Description: Mayoral candidates Ray Flynn and Mel King participate in a forum on education sponsored by the Citywide Education Coalition (CWEC) at English High School. Flynn says that students graduating from Boston public schools must be prepared to compete in the workplace. He adds that there must be a working relationship between parents, teachers, administrators, and the community. King speaks about the workings of the school administration and advocates the inclusion of parents in the process. King and Flynn respond to questions about how they would have handled school desegregation if they had been mayor at the time. Both candidates answer questions about the role of the mayor upon the court's withdrawal from its supervisory role over the school system and about the school budget. Audience members include John O'Bryant of the Boston School Committee. Tape 2 of 2.
1:00:00: Visual: Ray Flynn (candidate for mayor of Boston) speaks at a forum on education sponsored by the Citywide Education Coalition (CWEC) at English High School. The candidates' forum is held in conjuction with their annual meeting. Flynn says that students graduating from Boston public schools must be able to compete in the workplace. Long shot of candidates on stage from the back of the auditorium. Flynn says that there must be a working relationship between parents, teachers, administrators and the community. The audience applauds. 1:00:56: V: King speaks about the workings of the school administration. Jump cut in the videotape. Shots of John O'Bryant (Boston School Committee); of members of the audience. King says that parents must be included in the workings of the school system. Shot of the candidates on stage. An audience member asks what each candidate would have done about school desegregation if he had been mayor at the time. The audience member also asks about the role of the mayor when the court pulls withdraws from its supervisory role over the school system. King says that community control over schools is important; that community accountablility is an important aspect of community control; that members of the community must be held accountable for the state of neighborhood schools. King says that he had suggested a community approach to schools which could have prevented the kind of sweeping court order imposed by the federal court to accomplish school desegregation. King says that he would have tried to bring people together in support of school desegregation if he had been mayor at the time; that there were many people acting in opposition to the court order at the time of school desegregation. King says that he would provide leadership on the issue of quality, integrated education upon the withdrawal of the court. 1:05:08: V: Flynn responds to the same question about school desegregation. Flynn notes that the State Department of Education will continue to oversee the Boston Public School System after the withdrawal of the court. Flynn says that he will work with the State Department of Education to protect the Constitutional rights of public schoolchildren in Boston. Flynn says that political and moral leadership was absent during school desegregation in Boston. Flynn says that he would have defended the rights and the safety of Boston schoolchildren as mayor, even if he disagreed with the court order. Flynn notes that he was a state legislator at the time of school desegregation; that he was criticized at the time for standing up for his beliefs; that he was criticized for living in a certain community; that he acted responsibly on behalf of all of Boston's schoolchildren at the time. 1:07:15: V: An audience member asks about the school budget. Flynn says that it is important to educate children; that it is more expensive to remedy social problems resulting from poor education. Flynn says that he supported funding for Boston schools even when it was politically unpopular to do so; that he is committed to providing the necessary funds to assure a good school system. Flynn says that accountability is as important as funding; that the school system has too many administrators. King responds to the same question. King says that he is aware of the lack of resources available to teachers and students in the Boston Public School System; that the lack of resources is embarrassing for a school system with a large budget; that the school administrators must make a commitment to provide resources for students and teachers.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 10/13/1983
Description: Christopher Lydon interviews Mel King (candidate for mayor of Boston) in King's home. King talks about the benefits of growing up in a diverse neighborhood and about his own childhood in Boston. Lydon asks King about his philosophy of government. King says that the government must serve those who are most in need; he adds that the government should take an active role in issues of poverty, education, the environment, and women's issues. King talks about the interconnectedness of different issues and problems. Lydon asks whether there is an ideology behind King's politics. King says that he tries to take a realistic approach to government. King believes that love and change are the two fundamentals of life. Lydon asks how King rates himself as an administrator. King says that he is a good administrator who tries to identify problems and work together with people to find solutions. The tape includes shots of the exterior of King's home.
1:00:01: V: Shots of the exterior of the King home in the South End. 1:01:10: V: Christopher Lydon sets up an interview with Mel King (candidate for mayor of Boston) in King's home. Lydon asks King about his political formation on the streets where he grew up. King talks about growing up in the diverse "New York streets" neighborhood of Boston. King says that he grew up with an appreciation for other cultures. Lydon and the camera crew discuss the set-up of the shot. King continues to talk about his experiences growing up on Seneca Street. King says that diverse urban neighborhoods provide a model for cooperation among groups of different backgrounds. King talks about the benefits of growing up with people of different cultures and ethnicities. 1:05:41: V: Lydon asks King about his philosophy of government. King says that government must serve those who are most in need; that all of society benefits when the neediest are served. King says that government must serve society's needs in the areas of poverty, education, the environment, and women's issues. King says that government must serve the needs of all people. He uses the example of access for the disabled. King says that all of society is guaranteed access when access is granted to the disabled. King says that problems in Boston's neighborhoods cannot be ignored; that these problems must be solved before they spread to other areas. King says that problems in one neighborhood affect every resident of the city. King stresses the connections between people and problems. He gives an example of the local problems caused by the oil crisis in the 1970s. 1:11:46: V: Lydon asks if there is an ideology behind King's politics. King says that his approach to government is realistic; that there is no "pure" form of government. King says that he has tried to address the realities of his life as an African American man living in Boston; that he has tried to address the realities and needs of his community and his city. King says that there are essential needs which must be met; that he has tried to look at the forces impacting the needs of people and communities. King says that love and change are the two fundamentals of life. 1:15:35: V: Lydon asks King to rate himself as an administrator. King says that he tries to identify problems; that he gathers people together to find creative solutions; that he works with people to implement solutions; that he tries to evaluate the solution to find out if it works. King talks about using this approach as director of the Urban League of Boston. King says that he is using this approach to solve problems in his current job at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). King says that a city government must deliver services efficiently on a fixed budget. King notes that Joseph Jordan (Police Commissioner, City of Boston) has provided ineffective leadership for the Boston Police Department. King says that it is important to appoint good administrators for city programs. King notes that he has proven experience as a good administrator.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 11/07/1983