The South Boston Story: Implications for Secondary Schools.

摘要: On 17 March 1776 troops led by Gen. George Washington drove the British from Dorchester Heights, present site of South Boston High School. Two hundred years later, metal detectors cluttered school's lobby, 90 state police in full uniform roamed its hallways, 50 officers stood guard out side, and flashing blue lights a motorcycle escort heralded arrival yellow buses. The CBS helicopter hovered overhead, mobile television crews newspaper reporters jostled one an other for position, jeering crowds sang "Bye Bye Blackbird." climax came on 9 December 1975. In move unprecedented U.S. public education, Judge W. Arthur Garrity, Jr., placed School fed eral receivership; it was educationally bankrupt institution. We to soon afterward, April 1976 ? new ad ministration whose only reason being serve population that had never been served adequately schools: city youngsters born into pover ty. City schools have long holding patterns large numbers low-income, high-risk, marginal students, who are il literate ill-prepared world work. These exhibit behaviors range quiet, angry withdrawal overt physical disruption. Many trouble with law. Their school records replete absenteeism, early withdrawals, inappropriate behavior, poor academic performance. bright. They simply attended formal work schooling. serves as temporary respite home street, without meaning or promise. description fits is eligible more Title I funds than any city. Some 70% students live pub lie housing. attendance area highest concentration juvenile crime all Boston. Students arrive at minimal achievement; 91 % incoming ninth grade class 1979 tested below level standardized measures reading math skills. Of these, 52% sixth-grade 15% third-grade level. It didn't take us recognize problems we faced yet be resolved literature urban education. could not accept cultural deprivation ex planation situation encoun tered. If our were disadvantaged, because they enjoyed advantage un learned. reviewed works critics Sixties: Silberman, Kozol, Good man, Friedenberg. considered growing mood economic retrenchment, call competency testing, bur geoning back-to-basics movement. re read Rogers Kohlberg Bruner Bloom recognized writing about times people. surely weren't D Street Columbia Point. what use refined techniques inquiry, hierarchical stages moral development, structure social sciences, mastery learning science math? Half come school. 50% did attend scarcely read. Five later still found scholars researchers grips high about. Who rhythm day? Our stu dents filled energy 18 hours just spent beyond walls. Early morning tense; positive engagement others almost impossible. But 10 a.m. on, mellow, relaxed, good place be. research tracking ability grouping. ??tracking? How does untrack school? tells wrong endless confes sion collective guilt. no translating theory practice. real issues education faced. center cannot sepa rate race, crime, poverty, housing, health care human life.l Because hand so urgent, need rely own insights generate articulate prac tice teaching. result sociology view nature schooling relation society serves. This de mands philosophy. philos ophy articulated grounded principles new, however. There 10: 1. believe small schools. As values size speed, mechanization mass production. Big ger better. Somewhere along way lost individual. Youngsters today express this loss quiet alienation, sullen anger, powerlessness. cor ollary irresponsibility; anonymous person compelled responsible havior. easy pass buck, hide crowd, blame system. Rollo May warns apathy followed violence, "for can stand per petually numbing experience his powerlessness."2 Small reduce anonymity. Such function communities which primary agents socialization adults: teachers, guidance counselors, ministrators, custodians, secretaries, aides. process must do justify order prepare prescribed roles force. Socialization help understand themselves, their society, options af fords them. also invite involvement. such op portunities participate GERALDINE KOZBERG director program staff development (Mass.) School, where JEROME WINEGAR (Harvard University Chapter) head master. article edited version speech delivered authors Harvard 1980.