Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Nov. 16, 1989, edition 1 / Page 3
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Robinson describes schools of choice as vehicles for change By TONYA V. SMITH Chronic!? Staff Writer Opponents to schools of choice say such an institution would prompt rescgregation, but educator Vernon L. Robinson said that argument is merely a scare tactic. Parents should be able to choose the program and school that best suits their children's edu cational needs, according to the schools of choice concept. There is a bill currently in the state legisla ture, House Bill 1256, that would permit a parent to place a child in any school system in North Caroli na as long as space exists and the change does not bring the schools out of compliance with desegrega tion guidelines. Local examples of schools of choice are Kimberley Park and Moore Alternative and Petree Optional schools. . Eaftter lhis~week, Mr. Robin son - a staunch advocate of schools of choice - made another pitch for the bill at the Southern Regional Strategy Meeting on Choice in Charlotte. "They think theTbest way to defeat schools of choice is to scare black people and white people," Mr. Robincon said. "What they are saying is that white people arc racists and that, if given the choice, they will put their children in segregated schools. They're say ing that black parents are either too dumb or are not informed Vernon Robinson enough to make the decision. Both of which are untrue. ; "We can count the number of whites who have students at Kim berley Pa[rk Alternative School, who made the choice to enroll their children in that school (which is in a predominantly Afro-Ameri can community). And even wel fare mothers . . . can make better decisions than those tracking black kids in non-co liege preparatory classes." About 300 educators attended the strategy meeting at the Char lotte Radisson Plaza Hotel. The conference was one of five which have been scheduled in cities across the country. Similar events have already been held in East Harlem, N.Y., and Minnesota, and mmm *"? mmmmmmmrn *"- y ' i? ? \ s - , . o mm ? gas, ??-'., ??:.???? iS^Y<pi*aiS8SBMpMM| Associated Press Laser Photo Urban Blight BALTIMORE - TWo billboards north of downtown Baltimore reach out to the Afro-American community with invitations to try their products. Faced with slowing consumption and declin ing sales, alcohol and tobacco industries have been concen trating their lucrative billboard advertising in poorer urban areas, many of them predominantly Afro-American. COMMUNITY NEWS DEADLINES... The Chronicle welcomes community news and calendar items.' Announcements should be concise and typed or neatly printed. 1 ney snouia include th6 day, place and sponsors or die event, plus a number to call for additional information. Announcements should be addressed to the Winston-Salem Chroni cle Community News, P.O. Box 3154, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27102. The deadline for announcements is Monday at 5:30 p.m. The Winston-Salem Chronicle is published every Thursday by the Win ston-Salem Chronicle Publishing Co. Inc., 617 N. Liberty St. Mailing address: Post Office Box 3154, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27102. Phone: 722-8624. FAX: (919) 723-9173. Second-class postage paid at Winston-Salem, N.C. 27102. The Winston-Salem Chronicle is a charter member of the Newsfinder ser vice of the Associated Press and a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the North Carolina Press Asso ciation and thtffcorttf Carolina Black Publishers Association. Subscription: $18.52 per year, payable in advance (North Carolina sales tax included). Please add $5.00 for out-of-town delivery. PUBLICATION USPS NO. 067910. ? T two others are planned in Denver and California. Choice plans are in operation in Minnesota and East Harlem, Mr. Robinson has said, and minorities have shown marked improvements in both systems, "Choice, coupled with the concept of local school autonomy that strips away administrative crap, gives principals and teachers a set of resources and lets them design programs to meet the unique needs of kids in their care," Mr. Robinson has said. "Such pro grams have had dramatic results in improving performance on stan dardized tests, graduation from high school and completion of col lege." Giving parents a choice would also increase their involvement in the education process, Mr. Robin son said. He cited the results of an NAACP survey of parents in which they listed the issues most important to them in their chil dren's education. Greater choice, higher numbers of Afro-AmeriCan facylty and staff members, and equal aspiration levels for black and white children were concerns high on their fists. "If black parents are given a choice they will choose these things for their students," Mr. Robinson said. "Choice is not an end in itself but it is a vehicle to correct a system and an institution that has been ineffective." Public! Sale LOST OUR LEASE AI J e-y ? ml' ? "J LIQUIDATION EVERYTHING MUST GO . . DOWN TO THE BARE WALLS! 30* TO 70OFF ON OUR ENTIRE INVENTORY OF Men's, Women's & Children's Clothing & Sneakers NIKE, REEBOK, ADIDAS, AVIA, ETONIC, CONVERSE, BROOKS, FILA & MANY, MANY MORE Western Union offers No Sweat Money Transfer: Because asking for money is tough enough. You've handled the hard part. So it's only right for Western Union to make everything else so easy. Sending Money. No Sweat! . We make it convenient for moms and dads, aunts and uncles, grandmas and grandpas to get your money to you. Thanks to over 14,000 convenient locations across the country, they'll never have to go out of their way to get to Western Union. And neither will you. Receiving It. No Sweat! 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