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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1971 An Analysis of Editorial Attitudes of Selected Louisiana Daily Newspaperstoward Topics Related to Public Education, 1950-1969. William Calvin Baker Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Baker, William Calvin, "An Analysis of Editorial Attitudes of Selected Louisiana Daily Newspaperstoward Topics Related to Public Education, 1950-1969." (1971). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 2106. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/2106 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 72- 17,744- BAKER, William Calvin, 1933- AN ANALYSIS OF EDITORIAL ATTITUDES OF SELECTED LOUISIANA DAILY NEWSPAPERS TOWARD TOPICS RELATED TO PUBLIC EDUCATION, 1950-1969. The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ed.D., 1971 Education, general University Microfilms, A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan AN ANALYSIS OF EDITORIAL ATTITUDES OF SELECTED LOUISIANA DAILY NEWSPAPERS TOWARD TOPICS RELATED TO PUBLIC EDUCATION, 1950-1969 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in The Department of Education by William Calvin Baker B.S., Centenary College, 1961 M.Ed., Northwestern State College, .1964 December, .1971 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The writer is deeply indebted to Dr. William M. Smith for his helpful guidance, understanding, and encouragement throughout this study. Appreciation is also expressed to members of the doctoral committee composed of Dr. Alvin Bertrand, Dr. Helen Cookston, Dr. J. Berton Gremillion, Dr. G. C. Gibson, and Dr. Charlie Roberts. Special appreciation and recognition are given to the writer's wife, Anne, for her motivation, sacrifice, and assistance throughout this study. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................... ii LIST OF TABLES....................................... ix ABSTRACT ............................................. X Chapter I. INTRODUCTION......... 1 FUNCTION AND IMPORTANCE OF EDITORIALS IN NEWSPAPERS............................. 1 STATEMENT OF THE P R O B L E M .................. 6 IMPORTANCE OF THE S T U D Y .................... 6 DELIMITATIONS OF THE S T U D Y ................ 8 PROCEDURE OF THE STUDY ’.................... 9 BACKGROUND OF THE S T U D Y .................... 12 DEFINITION OF TERMS U S E D .................. 14 II. REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES.................... 16 SUMMARY..................................... 30 III. ATTITUDES TOWARD PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE .... 31 FEDERAL AID ............................... 33 STATE AND LOCAL SUPPORT .............. 36 Chapter . Page BOND ISSUES/ TAXES,. AND ASSESSMENTS........ 41 Bond I s s u e s .............................. 41 T a x e s ..................................... 43 Assessments.......... 46 SALARIES ............ 46 SUMMARY.......... 51 IV. ATTITUDES TOWARD PUBLIC SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION . .................... 53 BOARDS OP EDUCATION ................ 54 Board and P o l i t i c s ...................... 54 Board M e m b e r s h i p ........................ 50 Board Organization and O p e r a t i o n ........ 52 Board Decisions.............. 53 State Board of E d u c a t i o n ................ 54 ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES . 55 School Discipline and Vandalism .......... 55 Religion and the S c h o o l s ................ 57 Miscellaneous Administrative Procedures ........ ............ 58 SCHOOL FACILITIES.......................... 70 . SCHOOL SAFETY .............................. 72 CONSOLIDATION . .................... 74 SUMMARY.......................... 75 Chapter Page V. ATTITUDES TOWARD PERSONNEL .................. 77 TEACHERS .................................. 77 Teacher Shortage ........................ 79 Ac t i o n s .................................. 80 Preparations and Qualifications ...... 81 Teachers and Politics .................... 82 Teacher Welfare .......................... 84 Teacher Strikes.......... 85 Teacher Organizations ..... .......... 87 T r i b u t e s .................... 88 STUDENTS . .............................. 88 SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS . ^ .............. 91 Local Superintendents.................... 91 State Superintendent.............. 92 The Principal............................ 94 ■ THE PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION............ 95 SUMMARY.................................... 95 VI. ATTITUDES TOWARD DESEGREGATION.............. 98 THE FIRST D E C A D E .......................... 99 THE SECOND D ECADE . 103 SUMMARY .................... H O VII. ATTITUDES TOWARD THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM 112 Chapter Page METHODS AND MATERIALS OP INSTRUCTION...........112 CURRICULUM ORGANIZATION .................. 117 SPECIAL STUDENT SERVICES . ...................119 COURSES OP INSTRUCTION ........................ 121 Vocational Education ............. 121 Science and Mathematics ..................... 122 Language A r t s ...................... 124 Social S t u d i e s .................... 125 Physical Training . 126 Physical Education . ..................... 126 Military Training ......................... 127 Health and Sex E d u c a t i o n .................. •L2^ Driver Education .......... 128 Adult Education.......................... 128 Foreign Languages ................... 129 EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY ...................... 129 GRADING .........................................130 SUMMARY .........................................131 VIII. ATTITUDES TOWARD QUALITY AND VALUE OF EDUCATION .................................. 133 QUALITY OF E D U C A T I O N .......................... 134 VALUE OF EDUCATION ............................ 139 Vi Chapter Page SUMMARY ................................. X4X IX, ATTITUDES TOWARD HIGHER EDUCATION . 143 ADMINISTRATION.............................. X44 Coordination of Higher Education .......... X44 The Junior CoXXege Movement .............. X48 FaciXities and Construction , .............. X5X EnroXXment ....... .................. X53 Administration at L S U ...................... X53 Administration of State CoXXeges ...... X55 MisceXXaneous Administrative Procedures............................ X56 PERSONNEL ......................... 157 Administrators of Higher Education .......... X58 FacuXty .................................. 161 Students ................ .......... X63 FINANCE ...................................... X66 C o s t s ...................................... X66 Federal A i d ................................ 167 State Support .............................. 168 Private Support .......................... X69 Tuition and F e e s .......................... X69 Scholarships and Loans .................... 171 Salaries . ................................ 171 Chapter Page THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM.................... 172 Organization, Materials, and Methods • • • 172 Courses of Instruction .................. 173 Graduate Education . .................. 174 Athletics................................ 175 QUALITY AND VALUE ............................ 176 SUMMARY................................ 177 X. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS........................ 180 SUMMARY .................................... 180 Plan of the. St u d y ........................ 180 Findings of the S t u d y .................... 181 CONCLUSIONS.................................. 182 REFERENCES CITED ..................................... 185 APPENDICES . .................................. 217 A. Information on Daily Newspapers Used in This S t u d y ................................ 218 B. Total Editorial Treatment for Each Newspaper by Decade.......................... 219 C. Comparative Frequency of Editorials Arranged by Chapter Headings by Decades . 222 D. Editorial Treatment of Each Topic in Study Expressed as a Percentage of Total Number of Education Editorials...................... 223 VITA .................................................. 224 v n» • ij LIST OF TABLES Table Page I. Attitudes Toward Public School Finance .... 32 II, Attitudes Toward Public School Administration ............................. 55 III. Attitudes Toward Personnel ................... IV. Attitudes Toward Desegregation ............ 98 V. Attitudes Toward the Instructional Program..................................... H-3 V!. Attitudes Toward Quality and Value of Education.................................. 134 VII. Attitudes Toward Higher Education............ 144 ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to determine the editorial attitudes, if any, of daily newspapers in Louisiana toward topics related to public education, from 1950 through 1969. Twelve Louisiana daily newspapers were selected for the study. The newspapers were selected on the basis of geographic location, circulation, population, and availa­ bility of sources. The editorials of each paper were examined for the 20-year period. Editorials pertaining to public education were analyzed carefully and a position attitude of favorable, unfavorable, or neutral was assigned each editorial. The editorials divided themselves into seven topics: (1) finance (2) administration; (3) personnel;

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