Leader says construction must include minorities

The leadership on minority and female inclusion must come from the board, the speaker said.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- School officials must do more than pay lip service to minority, female and city resident participation in the $163.5 million school construction project, a local civil rights leader has told the board of education.
"It is very important that the whole community benefit from that," said Ron Miller, president of the Youngstown Area Urban League.
"It's important that all of us keep our eyes on that prize. There are young men and women ready to work. They want to better their lives," he told the board in a Tuesday meeting that included people seeking school construction jobs in the audience.
Offering help: The urban league is offering tutoring and pre-apprenticeship programs to those seeking to work on the project.
Although the board has passed a resolution of intent to include minorities and women, Miller said significant inclusion is contingent upon having a specific policy and goals and a monitoring and enforcement system "with some teeth in it."
The project is being funded by state money and by a local bond issue.
"We feel it is crucial for the board to take a very strong and basically uncompromising stance," Miller said, noting that minority group members constitute more than half of the city's population and almost 70 percent of the city schools' enrollment.
Miller and others also addressed the board concerning the same issue two weeks ago.
"The teeth of this issue must come from this board," agreed Lock Beachum, board vice president.
John Maluso, board president, said the board intends to investigate the matter thoroughly and "see that there is minority participation."
Teacher shortage: In response to a nationwide shortage of math, science and special education teachers, the board authorized payment of an $800 to $1,000 signing bonus to teachers it hires who are certified in math, science or any one of seven areas of special education.
Teachers in Youngstown with a bachelor's degree and no teaching experience will start at $24,658 a year beginning July 1, and the signing bonus would be in addition to that, said Judy Hatchner, director of curriculum and instruction.
The board resolution said 31 teachers will retire at the end of this school year, many of them math, science and special education teachers, and it wishes to be more competitive in recruiting and retaining teachers in those three areas.