Voluntary Transfer Plan in Milwaukee: Debits and Credits

Author(s): William J. Kritek

Source: The Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 62, No. 10 (Jun., 1981), p. 746
Published by: Phi Delta Kappa International
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20386130
Accessed: 24-04-2021 04:23 UTC

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 _Research ^otes
er they taught in black, desegregated, or dents were receiving preferential treat
by contrast, did not differ significantly on
these issues from black teachers in de white schools ? expressed considerable ment from teachers. In addition, half of
segregated or white schools. uncertainty about or dissatisfaction with the secondary transfer students said they
Teachers of both races believed that the adequacy of their undergraduate prep felt like outsiders, compared with only
black schools presented more obstacles to aration. Black teachers, by contrast, 17% of the resident students.
effective teaching than desegregated or generally deemed their undergraduate The effect of the program on inter
white schools. These obstacles included training adequate. The racial mix of the group relationships seems mixed. Seventy
lack of supplies and materials, poorly arti schools in which they taught did not in percent of resident students and nearly
culated curriculum, and lack of student fluence the responses of these black teach 75% of transfer students have made
interest. However, black teachers did not ers. friends across racial boundaries and feel
find the obstacles as serious an impedi Our findings lead us to make the fol accepted. However, slightly more than
ment to effective teaching as did white lowing recommendations for teacher edu 30% of the teachers judged intergroup ac
teachers (p < .05). cation programs in the Eighties: ceptance less than satisfactory, and 38%
Those teachers who represented the Offer practicum experiences early of in resident parents reported that their
racial majority at their schools reported the program that include white, black,children spoke negatively about transfer
more personal satisfaction from teaching and desegregated schools. students.
than did other teachers we surveyed. This Give students frequent opportunities Parents of transfer students chose to
was true for both blacks and whites. to interact with people of other races and
enroll their youngsters in the Chapter 220
Teachers in schools where their race socioeconomic backgrounds. program primarily because it promised a
was the majority also felt the best trained Include courses on multicultural edu"better education." Virtually all of them
to teach children from racially or ethnical cation and human relations. deemed the program a success. Mean
ly different backgrounds. Teachers in while, more than 90% of the resident
Insure strong university support and
schools where their race was the minority supervision during practicum and student parents reported that the presence of
felt least adequately prepared for this teaching experiences. transfer students had little effect on the
task. Teachers in desegregated schools Provide feedback and aid to novice
quality of the educational program, and
rated their training midway between that teachers for the first year or so, especially
4% felt that Chapter 220 had actually im
of the other two groups. if they are crossing racial and socioeco proved their school's program.
White teachers ? regardless of wheth nomic boundaries. D The teachers were the group least satis
fied with the effect of the program on aca
demic achievement. Nearly one-third felt
that standards had been lowered as a
result of Chapter 220. They explained that
Voluntary Transfer Plan in they now had to spend additional time on

Milwaukee: Debits and Credits discipline, remediation, and individual

ized instruction.
Thirty percent of the parents of trans
by William J. Kritek
fer students said that they believed the
program afforded their children an op
Chapter 220 provides state aid to
ferred to suburban schools and only 35 portunity to attend a school with fewer
youngsters transferred from suburban to
school districts for the voluntary transfer discipline problems. However, resident
of minority students from Milwaukee to city schools. parents (56%) and teachers (42%) felt
the suburbs and for the voluntary transfer Numbers aside, what can be said of the that the program had increased such dis
of nonminority students from the suburbs quality of the Chapter 220 program as it ciplinary problems as noise level, disre
to Milwaukee schools. Four years after operates in suburban districts? To answer spectful behavior, unacceptable language,
the passage of Chapter 220, what effectthis question I surveyed teachers, transfer and fighting.
has it had on Milwaukee's public elemenand resident students, and parents in five Slightly more than half (56%) of the
tary and secondary schools? suburban districts. The questionnaire teachers said they had received some kind
In terms of size, the program hascovered six topics: satisfaction, equal of special inservice training to prepare
grown steadily, but it still plays onlytreatment,
a minority/nonminority student them for Chapter 220; the rest said they
relations, academic achievement, disci
small part in Milwaukee's total desegrega had not. This pattern was consistent from
tion effort. During the 1979-80 school pline, and special preparation for teach school to school and from district to dis
year the 12 participating suburban school ers. A total of 1,515 usable questionnaires trict. Within the same building some
districts received 916 transfer students (62%) were returned. teachers claimed to have received inservice
from Milwaukee. This figure amounts to Most participants were satisfied with training; others said they had not. It
2.7% of the combined resident enrollment the program; only 12% rated it "unsuc seems unlikely that much high-quality in
in the 12 suburban districts and accounts cessful." Such a finding should not be service training is taking place.
for only 2?7o of Milwaukee's minority stu surprising in a voluntary program, how Thus Chapter 220 has its share of
dent population. During the same year the ever. debits and credits. Although the numbers
Milwaukee schools were able to attract Although no gross discrepancies in the are small, the program appears to be
only 138 transfer students from thetreatment of transfer and resident stu working to the satisfaction of most par
suburbs. dents were uncovered, nearly one-fourth ticipants. It is equally clear that high
These statistics indicate growth, how of the resident parents and resident secon quality inservice training for teachers in
ever. During the first year of the program dary students felt that the transfer stu human relations and instructional strate
(1976-77), 319 minority students trans gies is needed. Chapter 220 is not a sub
stitute for broader, mandatory desegrega
WILLIAM J. KRITEK (Milwaukee Wis tion programs. However, the choices it of
consin Chapter) is director of the School Ser fers to parents and students can help to
vice Center at the University of Wisconsin, reduce the pressure of mandatory desegre
Milwaukee. gation. D
voft*?*

746 PHI DELTA KAPPAN

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