WDAS Radio Discussion of Integration in the Philadelphia Public Schools
with Joseph H. Rainey as Moderator and Dr. Allen H. Wetter, Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia and Floyd L. Logan, President of the Educational Equality League (Wednesday, June 22, 1960 at 11:30 pm)
Summary of the Education Equality League's Floyd L. Logan's presentation
1. The Education Equality League estimated that Philadelphia had 247 public schools, 19 were all African American. Of the 58 principals, 55 were white. There was a steady increase in all and predominantly white and African American schools.
2. The Education Equality League was certain that actual segregation of pupils stemmed from segregated housing, a system of districting (schools), and low educational standards in schools in underprivileged areas. In 1958, there were no wards in Philadelphia without a "minimum of Negro residents." Because of the increase in the African American population in Philadelphia and community agencies working for housing integration, "there are greater opportunities than ever before for enforcement of Pennsylvania's law for interracial pupil integration, and planned integration in non-fringe areas through an intensified educational program."
3. One major goal was "to bring the races together in the classrooms of the public schools during their most impressionable period (childhood), where they will acquire a better understanding of one another, which will inevitably result in more interracial goodwill and a greater willingness to learn to live together in an inter-mixed society."
4. "Culturally handicapped slow learners in the Philadelphia public schools number approximately 80,000 or 33% of the approximate pupil enrollment of 240,000... Most of these slow learners are environmentally handicapped Negro pupils who are concentrated in public schools in underprivileged areas.... these schools are classified as minus which is obvious to the extent that both white and Negro parents shy away from sending their children to them. Because of the concentration of so many environmentally and culturally handicapped pupils, most of whom are Negro, most white teachers and a few Negro teachers object to teaching in such schools. Consequently a disproportionately large number of inexperienced and in many instances undedicated substitute teachers are assigned to teach in these schools... more money should be provided for improving the educational status of such schools in underprivileged areas through a general dispersal of many of their pupils to other schools through formation of remedial classes, reduction of class sizes, an increased supply of free textbooks, and the voluntary and compulsory assignment of some of our most able and dedicated teachers to teach in them.
5. ...although Philadelphia has commendable increased its total number of Negro teachers to more than 2,000, that most of these teachers are assigned to all and predominantly Negro schools, and that most of them have been by-passed for promotion in spite of merit, with few exceptions, for many years. Also, there are still approximately 135 schools in Philadelphia which do not have any Negro teachers. ... teachers should be willing to render higher and more dedicated service through a willingness to teach where they are needed, as they should be required by law.
6. Pennsylvania's public schools integration laws do not favor gradual enforcement of school integration. Integration is to be an "immediate effect."
1. The Education Equality League estimated that Philadelphia had 247 public schools, 19 were all African American. Of the 58 principals, 55 were white. There was a steady increase in all and predominantly white and African American schools.
2. The Education Equality League was certain that actual segregation of pupils stemmed from segregated housing, a system of districting (schools), and low educational standards in schools in underprivileged areas. In 1958, there were no wards in Philadelphia without a "minimum of Negro residents." Because of the increase in the African American population in Philadelphia and community agencies working for housing integration, "there are greater opportunities than ever before for enforcement of Pennsylvania's law for interracial pupil integration, and planned integration in non-fringe areas through an intensified educational program."
3. One major goal was "to bring the races together in the classrooms of the public schools during their most impressionable period (childhood), where they will acquire a better understanding of one another, which will inevitably result in more interracial goodwill and a greater willingness to learn to live together in an inter-mixed society."
4. "Culturally handicapped slow learners in the Philadelphia public schools number approximately 80,000 or 33% of the approximate pupil enrollment of 240,000... Most of these slow learners are environmentally handicapped Negro pupils who are concentrated in public schools in underprivileged areas.... these schools are classified as minus which is obvious to the extent that both white and Negro parents shy away from sending their children to them. Because of the concentration of so many environmentally and culturally handicapped pupils, most of whom are Negro, most white teachers and a few Negro teachers object to teaching in such schools. Consequently a disproportionately large number of inexperienced and in many instances undedicated substitute teachers are assigned to teach in these schools... more money should be provided for improving the educational status of such schools in underprivileged areas through a general dispersal of many of their pupils to other schools through formation of remedial classes, reduction of class sizes, an increased supply of free textbooks, and the voluntary and compulsory assignment of some of our most able and dedicated teachers to teach in them.
5. ...although Philadelphia has commendable increased its total number of Negro teachers to more than 2,000, that most of these teachers are assigned to all and predominantly Negro schools, and that most of them have been by-passed for promotion in spite of merit, with few exceptions, for many years. Also, there are still approximately 135 schools in Philadelphia which do not have any Negro teachers. ... teachers should be willing to render higher and more dedicated service through a willingness to teach where they are needed, as they should be required by law.
6. Pennsylvania's public schools integration laws do not favor gradual enforcement of school integration. Integration is to be an "immediate effect."