Trustees, administrators and teachers of the Jackson Public Schools are determined to do all within their power to maintain "a sound public school system in the framework of our laws," J. W. Underwood, vice president of the board, stated Friday. Underwood, in a report authorized by the board, said the district does not yet know what the pupil desgregation plan will be or when it will be put into effect. He said an order on it is expected between Tuesday, Jan. 6, and Feb. 1.
The full statement follows: "The Board of Trustees of the Jackson Public Schools has requested me as vice-president of the board to make this report to the parents, teachers, pupils, and other citizens of our city. "As we enter a new year, a new decade, we are fully aware that the foremost concern of Jackson citizens is the future of our public schools. I will try to bring you up to date on what is happening, in regard to Jackson Public Schools in terms of recent court decisions and order involving further desegregation of teachers and pupils.
"First of all I would like to emphasize that schools will open Monday as usual after the Christmas holiday in the Jackson Municipal Separate School District. All pupils, teachers, principals and supervisors will report to their usual schools and job assignment.
"There will be no changes in the operation of the Jackson Public Schools or their programs come next Monday. Schools will proceed on Monday m the same basis that they have operated since September.
EXPECT CHANGES "We can expect some changes this coming calendar year.
Teacher reassignment has been ordered by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. However, this will not take place any earlier than the first week in February. Implementation of plans for further desegration of teachers as ordered by the Fifth Circuit Court have been delayed by your Board until we receive further orders from the courts regarding reassignment of pupils.
"Teachers cannot be assigned until we know where pupils will be assigned. We do not know how or when further desegregation of pupils will take place. These questions are now being decided in court. Let me briefly review major events that have taken place regarding the court orders up to this time. The situation changes rapidly and is confusing. All of us are concerned and anxious.
"On Dec.1, the board of tru-tees received an order from the Fifth Circuit Court requiring that a two step plan for further desegregation of Jackson Public Schools be put into effect. The first step of the order required that teachers and staff in each school be reassigned by Feb. 1, 1970, so that a racial mix of faculty and staff in each school would correspond substantially to the racial composition of the staff and faculty for the school district as a whole. "This means that each school faculty and staff would substantially have a racial composition
See SCHOOL BOARD, Page 8.
until we know what the of 60 per cent white teachers and 40 per cent Negro teachers. This ratio does not apply to pupils--only teachers.
SECOND STEP "The second step of the court order required that the superintendent and his staff work with a team assigned by HEW and that the HEW team prepare a plan for pupil desegregation to take place in September, 1970, the beginning of the next school year.
"These two steps of the Court order involving teachers in Februarv and students in September were publicly announced by your board of trustees. The board of trustees set about to be in a position to comply with the court order-the law.
"The teacher reassignment plans required in step one of the court order were developed by the superintendent, his staff, and teachers and publicly announced. We were prepared to implement the teacher reassignment as ordered.
SUDDEN CHANGE
"Then everything changed suddenly. On Dec. 15, the NAACP petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States to over-rule the Firth Circuit and require the board of trustees to further desegregate pupils at the same time teaches were to be reassigned-that is on or before Feb.51.1970.
"Justice Black of the Supreme Court immediately ordered the board of trustees and superintendent to do nothing to prevent or delay pupil reassignment by Feb. 1 and to prepare the plan with HEW.
"However, Justice Black also stated that when pupils would be reassigned would have to be finally decided by the full Supreme Court. This question of timing for pupil reassignment Supreme Court.
"The HEW team arrived in Jackson the same day that Justice Black issued his order. Mondav. Dec. 15. Since that time the superintendent, Dr. John Martin, and members of the staff, as they were directed has not been resolved by the to do, have been working night and dav with the HEW teams. The HEW team left Jackson this week.
"Their recommended plan will be reviewed by several HEW review boards and then submitted to the U.S. District Court on or before Jan. 6 as required.mThe final details of the HEW plan are not known by us at this time.
ANTICIPATE ORDER
"This means that right now we do not know what the pupil placement plan will be nor when it to be fully effective. In fact, "as already indicated, the plans prepared by the HEW teams, and now being submitted un the line, are subject to alteration or discard by the HEW review boards in Atlanta, in Washington and by the District Court.
"All that we do know now for certain is that we expect the court to render its order regarding pupils on or before Feb. 1. We anticipate the order sometime between Jan. 6 and Feb. 1.
"In the meantime, the staff and superintendent have been working to prepare for alternative possibilities with he goal of maintaining orderly and effective instruction for pupils this | school year.
"Teachers are still subject to reassignment at the end of January. Details of what teachers| will be transferred and the school to which they will be reassigned cannot be determined until we know what the court will order regarding pupils. "Still another development took place on New Year's Eve. The U.S. Department of Justice petitioned the Supreme Court to delay pupil plans until September, 1970, as was originally ordered by the Fifth Circuit Court. What will happen is up to the Supreme Court at this time.
"We do not know what the final pupil plan will be nor when it will be fully effective. When we do know we will announce it to the public.
"In the meantime, your board of trustees has filed with the Supreme Court, the proper papers opposing and resisting the request by the NAACP that the Supreme Court order the pupil desegregation plan be placed fully into effect on Feb. 1.
"In addition, the board of trustees has requested that the U. S. Supreme Court review and reverse the decision of the Fifth Circuit of Dec. 1, which deals with both faculty desegregation and pupil ( desegregation.
"We assume and hope that the Supreme Court will act on filed by the board of trustees by Jan.10.
CITY FORTUNATE
"We are fortunate in Jackson to have teachers, principals, and staff who are dedicated competent professionals well prepared to do whatever is required to continue a sound instructional program. We are fortunate to have Dr. Martin as superintendent to lead the staff. He was reared by a family of educators in Alabama.
"He has had 18 years of successful teaching and administrative experience in Alabama and Georgia and has an outstanding academic background including a Bachelor of Science, as Master of Arts, and a Doctor's of Education degree from the University of Alabama and Auburn 1 University. His specialty is curriculum and instruction as well as administration.
"The tremendous task of preparing for the possibilities of both teacher and pupil reassignment has caused him and his staff to work night and day since Dec. 1. They are still working so that whatever takes place will disrupt our instructional program as little as possible. Consequently you can rest assured that whatever this year brings, you will have the best professionals possible working and dedicated to maintaining our fine public school system.
"Yes, it appears that it will be a "rough year", but please do not jump to conclusions, listen to or spread rumor, or run in panic. Everything that can be done, will be done. This we guarantee.
QUALITY, SAFETY
We also want to reassure you you can expect and will receive quality instruction for your child in a SAFE school environment regardless what happens. Your board of trustees, your superintendent and all principals and teachers are determined to do all within our power and ability to maintain a sound public school system in the framework of our laws.
All of our teachers, Negro and white, are certified and college degrees. Many have master's degrees and many have studied even beyond the master's degree level. All teachers employed must have scored abo the average 0.1 nationally standardized Teachers' examinations.
"It is true that some teachers are better than others, but we have good teachers in our schools and that is why we have good schools.
"On behalf of the board of trustees and the superintendent of the Jackson Public Schools. let me earnestly request that you be understanding and patient. We know your anxiety. understand your confusion. We are parents, too.
"In spite of all that has happened or will happen in the next few weeks everything possible is being done to provide your children a quality education in a safe, clean and pleasant school environment. We need your support, cooperation and prayers. We deeply appreciate the hundreds of expressions of support and prayers. We deeply appreciate the hundreds of expressions of support and understanding already received.
FUTURE CLOUDY
"Now let me conclude by repeating again that we do not know when or do we know how the future pupil desegregation will take place. These questions are in the courts and until they decide something we will not know. We expect to know sometime between Jan. 6 and Feb. 1. School will continue as usual until the courts decide.
"We have done and will continue to do everything we possibly can to continue to provide a safe and effective school program of quality in compliance and in good faith with the laws of the land.
Teachers will have to be reassigned at the end of the first semester as things stand now. What the new assignments will be cannot be known until the courts make some decision regarding pupils. The final HEW plan for pupils is unknown to us.
"We do not know whether pupils will have to be reassigned this school year or in September. We are preparing for varying eventualities in order that every child in our schools will continue to receive a quality education in a safe anwholesome school environment.
"The superintendent and his staff are working night and day to bring this about and we are fortunate to have such capable professionals in our public formed.
"The board of trustees, Dr. Martin, the entire school faculty and staff join me in wishing all of us a good school year.".
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