as an ideal, it makes intimate contact seem less necessary, and it makes it more and more difficult to achieve in practice. Riesman warns that this political alienation may involve not only apathy and/or indifference as a response to feelings of ineffectiveness, but also to displeasure lIbid., p. 218—19. 2Christopher Alexander, ”The City as a Mechanism for Sustaining Human Contact” in Miles, op. cit., p. 8A. at being Powerl‘ power.1 This alie melower SOCiO huhmeincidenc mcmmern that unimmof 100a giving undue em people living u smseof partic their daily 11V Hunter p0 halwith the t ulmme. The 6 mp leaders. P iheprofessiona thecitizenry.3 The fear shunting from mmmmity leade anvior that l i:‘~ He cautious hr- David Ri -»ers1ty Pres 2 Bollens. 3,, . dunter, 105 at being powerless, and to a distrust of the persons in power.1 iThis alienation pattern is most frequently found in the lower socioeconomic stratum. It is reflected in the higher incidence of non—voting and expressions of civic unconcern that are found here.2 It can deter the modern— ization of local governments in metropolitan areas by giving undue emphasis to the status quo. It means that people living under these conditions must be given a sense of participation in the decisions that will affect their daily lives. Hunter points out that community organizers must deal with the three elements of fear, pessimism and silence. The expression of fear is prevalent among the top leaders. Pessimism is manifested in the ranks of the professionals, and silence is found in the mass of the citizenry.3 The fear that he speaks of is not a cringing, shrinking from the facts of life on the part of the community leaders. It is, instead, an element of behavior that is obvious in their actions. It is shown in the cautious approach to any new issue which might lDavid Riesman, The Lonel Crowd (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1950 , pp. 1 —l7l. 2Bollens, op. cit., pp. 229-31. 3Hunter, 0 . cit., pp. 228—9. arise and seems chante in the e disastI‘Ous for is also the fea nohwiil bring making situatic reference to tk groups- Pureell F cation: It should t people have A group of powerlesSnE outside thE life ChaneE pursue DPOE fact that l by educati< income PEPE omnipOtence developmem securing m the people of any DPOE support Of to the em program. I an extensi< it is only nd to offs parents 0611 .n order, thel" .1 any kind in l . lbid., ‘ , ‘Purcell 106 arise and seems to be rooted in the feeling that any change in the existing relations of power might be disastrous for the leaders who now hold power.1 There is also the fear that opening the channels of communica- tion will bring "undesirable" elements into the policy— making situation. This fear is strongly expressed in reference to the growing political power of the Negro groups. Purcell pursues this fact as it relates to edu— cation: It should be remembered that very often low—income people have become accustomed to academic failure. A group of people who have developed a sense of powerlessness and who feel that fate, or forces outside themselves, determine their destinies or life chances, are unlikely to support avidly or pursue programs of educational remediation. The fact that these programs are designed and implemented by educational experts without involving the low— income person lends weight to their belief of outside omnipotence and their own impotence. Community development workers are firmly of the opinion that securing cooperative and active participation of the people to be served is an essential ingredient of any program. Parents who are involved in the support of a program provide powerful reinforcement to the efforts of professionals carrying out the program. Under these circumstances, the home becomes an extension of the actual remedial program even if it is only to indicate to the child their interest and to offer encouragement. In actuality, however, parents can carry out aspects of a program. In order, therefore, to successfully bring about change of any kind in a community, it becomes necessary to see lIbid., pp. 229—31. , CPurcell, op. cit., pp. h11—12. what can be do“ need planning t clarify a range of interpretati can help '50 pus to deal with ge intractable stu of persons.1 Those inV maximum use of which might ass with the backin community spiri is one of almos frustrating Drc Ct In order change in 00mm idea of what CC important and i Heater} point s v" . ~ Lonmnunit is s 1 :Hwi fitanlev “ “O in Ewe 2 Purcell. 107 what can be done about changing human attitudes. We need planning that enables us to state intentions, clarify a range of options, and open up public spheres of interpretation and interaction. Forms of planning can help to push the decision-making processes of society to deal with genuine choices, to take account of the intractable stuff of things, and the open responsiveness of persons.1 Those involved in the process of planning must take maximum use of the various personnel and control measures which might assist in bringing about these ends. Even with the backing that can be developed from an awakened community spirit seeking positive action, the problem is one of almost insurmountable proportions if not of frustrating prospects.2 Characteristics of Communities In order to look at the possibilities of effecting change in communities, one must first have some general idea of what common characteristics of communities are important and how they can be measured or evaluated. Wheaton points out, too, that there are different types of communities. We have traditionally dealt with the 1Stanley J. Hallett, "Planning, Politics, and Ethnics" in Ewald, op. cit., p. 236. 2Purcell, o . cit., p. 451. economic , polit the cit)“ Perh of the future “ it to consume. and resort 001“” sumptive. We h guished largely consume enough- to retrain 01‘ I towards employn we were to succ of employable L Bollens 6 studies furnish rank and life 5 tion and politi Sociologf in measuring t} area analysis , differentiatior iation. Using w ‘ - «MEX measures ho W as a \‘Ihle lO8 economic, political, cultural, or military functions of the city. Perhaps, he says, a major function of the city of the future will be sustaining the population——enabling it to consume. We already have retirement communities and resort communities, whose chief functions are con— sumptive. We have poverty communities, which are distin— guished largely by the fact that they are not able to consume enough. We are currently engaged in token efforts to retrain or redirect the residents of these communities towards employment, at the same time recognizing that if we were to succeed, we might merely increase the number of employable unemployed.l Bollens and Schmandt point out that empirical studies furnish evidence that people who differ in social rank and life style also differ in community participa— tion and political behavior.2 Sociologists have devised various yardsticks to use in measuring the social geography of communities. Social area analysis, for instance, uses three indices of social differentiation: social rank, urbanization, and segre— gation. Using data organized by census tracts, the first index measures the socioeconomic status of the neighbor— hood as a whole, the second measures its life style, and the third its proportion of segregated populations. 1William L. C. Wheaton, "Form and Structure of the Metropolitan Area" in Ewald, op. cit., p. 161. 2Bollens, op. cit., pp. 8U—5. A study 0‘ reflect trends 1 mishas considé hrinstance, a comics in the < mmmns on its ' ofretired worke mtsof educati< Memes more com allthese needs Wheaton t. Mus'time. Wi minution of w mflngpeople t labor market as EXhanded indefi uhnmrating se mm.2 The socia uDofindividua moan man's en mehind or ano For“ —ium 1n civi 1 lbid., p “it Jheaton, 109 A study of the age structure of a population will reflect trends in fertility, morality and migration. This has considerable social and political significance. For instance, a community of predominately young married couples in the childbearing stage will place different demands on its local governments than will a community of retired workers. These two groups have different sets of education, health and welfare needs. As society becomes more complex, the role of government in meeting all these needs becomes more crucial.1 Wheaton talks of "surplus" population having "sur— plus" time. With this situation, he sees the very definition of work changing. He feels that we will be paying people to go to school, to keep them out of the labor market as well as to instruct them. This can be expanded indefinitely, providing the individual with an exhilarating sense of accomplishment while keeping him busy.2 The social system of a community is not only made Up of individuals and families. A large portion of modern man's energies is channeled through groups of one kind or another that serve his many needs or act for him in civic matters. Human relations are lIbid., pp. 99-100. 2Wheaton, op. cit., p. 163. increasingly be andinsitutiona becoming more 0 activity or 03” acterized by 13 There are wlmmary aSSOC canbe based UP membership, 0? newof governn matseek to ir These types of mner three cat pmmossional, z medfically wf bhms. The ec< meme the in1 lwels. The c: Obiectives the mmflre governm In a larg difficult to aw w -%Y,therefor :he' lI’<>i>portur1 l BOIlens llO increasingly being found in these impersonal, structured and insitutionalized patterns‘ and human contacts are becoming more organized into areas surrounding some activity or cause. Contemporary societies are char— acterized by large numbers of voluntary associations.l There are many different ways of classifying these voluntary associations in a community. Classification can be based upon size, purpose, function, nature of membership, or territorial scope. From the point of View of government, the most important are those groups that seek to influence the conduct of local affairs. These types of voluntary organizations can be classified under three categories: service oriented, economic and professional, and civic. The first classification deals specifically with community service and welfare pro— blems. The economic and professional groups seek to advance the interests of their members along these stated levels. The civic organizations have as their major objectives the promotion of policies and programs that require governmental action.2 In a large—scale society, individuals find it difficult to act alone in affecting collective behavior. They, therefore, use organizational membership to enlarge their opportunities and resources. This means that the lBollens, op. cit., p. 10h. 2Ibid., p. 105. question of who efforts pertain: groups or assoc While the governments bec governmental ac and economic in considering the change. The major are affiliated and depend for aP€a~wide fund annual basis. tunity service Upon the 00mm aggod I,eCOI'Ti ( Economic 00] merces labO and lawyers! a SeTVe a nOil-me Both Of ”dividuai gov all) fPOm an 2 lll question of who gets involved in metropolitan reform efforts pertains less to the individuals than to the groups or associations of which they are a part. While the civic groups are the most important to governments because they have objectives that require ‘ governmental action, the community service organizations and economic interest groups are also important to those considering the implementation of community action and change. The majority of community service organizations are affiliated with the United Fund or Community Chest and depend for their financial support on a unified, area—wide fund raising campaign that is conducted on an annual basis. As stated before, they deal with com— munity service and welfare problems. Since they depend upon the community for funding support, they must have a good record of service in their annual report. Economic interest groups include chambers of commerce, labor unions, medical and engineering societies and lawyers' associations. While the social agencies serve a non—member clientele, the business and occupa— tional groups exist to further the interests of their own membership. Both of the above groups frequently transcend individual governmental boundaries and draw their member— ship from an area—wide complex. Even so, their organization in mess of the met issues and Web consider them i as a whole.1 All three any cohesive St exist between 5 any closely lir ordering the m6 Each group jeal and autonomy.2 Many Peaf izations as thc community affiz civic design, 1 Consider f< identifica‘ of persons shops, the who live t] their sens surroundim 112 organization in this fashion contributes to the cohesive— ness of the metropolis. They can View local public issues and problems in a broader perspective and can consider them in relationship to the metropolitan area as a whole.1 All three categories Of organizations do not form any cohesive structural pattern. Loose alliances may exist between some of them, but they do not constitute any closely linked network that would be capable of ordering the metropolitan area into an integrated unit. Each group jealously guards its interest areas, identity and autonomy.2 Many reasons prompt individuals to join such organ- izations as those mentioned and to become active in community affiars. Hallet shows the impersonality of civic design, facilities and institutionalization: Consider for a moment the problem of identity and identification and its impact on the relationship of persons to physical objects. In a neighborhood, to whom does the school belong? And the streets, the shops, the parks, and even the homes? "To the people who live there, of course," you say. But how does their sense of identity expand to include the physical surroundings? But let us consider an apartment building, or more particularly public housing. The buildings are designed to be indestructable and unmalleable. They are managed by professional bureaucrats. llbid., pp. 106—7. 2Ibid. That 15, t1 center of i unacceptab- The point 3 location a] the social It is to establ tofunction 9f institutions a3 primary requiI" fion,health, and become inc Bertrum lanes' club 0 department, a system of powe Ofchildren, w Why must be f Cennd with th power."3 Alinsky “idiconfront am to be met 1 Hallett 3 Bollens 3 Gross3 113 That is, they are a part of a compound built in the center of the city for persons who are regarded as unacceptable neighbors and fellow citizens. The point is that there is no separating the design, location and style of construction of facilities from the social institutions which are operative in them. It is to establish, then, a sense of potency and ability to function effectively in changing and adapting to social institutions and to serve the needs of the family in such primary requirements as childbearing, education, recrea— tion, health, and old age, that people join organizations and become increasingly active in community affiars.2 Power and Policy Bertrum Gross says that any social system "from a ladies' club or a homeowners' association, to a highway department, a supermarket, or a mayor‘s office" is a system of power. "If planners want to serve the interests of children, women, and men in our complex urban systems, they must be frankly, seriously and persistently con— cerned with the mobilization, maintenance and use of power."3 Alinsky warns people that if the basic problems which confront individuals and groups in the community are to be met, they must first identify who their real 1Hallett, o . cit., p. 2&2. 2Bollens, op. cit., pp. 215—l6. 3Gross, op. cit., p. 153. leaders are and done, responsit decisions of 16 the underlying would rest wit} or seeking sup; Most lea< may have the me They may contrr. power of decisz‘ are Persons of are, in part, ( They are suasion, intim: forge_ Becaus< wielding of pm involved do no fitgathe aspec The eXeI. 1" I in: in given D0we '[ip‘h ldga is will b than those ewe :..licy~ma1