Lewenberg School students
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Footage of racially integrated music and math classes at the Solomon Lewenberg Middle School. Pam Bullard interviews two Lewenberg School students about the school. Both students praise the school and its teachers. Bullard interviews Jim Pardy (Assistant Headmaster, Lewenberg School) about the opening of school, school integration, and how budget cuts have affected the Lewenberg School. Pardy says that the school had a strong academic record for the previous year. Pardy says that a cuts to the school staff have resulted in larger classes this year. Pardy notes that the Lewenberg School is an example of a successfully integrated school in an African American neighborhood. Pardy says that the socioeconomic backgrounds of the African American and white students are very similar.
0:00:02: Visual: African American and white students in music class at the Solomon Lewenberg School. An African American teacher plays the piano as she teaches them a song. The students read the song lyrics from books. 0:03:49: V: Pam Bullard sets up an interview with two eighth grade students: a white student named Alfred Tiberi and an African American student named Xerxes Hammond. Alfred says that he is beginning his second year at the Lewenberg School; that he likes the school; that he likes being in classes with students who are at the same level as he is. Xerxes says he has learned more at this school than at the Shaw School, where he attended sixth grade. Alfred says that the teachers are reasonable; that they are strict when they need to be. Xerxes says that most kids get along; that he has had a few fights, but none of them were serious. Alfred says that he does not mind taking the bus to school; that he talks to the other kids on the bus. Xerxes says that he does not mind the bus ride; that he gets up at six o'clock in the morning in order to finish his paper route before taking the bus in to school. Bullard asks the students what they think about school desegregation. Alfred says that he does not understand why some students resist busing or do not attend school; that he likes going to school at the Lewenberg. Xerxes says that busing is good for schools when it works; that students are not learning anything in schools where there is resistance to busing. Both students say that there is no trouble at the Lewenberg School; that most kids like the school; that the teachers at the Lewenberg care about the students. Bullard closes the interview and jokes informally with Jim Pardy (Assistant Principal, Solomon Lewenberg School). 0:09:44: V: Bullard interviews Pardy. Pardy says that the Lewenberg School has lost 19 teachers out of 57 this year; that some classes have as many as 35 students; that large classes make the cluster system less effective; that students get less individual attention. Pardy says that there are no problems socially; that he will not know how much the students are learning until they are tested; that the Lewenberg school had a strong academic record last year and the highest reading level in the city. Pardy says that the school opening has gone well; that most of the students who attended the Lewenberg last year were reassigned to the school this year; that white attendance has been strong. Pardy doubts that the Lewenberg will be able to repeat its strong academic performance of the previous year. He says that the classes are too large; that the bilingual students are not receiving enough individual attention; that the 766 program at the school has not been staffed; that the school is lacking special education teachers. Pardy says that the school is lacking aides; that there is no female teacher for the bilingual program; that the faculty and staff are working hard to make the school work. He says that the Lewenberg school has shown that desegregation can work in a schools located in an African American neighborhood. He adds that African American and white parents are working together through the school's biracial council; that the African American and white students are realizing that they are not so different from one another; that the socioeconomic backgrounds of the African American and white students are similar; that two white families have just moved into the Mattapan district and enrolled their children at the Lewenberg. Bullard talks informally with Pardy. Pardy tells her that one of those white families moved from Roslindale to Mattapan; that there are other white families in Mattapan, even though Mattapan is seen as a primarily African American neighborhood. Pardy adds that the school department let the Lewenberg school go into a decline; that he thinks the Jewish families left Mattapan because of the declining schools; that good schools can turn things around in a depressed neighborhood like Mattapan. 0:17:16: V: A white teacher teaches math to a racially integrated class at the Lewenberg School. The class is learning fractions. The students raise their hands eagerly to answer questions.
0:00:02: Visual: African American and white students in music class at the Solomon Lewenberg School. An African American teacher plays the piano as she teaches them a song. The students read the song lyrics from books. 0:03:49: V: Pam Bullard sets up an interview with two eighth grade students: a white student named Alfred Tiberi and an African American student named Xerxes Hammond. Alfred says that he is beginning his second year at the Lewenberg School; that he likes the school; that he likes being in classes with students who are at the same level as he is. Xerxes says he has learned more at this school than at the Shaw School, where he attended sixth grade. Alfred says that the teachers are reasonable; that they are strict when they need to be. Xerxes says that most kids get along; that he has had a few fights, but none of them were serious. Alfred says that he does not mind taking the bus to school; that he talks to the other kids on the bus. Xerxes says that he does not mind the bus ride; that he gets up at six o'clock in the morning in order to finish his paper route before taking the bus in to school. Bullard asks the students what they think about school desegregation. Alfred says that he does not understand why some students resist busing or do not attend school; that he likes going to school at the Lewenberg. Xerxes says that busing is good for schools when it works; that students are not learning anything in schools where there is resistance to busing. Both students say that there is no trouble at the Lewenberg School; that most kids like the school; that the teachers at the Lewenberg care about the students. Bullard closes the interview and jokes informally with Jim Pardy (Assistant Principal, Solomon Lewenberg School). 0:09:44: V: Bullard interviews Pardy. Pardy says that the Lewenberg School has lost 19 teachers out of 57 this year; that some classes have as many as 35 students; that large classes make the cluster system less effective; that students get less individual attention. Pardy says that there are no problems socially; that he will not know how much the students are learning until they are tested; that the Lewenberg school had a strong academic record last year and the highest reading level in the city. Pardy says that the school opening has gone well; that most of the students who attended the Lewenberg last year were reassigned to the school this year; that white attendance has been strong. Pardy doubts that the Lewenberg will be able to repeat its strong academic performance of the previous year. He says that the classes are too large; that the bilingual students are not receiving enough individual attention; that the 766 program at the school has not been staffed; that the school is lacking special education teachers. Pardy says that the school is lacking aides; that there is no female teacher for the bilingual program; that the faculty and staff are working hard to make the school work. He says that the Lewenberg school has shown that desegregation can work in a schools located in an African American neighborhood. He adds that African American and white parents are working together through the school's biracial council; that the African American and white students are realizing that they are not so different from one another; that the socioeconomic backgrounds of the African American and white students are similar; that two white families have just moved into the Mattapan district and enrolled their children at the Lewenberg. Bullard talks informally with Pardy. Pardy tells her that one of those white families moved from Roslindale to Mattapan; that there are other white families in Mattapan, even though Mattapan is seen as a primarily African American neighborhood. Pardy adds that the school department let the Lewenberg school go into a decline; that he thinks the Jewish families left Mattapan because of the declining schools; that good schools can turn things around in a depressed neighborhood like Mattapan. 0:17:16: V: A white teacher teaches math to a racially integrated class at the Lewenberg School. The class is learning fractions. The students raise their hands eagerly to answer questions.
