New York City Board of Education, Report on Plan for School Integration

In this special report, Bernard E. Donovan, Acting Superintendant of the New York Board of Education, outlines a plan to facilitate racial integration in New York City's public school system. Donovan describes integration in schools as an agent of change, a starting point from which to address wider racial injustice. Though not finalized, the plan's basic goal is, "improved educational and vocational opportunities for all children, and particularly those in minority group areas, as well as better ethnic distribution."

The plan proposes to improve the ethnic distribution in city schools by
- Elementary school community zoning
- Changes in feeder patterns of sets of junior high schools
- Elimination of heavy concentration of minority groups in high schools
- Changing school assignments to promote integration and prevent overcrowding
- Review of existing zone lines
- Re-emphasizing the principles of integration at some school sites
- Ethnic integration in staff
- Expansion of the Central Zoning and Human Relations units
creation of a city-wide council on integration

The Board of Education plans to enact new feeder patterns for all eligible elementary schools by September of 1966. They also plan to close the Girl's High School in Brooklyn, eliminate IQ tests, reduction of class sizes, standardized tests, and the develop bilingualism.

A superintendent [unnamed] discusses how the site selection board makes final decisions on feeder and busing routes. Later in the recording, he describes goals for increasing the quality of education and reducing drop out rates. He will prepare a report, investigating eligible schools and costs, to be completed by March 16th.

Several different men seem to be talking, but only James B. Donovan is identified by name. Other members of the Board of Education in attendance are Lloyd K. Garrison, Judge Mary Conway Kohler, Joseph G. Barkan, Rose Shapiro, Aaron Brown, Clarence Senior, Morris Iushewitz.

There follows a commercial for the Huntley-Brinkley report. A reporter returns with closing remarks about the announcement from the Board of Education, but these remarks are cut mid-sentence.

Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection

WNYC archives id: 150544
Municipal archives id: T32