Correspondence from Tegeler to Counsel Re: Student Research Papers; Memo from Tegeler to File Re: Alice Dickens Interview

    PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL 

TO: Sheff Lawyers 

FROM: Philip regeler(f 

RE: Student Research Papers 

DATE: May 21, 1991 

The final research papers by our two Harvard Law School 
students are now available: 

~- "Sheff v. O'Neill: An Unconstitutional Violation of 
Fundamental Rights,” by Michelle K. Jacobs (50 pp.) 
(focussing on causation and intent standards) 

  

-- "A School Desegregation Case In Connecticut: A Question 
of Intent and Failure to Act,” by Felipe Farley (44 pp.) 
(focussing on mid-sixties cases in New York, New Jersey, 
California and Michigan, as well as minimally adequate 
education argument) 

Each of these papers includes some useful material for our 
summary judgment brief. Please call if you want copies. 

 



PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL 

: Sheff file 

Philip Tegeler 

Interview with Alice Dickens, Assistant Superintendent for 
Elementary Instruction 

May 21, 1991 

John Brittain and I met with Alice Dickens on Wednesday, May 
15, 1991 at 2:00. Ms. Dickens has been with the Hartford school 
system for 4 years. Prior to that, she was an administrator in 
Newark. She is very familiar with issues facing urban districts, 
and she is particularly fluent about the effect of “school 
culture” -- i.e. low staff morale and aspirations related to lack 
of resources, etc. As a central administrator, she works 
primarily with principals, and she had trouble recalling specific 
school-based examples during our discussion, but with some 
preparation, she could be a good witness. 

Poverty concentration   

We spoke first about the burdens placed on the system by the 
high concentration of poor children. Her office keeps no records 
or data to document this, but she agreed that poverty 
concentration is an issue (particularly as it relates to other 
[at-risk] characteristics). She believes that the major effect 
in early elementary years is on the curriculum. In the higher 
poverty schools and classes there is enormous extra attention 
devoted to language skills--both for english and spanish dominant 
children. ? She also thinks there are discipline-related issues 
in teaching some Black and Hispanic boys that are as much 
cultural as they are related to economic background, and that for 
these children, mainstream teaching approaches often do not work. 
This is reflected, in part, in the number of suspensions 
reported. This number was very high until a few years ago, when 
the protocol was changed. She cautioned us not to be misled by 
the decline in the statistics. 

  

1 Recall our discussions with Margaret Solomon on this point. 
Will Crain be discussing this in his testimony? One of our 
national experts should address this. 

2 Dickens recommends we contact Tony Malavenda, who is in charge 
of language, speech and hearing.  



Disparities 
  

The most visible deficiencies in the elementary schools are 
in the area of supplies. 'In particular: 

Library materials 
books 
tapes 

records 
videotapes 

Computers 
machines 
software 
training 

Other technology in the classroom 
built-in TV monitors 
use of video 
communication links 

A visit to a typical Hartford kindergarten provides a visual 
example of disparities between Hartford and suburban districts. 
Last year, Ms. Dickens and several other administrators toured 
some West Hartford schools and were impressed with the quality of 
play and learning equipment; individual 2 cubbies; color 
coordination; high level of maintenance; etc. Dickens says you 
will find this type of setting in some Hartford schools, but that 
it certainly is not the norm. Maintenance in West Hartford is 
done on a regular schedule -- her group was extremely impressed 
with how well the old buildings there were kept up. In Hartford, 
deferred maintenance is the rule--only high priority maintenance 
gets done. 4 Major effect of deficiencies in equipment and 
physical plant, etc., is on the attitudes of administrators and 
teachers (see discussion below). 

Dickens suspects that we will find disparities in city vs. 
suburban teaching staff, particularly in the areas of age and 
number of years teaching. She suggested that this statistic 
would be more powerful if we focussed on the high-poverty 
schools, because teachers with more experience and seniority 
tended to move to the lower poverty schools, where teaching is 
easier. She also thinks it is possible we will find more "new 
teachers” teaching in the Hartford system (and possibly using 
Hartford as a training ground for eventually working in other 
systems). She also recommends looking at teacher mobility within 

  

3 Alice mentioned a study recently completed by Walt Balasa on 
deficiencies in the Hartford schools’ libraries. This study has 
been requested from Forman. 

4 One example Dickens gave was an elementary school where, to 
save money, only one boiler was replaced, which then broke down 
in the middle of last winter. We should ask Taco Mistry 
(buildings & grounds) about this.  



Hartford, which she believes to be unusually high (i.e., new 
teachers seem to switch to other positions in the system as soon 
as they open up, which creates disruption, need for retraining, 
etc. ).” 

Dickens thinks that some of our best anecdotal evidence 
regarding disparities may come from Hartford - school 
administrators and teachers, many of whom live and send their 
children to school outside the city.® She recommends that we 
speak to Cindy Janes, school development model facilitator (lives 
in Windsor); Donald Carso, McDonough Principal (lives in 
Newington); Richie Montenez, Hooker principal (lives in East 
Hartford); Bill Chambers, Milner principal (lives in Bloomfield); 
Carl Mandell, Webster principal (lives in Manchester); Herb 
Shedroff, Burns principal (lives in West Hartford); Lenny 
Berliner, Barbour principal (lives in Vernon); Freddy Morris, 
Wish principal (lives in Windsor); David Mulholland, Parkville 
principal; (lives in Tolland); Vern Davis, Clark principal (lives 
in Windsor). 

Low morale/school culture 
  

Dickens sometimes hears complaints about shortages of 
supplies and other resources, but for the most part, she 
observes, most principals and other administrators learn to 
adjust to the limitations of the system, and lower their 
expectations and aspirations accordingly. As a result, there is 
little “creative budgeting”. This lack of resources and funds 
negatively affects the teaching staff, and ultimately, the 
students. 

Low morale/low aspirations are influenced strongly by 
crowding, sharing of resources, worn out equipment, etc. These 
problems are among greatest weaknesses of the Hartford system. 
As examples, Dickens cited 2 teachers sharing a classroom; 3 
teachers sharing a set of books; ‘run down furniture; 
inappropriate numbers of teachers. The physical signs are 
important -- e.g., how well is a class set up, maintained? All 

of these factors come together to create a negative culture in 
the classroom. Energy level of teachers -- and students -- is 
lower than it should be. 

  

5 pickens referred us to Jack Caveny in personnel for more 
detailed discussions (check printout from HBOE on teacher 
statistics available). 

6 (An interesting statistic which we can request from Jack 
Caveny'’'s office.)  



  

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Followup 
  

Interview principals listed by Dickens 
Interview Tony Malavenda 
Interview Taco Mistry 
Review school library study/interview Walt Balasa 
Interview Jack Caveny/draft request for analysis of teacher 

characteristics (mobility, turnover, experience, 
experience by type of school, etc.) 

Revisit “school culture” issue 
Obtain Dickens resume 

PT A:®Dickens