Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 26 March 1994 — Page 4

PAGE A4

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

SATURDAY, MARCH 26,1994

DEBATE Continued from A1

privatization gives customization to school districts in four basic areas: public/private partnership; educating for the same amount the school system is already spending; employment contracts; and site based management and accountability. Gaskins said EAI believes every child has gifts and talents and EAI helps develop those gifts to the highest level possible. EAI also institutes technology such as a telephone, facsimile machine and copier in every classroom to improve student, parent and teacher interaction. State Representative William Crawford disagrees with the premise that you are either for public education or against it. He supports educational choice and said private and public schools can compliment each other. U I see a failure of all institutions in place to help our kids,” said Crawford. “I do not believe that we are faced with an either or situation. Most proposals for change are for a small number of schools. I see nothing wrong with that.” Crawford has recently established an education legislation package that focuses on low income families. It includes the use of vouchers, and places a premium of educating in a public sector. “One size does not fit all and low income parents should have the same choice as others as to sending their students to public or .private schools.” said Crawford. Crawford said he is willing to entertain the ideology of a different methodology such as EAI or The Edison Project, if it will help the children because, “right now” IPS

is failing Black children. “Listen to what’s being said, there is something broke,” said Crawford. Richard Roberts’, vice president of Public School Partnerships for The Edison Project, echoed Gaskins sentiments. He said that privatization would only enhance the productivity and education of students in the public school system, although Edison has not yet opened a model school. Senator Billie Breaux, who is a proud recipient of an IPS education, is opposed to privatization and said school choice is in jeopardy. Select Schools, she said, was “too much, too fast” and has resulted in oversized classrooms. “We must keep what is good with public education,” she said. “We cannot afford to throw the baby out with the wash.” Rev. Daki Napata, head of Save or Children in Boston, called privatization “the apartheidization of education.” When discussing the ills facing African-American children in the public school sector, Napata referred to an old adage he once heard. “Everything in the environment is out to destroy Black minds...They would break all of us, but some of us become strong at the broken places,” he said. “If we are to look honestly at privatization and the like, it’s about something basic my grandmother told me. ‘Son, when you leave this house act like you know.’ If you know, you won’t let people from the Edison Project come in and tell you something different.”

TAXI Continued from A1

other people have expressed an interest in breaking up the local domination of taxi and ground transportation, and allow other people an opportunity to become licensed drivers and own their own taxi businesses through “Proposal 72.” “Proposal 72 was introduced to improve customer service and increase economic opportunity in the local ground transportation industry,” said Assistant to the Mayor for Regulation Affairs, Tom Rose. “In some areas of the city, there is little or no service and the service is not of high quality. This proposal gives everyone an opportunity to benefit.” The proposal will also attempt to limit the number .of cabs to be licensed and lift the current cap on licenses. By limiting the number of cabs that can be licensed, the current ordinance creates a market where there is little incentive for companies to offer the best service at the lowest price, leaving customers under served. The proposal would improve that ordinance by allowing taxi companies to expand the size and scope of their operations, including the rights of current drivers to own their own taxi service. Also, by lifting the cunent cap on licenses, Proposal 72 will allow local transportation markets to be shaped by the demands of the consumer and not the regulators and the regulated. “Proposal 72 is a great opportunity for people of color who would like to start their own taxi service,” said Pam Morrison. “A lot of people can not afford to lease cabs from the big cab companies, and if there is an increase on the number of licenses, it will break up the monopoly and give everyone an opportunity to benefit.”

According to those in opposition of Proposal 72, they argue that current taxi owners have many idle vehicles because there isn’t enough demand to sustain them on the street. Also, by maintaining these licenses, the larger fleets in conjunction with a closed entry system actually prevent other players from entering the market. The opposition also cites that the difficulty in recruiting drivers is evidence that the taxi service can not be expanded. However, the problem is not that companies were fortunate enough to benefit from the present closed system are not profitable, but rather that nonowner drivers can’t own their own cabs. Because no new licenses are available, these drivers have no choice but to'pay the inflated lease price demanded by the multi-vehicle owners. Many people wanted the African-American community to get behind their efforts. “We want people to call and leave either a positive or negative message about the experiences they have had with the existing taxi cab companies,” Morrison said. “Please call the Indianapolis Urban League at 639-9404 and ask for Pam Morrison. You can call and talk about your experiences with the taxi service and your give ideas on how African-American cab drivers can unite and start their own services. Or you can leave a message if I am not there,” he said. For those interested, there is a meeting scheduled on Thursday, March 31 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 260 of the City County Building. “We feel this meeting will be a critical initiative in creating new African-American owned businesses in Indianapolis,” he said.

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kills and knowledge of 'ew? Pledge more private/public dollars? Hire additional teachers? Utilize high technology in the classroom? Go to year-round schools? Adopt higher standards? Employ private, forprofit companies to manage schools?

March 29, 1994, a special Town Meeting d for the central Indiana community to voice their opinions on what it takes to strengthen our public schools and make them world class.

call CLASS at 237.3345.

The March 29 Town Meeting is supported as a public service by Community Leaders Allied For Superior Schools (CLASS).