Downtown," called a "system of pauper schools," a system in which "time had stopped." METCO began with Boston School Committee member Louise Day Hicks's success in the early '60s in reduc­ ing all of Boston's education problems to one word - busing. She was against it, forging the reputation that brought her Reprinted from CITY, triumphantly to the House of Represen­ January/February 1971 . tatives this year. What happened to the © 1971 , Th e National Urban Coalition. people who lost, who tried to get her and A II rights resen ·ed. the school committee to recognize the de­ terioration of Boston's once-proud school system? First and foremost, the people who cared about education, and could leave the city, did. The massive middle-class exodus, begun years before, continued un­ abated, draining Boston of tax money and commitment and refueling a negative cycle of institutional neglect. Three­ quarters of the metropolitan area's people now live on Boston's fringes, where they have established school systems "thriving on the city's cultural blood," as Schrag vividly put it. Remaining in Boston, a black minority of 14 per cent was compressed by eco­ nomics and racism into a steadily expand­ ing Roxbury ghetto, where it was watched uneasily by a white, largely working-class population 80 per cent Catholic and 60 per 2. Boston's METCO: cent Irish. Still reacting like the threatened minority they once were, the Irish were called by local wags "the largest oppressed majority." About a third of the white chil­ What To Do Untll the dren attended parochial schools, many so overcrowded and poor that parents were understandably not moved by public school poverty. The whites worried about Solution Arrives busing, but the de facto ills that blacks Some in a biracial alliance which started slum-to-suburbs busing were protesting were in reality extreme ex­ amples of a citywide syndrome. have misgivings, but this expen'ment and a ghetto Says Mrs. Ruth Batson, a past educa­ tion chairman of NAACP and one of the alternative provide relieffrom the city's 'pauper schools' founders of METCO, after going the "whole route" of fruitless pickets, protests, while metropolitanism remains an ideal. By Phyllis Myers. strikes, and bitter election fights: "The whole damn city was sacrificed because of Every morning, beginning at 7 o'clock, from the suburbs, which now provide over white bigotry." Monday through Friday, 54 buses wind 1,350 seats in 28 towns and expand their Out of this crucible of failure came an around the streets of Roxbury and Dor­ participation each year; and from the alliance of Roxbury mothers, black NA­ chester, picking up groups of waiting Massachusetts Department of Education, ACP leaders, liberal white suburban black children. Some are still sleepy, some which last year sent $1.5 million to foot school superintendents, suburban families are chattering, all are toting school books. METCO's bills. aligned in an array of fair housing, peace, Their destination is "the suburbs" -the Such local approval notwithstanding, and good government groups, and a affluent white towns ringing Boston - the concept of METCO hasn't radiated sprinkling of academics from Boston's whose schools, long reputed for their ex­ outward as much as its founders originally great universities. They formed commit­ cellence, have since 1966 invited children hoped, although there is a similar program tees, held public forums, helped push from the ghetto to fill up empty seats in in Hartford, Connecticut, set up about the through the nation's first state legislation their classrooms. · same time as the Boston METCO, and a against de facto segregation, including a METCO, as this program of slum-to­ METCO in Springfield, Massachusetts. If provision permitting cities and towns to suburb busing is known, could probably METCO seems like a successful hangover cooperate to eliminate racial imbalance. not be formed today. The kinds of people from the mood of yesteryear, however, it Black parents organized the Exodus pro­ who put it together- activist blacks, can also be looked on as a bridge to the gram, which raised money to transport liberal whites- have been pulled apart in future, to broader city-suburb collabora­ black children to other schools within the the confusion over integration, and tend tion, or even metropolitanism (a lively is­ city; suburban and city parents cooperated now to label such one-way efforts as token­ sue again), and a model of the mixed suc­ in summer programs busing Roxbury chil­ ism, irrelevant, or even racist. METCO cess and doubts in such collaboration. dren to suburban towns. About the last nevertheless continues to get strong sup­ The Metropolitan Council for Educa­ item in the METCO's formation, after a port in the Boston area- from its origi­ tion Opportunity- METCO- was at its federal Title III grant assured the funds nal founders; from parents in Roxbury, heart a repudiation of the Boston schools, for an ongoing Roxbury-to-suburbs pro­ where 1 ,000 families wait on oversub­ which education writer Paul Schrag, in his gram, was the Boston School Committee's scribed lists for a place for their children; sharply critical book, "Village School grudging (3-2) approval. Mrs. Hicks cast one of the opposing votes, despite the fact The "thing that helps METCO work," ber of children in the classroom." Boston that METCO wouldn't cost Boston a cent. says Mrs. Burgess, is the host family, a now spends a total of $983 per student, Seven suburban towns came in that first ruboff from the Experiment in Interna­ a figure considerably higher than in past year, accepting 220 black students. tional Living practice of boarding travel­ years, aided by a revision in state aid that "We were thinking then of a tempo­ ing students with foreign families. The once sent over twice as much aid to such rary program," recalls Mrs. Batson. "As children from METCO each get assigned wealthy towns as Brookline as it did to the soon as Boston came to its senses, we to a local family, preferably one with a city. Boston and Brookline depend pri­ would come back home." child matched for sex and age. marily on the same source -the property The students were not easy to recruit at The host family is intended to give the tax- for most of their school funds. Bos­ first. "People just didn't drop dead at the METCO child a "place" in the commu­ ton has a per-pupil evaluation of $14,000; idea," says Mrs. Batson, who as METCO's nity, where he can play after school, ask Brookline, $54,000. The citizens of Brook­ director for three years is widely credited for homework help, wait if the bus is late. line may feel overtaxed, but in fact they for much of its achievements. There were He may make a friend he can visit on raise their education funds with much less always blacks who were against moving weekends or invite back to Roxbury. This effort than the citizens of Boston. their children out, even before the issue network of host families, and a METCO became politicized. "What's going to hap­ c.itizens committee, is coordinated by Mrs. Pulling apart pen to my child?" "What about the long Burgess, who is in constant communica­ The second METCO goal, the positive bus ride?" "What will happen if he gets tion with the school and the METCO effects on white and black pupils- and to sick?" parents wanted to know. If their parents, helping with whatever academic what extent this was envisioned as a build­ children were getting a raw deal in the and personal problems arise. Although ing of relationships between the city and Boston system, could they "make it'' in there have been problems where host suburban youths -is lost somewhere in those tough schools in unfriendly towns? families expected too much "emotional re­ the litter of the late '60s. "The children Children are selected on the basis of turn" for their investment, and the black pulled apart as the black movement parent interest, not academic potential, in­ students, particularly as they got older, grew," says Mrs. Batson. sist METCO officials, who weed out some wearied of the sometimes forced relation­ METCO tells its students: "We don't "obviously unsuitable" candidates but ship, the commitment of the town - and care whether you mix. Just go there and otherwise place them on a first-come, first­ its success with the children - can be get a good education." But white parents served basis. While this one factor­ measured by such local support. are puzzled when the black students - parent motivation- is a positive influence Another measure of commitment is how spread out by handfuls in 92 schools­ on the children's achievement, people like much money the towns charge for group together. "Why do black kids Mrs. Barbara Loomis Jackson, assistant METCO students. None of them pay out cluster?" the whites ask. It is not easy to administrator for education of the Boston anything - although local opposition to accept the answer, "They want to." The model cities program, worry that METCO METCO often comes in the form of talk older black students demand Afro clubs, may be draining Roxbury of its most ac­ about high taxes. At first, the towns black studies, black teachers. They act up. tive parent group. In a city where the charged a regular nonresident tuition rate. Says Mrs. Jackson, who is trying to devise black population has less vocal leadership Now, about 24 charge half-tuition or a an educational program for the model and proportionately fewer middle-class token amount, collecting instead funds cities that combines community demands families than most others, this is a serious from the state to finance special services for its own schools with the state's require­ problem. - teachers, coordinators, materials, guid­ ment that new schools be racially bal­ ance people, training programs -directly anced: "For too long, the black has had to Leaders and followers geared to METCO students. give up his own identity to become part of Out in the highly taxed, affluent suburbs, From the beginning, there were two the larger society; now, the kids are not the controversy over taking the children goals for METCO, says Dr. Sperber: going to accept this. The question is, If varied in intensity from town to town. "First, to provide an option for city parents you're trying to get your own identity, can Brookline, a wealthy older "suburb" vir­ to get a better education for their children, you get it best in relation to the white tually encircled by Boston and served by and second, to achieve positive effects on community?" its mass transit, already had some resident suburban white kids, and similarly on METCO's answer is yes, provided the blacks. Its school superintendent, Dr. black kids. We have been achieving the schools respect and nurture the black Robert N. Sperber, was one of the initial first, but not the second." The blacks now child's sense of self. This involves "a lot of forces in shaping METCO, as was Charles insist they never sent their children out to work" at both the Roxbury and suburban Brown, affluent Newton's school superin­ integrate the suburbs- just to get a good ends of the METCO trip. One vital ap­ tendent. An active group of liberal, lively education, and on this measure, METCO proach, actively spurred by METCO's young professional residents lived in Lex­ parents are sure it was a good choice. new director, Dr. Robert C. Hayden, is ington, one of the first participating com­ According to a METCO report, of 54 the use of more multi-ethnic materials at munities. Many towns were more conser­ 1970 graduates, 40 went on to four-year all l~vels in all classes in the suburban vative, like Needham, which joined three colleges or universities, many with scholar­ schools. Another is frequent meetings with years ago with nine students and this year ships; four went into the "world of work"; parents and pupils in his Roxbury office, invited 40. "Needham likes to follow," eight went on to vocational training, busi­ lined with a de rigueur array of assertive says Jayne Burgess. "The League of Wom­ ness schools, or junior colleges; one did black posters. He tries to help them under­ en Voters is innovative enough for us." not graduate, and one entered the service. stand that their negative experiences, real An early advocate of Needham's par­ "The only yardstick we have is higher or imagined, are part of "learning to make ticipation in METCO and now a coordi­ education," says Dr. Sperber. "We'd like to it in a white man's world." nator of the town's program, Mrs. Burgess think this is a part of success." Another To Dr. Sperber, however, the relations traces her interest back to the awakened yardstick is the low voluntary dropout between the students are a "big disappoint­ concern in the '60s about how children's rate : only 21 withdrew in 1970, either by ment." "We have to teach people to get attitudes were being shaped- or warped their own or their parents' choice. along. At some point we have to start, and - in school. "We were worried about the Although METCO demonstrates that it ought to ,be in kids. They have to under­ isolation of our children," she says. Only towns like Brookline provide ghetto chil­ stand that people are different. It is not as two black children were in Needham dren with more opportunities, Dr. Sperber simple as we once thought, just putting schools back in 1965, bused in from near­ doesn't "glibly blame the city. They don't black and white kids together." by Dover. (Even today, only about a have the financial resources of the suburbs. Something else has happened since dozen black families live in Needham.) Brookline spends $1,375 per student. If METCO made its way to the suburbs. At "We saw METCO as a way of improving you spend more money, you buy better about the same time the liberal white sub­ education for all children." teachers and services. You lower the num- urbanites were offering their schools as a ,

way out, their own children were turning age undoubtedly superior to anything out off to them. Many now believe the schools in the suburbs. need a radical overhaul. In some ways, the There was originally some talk of trade­ METCO students accelerated this process otis with METCO on tuition and the trans­ of self-doubt and impelled some changes portation of white suburban students, but in the direction of "relevance." Watching this fizzled when appropriate state legisla­ teachers unable to respond to new chal­ tion died in committee. According to a lenges, principals and parents wondered state education official, over 100 white how good some of them really were. Look­ children would have come in from the ing at tutorial programs for black students, suburbs if bus service were provided. parents realized how many of their neigh­ Some Roxbury parents have chosen bors were paying for tutors who perhaps Trotter over METCO. But, says Mrs. Bat­ should have been funded by the schools. son, "If my children were young, I would The suburbs were geared to a mold, and send them to METCO. I still don't trust kids outside the mold- black or white­ that Boston School Committee." At least didn't have much of a place. So METCO the METCO towns commit themselves to ends up trying to change the suburban keeping a child once he has begun in their schools - through conferences with prin­ system. No one is quite sure what Trotter's cipals, teacher training sessions, curricu­ future will be, or where the children will lum workshops, "rapping" with students, go on from there. trying to attract more black professionals Boston has still not come to its senses, and paraprofessionals, and so on. Says says Mrs. Batson, nor is it time to bring Mrs. Burgess, "the schools would be worse the black kids home. "I see no change without METCO." since 1963." Across the street from the METCO of­ Ultimately, Mrs. Batson looks beyond fice, down one block on Humboldt Ave­ Boston's borders for rescue, as does EdCo, nue, is an alternative to METCO for some a promising new grouping of six towns Roxbury children. As part of the long­ and Boston. EdCo - The Educational contested Washington Park urban renewal Collaborative for Greater Boston, with project, the Boston school system finally, offices in Cambridge- is trying to de­ in 1969, opened the Trotter School, the velop a voluntary metropolitan model first it managed to construct since state oriented to the city around specific project legislation in 1965 provided 65 per cent of needs like race relations, staff retraining, the costs of racially balanced schools. Half student and teacher exchanges, and black of the Trotter's seats are reserved for recruitment. Although linked by some of bused-in whites, most from other parts of the same people who promoted METCO, the city. Considering white attitudes about and learning from its experience, EdCo is the safety of the Roxbury ghetto - an a separate organization. astonishing number of warnings were "EdCo is two-way," says its director, given to a white reporter about going there Dr. Robert Peebles. "In the long run, the in midday- the school's magnetism is re­ metropolitan way is the only way," says markable. It was expensively bought. Mrs. Batson. "I know this is not a popular Trotter is architecturall y stunning, burst­ idea in the black community. I am not ing with color, electronic listening booths, against community control. But somehow cartloads of globes and projectors. It has we have got to pool our efforts and our every current innovative vogue, and even money. I don't know any other way out of some not in vogue, like Muzak- a pack- this dilemma."