To the Editor:
Peter Schrag's description of the traditional school system [in his review of Herbert Kohl's 36 Children and Jonathan Kozol's Death at an Early Age, January] as one tailored to the needs of students who desire a comfortable middle-class life . . . is accurate enough but not too useful. Moreover, his premise and conclusions need considerable qualification. . . .
To begin with, is the traditional school system intrinsically a failure? On what criteria does Mr. Schrag base this verdict? . . . Is his estimation based upon language-oriented tests? Can we expect Puerto Rican students (25 per cent of the New York City student population) and Afro-American (the other 25 per cent) students who came from dual-language and depressed-language environments to know as many words as some mythical “typical” Iowa schoolchild? . . .
Secondly, granted that the school system is designed for children who want to achieve . . . is this really negative? Is this where the blame should be put? Has Mr. Schrag talked to any slum parents recently? Rumor has it that many of them would be willing to cut off their right arms if their children could become little doctors or little lawyers. . . .
Thirdly, Mr. Schrag in effect says that no one has answers for the problems which confront urban schools. Well, I do. Mr. Schrag is invited to visit my Opportunity Class at P.S. 20 in the Bronx. . . . Believe me, it is possible, as Kohl points out in his book, to move these children.
Fourthly, Mr. Schrag mentions something about the complex problems posed by decentralization. He says, “Ultimately, urban politics—real ward politics—and community action, rather than our traditional classroom, may well be our greatest educational resource and the most effective device for achieving social mobility.” If by this he means that when, and if, slum children have parents, or at least people they respect, telling them to learn, then learning will take place, then I suspect he may be partially right. But if he means that we must wait for black political power before we deal with the two weak links in our system—the destructive teacher and the destructive parent—then I know he is wrong. Will Afro-American politicians be able to raise more funds than the white and black bureaucrats who now exist? Can Black Power, of itself, find the resources to deal with the jobless fathers, fatherless children, and aspirationless humans who now inhabit our slums? Ultimately, the change must be in the whole American political and economic setup. It is possible that, if the Negroes and other ethnic groups in our cities could stop the infighting and rally behind the wisdom of men like Bayard Rustin, we would be able to get down to the nitty-gritty.
Leonard Davidman
Bronx, New York
