Teacher Attitudes in the Pontiac Michigan School District Toward the Public Schools and Desegregation by Busing. Wave IV.

Part of a series of parent and teacher surveys, this portion of the 1975 survey provides information on the attitudes of teachers of elementary and secondary grades toward the desegregation plan and their perceptions of some of the effects that the plan has had upon children in the Pontiac schools; and information on the attitudes of the teachers towards administrators and their relations with them, as well as background materials on the teachers themselves. Results indicate that teachers interviewed perceive the Pontiac schools today are better than they were five years ago, and they expect them to be better still five years from now. While the teachers interviewed favor the desegregation plan presently in effect, black teachers are significantly more in favor of the plan than white teachers. Generally, the teachers feel that their teaching activities are the most important, while perceiving that their administrators think that maintaining order and taking care of administrative and non-classroom activities are more important. Despite these differences most of the teachers are involved in the policy-making that goes on in their schools. Teachers are also generally positive about the effect they think the schools can have in motivating students to learn. This optimism is significantly higher among black teachers than white, and higher among women than men. (Author/AM)

Microfiche. [Washington D.C.]: ERIC Clearinghouse microfiches : positive.