BUILDING FOR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY - Kennedy Bibliothek

came out was what the community wanted the school to be, and that was a
school that would serve the whole, total community." (1)
46. In the long, and at times painful, political process of articulating
their needs, personal ties and leadership patterns began to emerge which up
to this day remain valid and worthy of support. With this leadership, the
community has been able to secure for itself not only one of the most
elaborately equipped high school facilities but also the most comprehensive
mix of social and community services which can be found in the United
States. Dunbar remains a black high school and East Baltimore a black
community even though the number of white families is increasing as better
housing becomes available. But the school does serve as a model and central
co-ordinating agency for social services in the city of Baltimore. Its
original goals, it seems, have been far surpassed in terms of program and
scheduling (most of the programs already show positive results). In terms
of lay-out and architectural design, Dunbar follows a more traditional
pattern in separating educational and community services except for
multi-use facilities.
47. The development of all three centers has been of great significance
for the people involved in their planning and implementation. However,
nowhere have local leaders changed the course of their own lives in such
a dramatic way as in Dunbar. Hattie Harrison, an early activist mother,
now serves as a State of Maryland legislator and still retains her City
Hall office within the Community/School Center, a former shower attendant
is now a member of the City Council; the assistant principal became
Superintendent of Schools in Baltimore. Most of the present staff seems
to have been active in one way or another in the planning and initiation
phases.
Links between Planning and Functioning
48. In contrast to Dunbar which seems to reach its high level of cooperation
between the social service agencies and the school because of the
charette and resulting personal ties, Pontiac's powerful "Parent Executive
Board" has been eliminated. Instead of having strong powers relating to
program, content, and the hiring and firing of personnel, the present HRC
Parent Teacher Association serves in an advisory capacity. A similar
development to the one observed in Dunbar which meant that many participants
in the planning process later became employees in the school was not
considered desirable in view of Pontiac's diverse social situation.
1) Hattie Harrison, one of the. main participants in a personal interview
in 1974.
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