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at the cost of implementing any plan under consideration. Actually, the "good" doctor controlled all discussions so closely that only the plans with which he agreed were seriously discussed.

We had two four-year high schools and two three-year junior high schools plus a number of elementary schools. The committee recommended (really the Doctor's plan) that we change to one three year high school at one location using an adjacent junior high for added space and convert the other high school to a four year junior high using an adjacent junior high as added space. The elementary schools would remain the same except we would continue to run buses to maintain racial balance.

This plan would require added science laboratories, office space and other specialized facilities at the proposed high school as well as revision and conversion of spaces at the proposed junior high. This plan was presented to the Board of Education at a regular meeting of the Board and the Committee Chairman requested that the Board respond by a certain date. The administrative staff discussed the recommendation at great length and came to the conclusion that it was not a feasible thing to do and that the education of all Inglewood children would be severely down graded and they told the Board their decision. The Board agreed with the staff.

It was now necessary that someone meet with the Committee and explain the Board's objections to their plan. Of course it was the duty of the Superintendent to handle this chore and he prepared a proper response after conferring with the staff. On the day of the Committee meeting I was attending a conference in Anaheim and I got an emergency call from my office in Inglewood. "The Superintendent is ill and it will be necessary that you give the Board's response to the Committee, tonight." Now I was not surprised that the Superintendent was "indisposed." He had formed a habit of becoming "ill" when distasteful jobs came along. At any rate, I met with the Committee and took the heat from them for the Superintendent who was back in the office the next day with no sign of illness.

Something can be learned from this method of attacking educational problems. When we rely on a group of untrained people who are dominated by an articulate aggressive individual to come up with a solution we should be punished by having to live with their recommendation. The most successful integration programs in this country have been those used in the South where the principals and the teachers worked out plans for racial balance. They then told parents and pupils what they were going to do because it "was the law of the land and it was the right thing to do." They then simply implemented those plans in a quiet positive way. When you stir in the whole community and call in "experts" to tell you what to do, all the problems are magnified. Appointing a citizens committee in most cases, is simply a good way to delay or avoid a decision and seldom helps in reaching a satisfactory solution to racial integration.

It was amusing to watch the "integration" of the central office staff. We were all white until a black bookkeeper was hired. At least eight applicants were interviewed for this job and the