Jim Boothe has seen all sides of the issue in his three decades in education. Dr. Boothe is chairman of the education department at Xavier University. He was superintendent of Reading Community City School District from 1984 through 1987, and worked for 31 years as a teacher and administrator. He also was an Evendale City Council member for three terms from 1987 through 1999.

        Dr. Boothe spoke with Enquirer reporter James Pilcher.

        QUESTION: Has the tension in education, when it comes to race relations, shifted from integration to money?

        ANSWER: It's definitely more economic than racial. The racial achievement gap is still there, but most people would say that is caused by socioeconomic differences more than differences in race. Yet race is closely associated with issues of money and class.

        And will money solve the problem? The answer is a qualified yes.

        The problem is many don't have that money, and therefore don't have access to a good education. And every child, regardless of how much money their parents have or where they live, should have access to a good education.

        Q: Is society providing access to quality education to all students?

        A: We're trying to do it. And the Ohio Legislature, as well as elected officials and school administrators across the country, are struggling to do it.

        But it all comes down to how much is enough, whether it be money or proficiency tests or whatever. And that question may never get answered to the satisfaction of everyone.

        Q: The Enquirer poll shows that a majority of blacks and whites say wealthy school districts should help pay for poor districts. Should we believe this?

        A: What most people agree with is that the funding system needs to change so that every child, whether they be from the city or a rural area, needs to get a thorough and efficient education.

        But when it comes to the meaning of taking money from one group to give to another group, I'm not sure people understand what that means.

        . . . Cincinnati Public Schools technically is a wealthy district, but they could need more money than the rest because of the socioeconomic problems they have, or just because it's more expensive to do anything, much less educate, in a big city.

        There isn't one vaccination for all the schools, and that includes just throwing more money at it.

        Q: The Enquirer poll shows that suburban whites and blacks are more satisfied with their public schools than city whites and blacks. What are we to make of that?

        A: That's not surprising. Many of the problems we're facing are connected to the urban situation, and education is a key component in that. And your data also shows that urban whites are not as happy as suburban whites, so that proves this point out.

        Q: The poll also shows that many blacks and whites agree that there are many complex problems facing inner-city schools, particularly Cincinnati city schools. But many whites believe a lack of parental involvement is also to blame, while many blacks think it's a lack of funding. Why this disparity?

        A: Nothing surprises me about various perceptions. Obviously, most people feel the reasons are complex and many. Some parents are in a better position with their time and resources, while there are a lot of black single parents who have to work, and don't have an extensive education. . . .

        It's very complex, and no one has one answer (that is) going to solve everything.

        It goes back to what I always said as an administrator -- for every difficult situation there is one simple answer, and it is always wrong.

        Q: What has changed the most since you were a teacher and administrator? Has race faded as an issue?

        A: . . . The minority community -- parents and leaders alike -- are aware how important education is in helping everybody take part in the great American life. They see it as an opportunity. Yet many reside in urban areas where schools don't perform as well. That's why we have all that interest and focus on urban schools.

        Education has also changed from this point of view: While it's always been important to most people, it's suddenly become high priority with other segments of society, especially with the business community. They see education as a key component in being competitive with other nations and corporations. They put more pressure on education to perform.

        ONLINE EXTRA: Complete poll results and PDF of the report

Schools: It's the color of money
About this series
Emphasis on school leads a black family to Mason
No single medicine can cure schools' ills
How this poll was done
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