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 [Laval Wilson is let go by the Boston School Committee] Original Airdate: 2/14/1990 Length: 00:02:51 Item Type: newstape - edited story master Go back to main record. Full Description 1:00:08 Visual: Footage of Boston schoolchildren dancing at an event for the John Hancock Insurance Company. Jan von Mehren reports that a group of Boston schoolchildren to dance at an event honoring the company's five-year old partnership with the Boston Public Schools. V: Footage of a female student speaking from a podium at the event. She thanks the John Hancock Company. Shot of Dr. Laval Wilson arriving at the event. Von Mehren reports that the John Hancock Company gave a lot of credit to Wilson. V: Footage of Sandra Willet (John Hancock Company) saying that Wilson has been a strong supporter of business-school partnerships; that Wilson has encouraged these partnerships. Von Mehren notes that Wilson was fired yesterday; that Wilson accepted praise for these partnerships and for his performance at today's event. V: Shots of Wilson greeting attendees at the Hancock event. Footage of Wilson speaking to the media. Wilson says that reading and math scores have improved dramatically during his tenure; that the drop-out rate has declined. Wilson says that he stands on his record. Von Mehren reports that some members of the Boston School Committee do not believe that Wilson deserves the job of superintendent. V: Shots of School Committee members Rita Walsh-Tomasini and Abigail Browne seated with a group at the Hancock event. Footage of Walsh-Tomasini saying that Wilson worked well with the business community; that Wilson did not do well by the system. Footage of Browne saying that the School Committee is not in sync with Wilson's educational vision. Browne says that Wilson is not a manager who can lead the system through the problems of the next few years. Footage of Wilson speaking to the meda. Wilson says that the next superintendent of the Boston Public Schools will have trouble establishing the trust of the School Committee; that the School Committee does not support the superintendent in establishing and achieving goals. Von Mehren reports that some members of School Committee believe that racism is the cause of Wilson's firing. Von Mehren notes that John O'Bryant shouted "Selma, Selma" as he left the School Committee meeting last night. Von Mehren adds that students in Selma, Alabama went on strike last week when a white-majority school committee fired an African-American superintendent. V: Footage from February 9, 1990. Students in Selma, Alabama chant at a demonstration. Footage of O'Bryant saying that the situation in Boston is analogous to the situation in Selma. O'Bryant says that Wilson would have had a different experience if he were white. Footage of Walsh-Tomasini saying that the firing was not motivated by race. Walsh-Tomasini quotes Wilson as saying that he is a superintendent who happens to be African American. Footage of Wilson speaking to the media. Wilson says that racial divisions influence all but a few issues in Boston. Wilson says that he was the first African American superintendent in Boston; that he was a successful superintendent for everyone. |
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