Mr. McCORD. Yes, Mrs. Green. Mr. Reuben Johnson was scheduled as a witness this morning, presenting the views of the Farmers Union. Something came up. He couldn't be here. He has submitted his statement, which he would like to have appear in the record. Mrs. GREEN. Do we have a statement from Mr. Potts, to whom Mr. Gatlin referred? Mr. McCORD. Yes. We have a statement together with analysis of the bills from Dr. Potts, who is the project coordinator of the migrant education research project for the department of education in the State of Colorado. Mr. GREEN. I would suggest that statement follow Mr. Gatlin's statement and the statement of Mr. Reuben Johnson will be made a part of the record after Mr. Potts' statement. Mr. McCORD. Yes. We have a letter from June Cedarleaf, chief of the division of women and children for the Industrial Commission of Minnesota. Mrs. GREEN. That will be made a part of the record. (The letter follows:) STATE OF MINNESOTA, Hon. CLEVELAND BAILEY, INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION OF MINNESOTA, Chairman General Education Subcommittee of the House Committee on Education and Labor, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. BAILEY: I understand your committee is now conducting hearings on the migrant children education bill (S. 2864 and H.R. 9872). The existence in the United States of a large group of children of migrant agricultural workers who are still unable to secure the education we think essential to all citizens in a democracy is almost incredible. I believe the bill under consideration would eliminate at least one of the reasons, lack of funds, for this neglect. Subsidizing local educational agencies with Federal funds would encourage them to provide for the education of migrant children during the school year, to set up summer schools where practical and make long-range plans for them. Without such Federal help and encouragement, I do not believe the educational attainment of migrant children will be appreciably improved in the foreseeable future. Other methods have been tried by private and Government agencies for many years with little success considering the amount of time and effort expended. I hope you will take action to approve H.R. 9872. JUNE CEDARLEAF, Chief, Division of Women and Children. Mr. McCORD. A letter from the Northern California Regional Office of the American Friends Service Committee. Mrs. GREEN. That will be made a part of the record. (The letter follows:) STATEMENT PREPARED BY MRS. DOROTHY Y. GOBLE, COORDINATOR OF EDUCATION OF SEASONAL FARM FAMILIES FOR THE MIGRANT MINISTRY, SANTA CLARA COUNCIL OF CHURCHES AND MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE The following statement has been prepared to urge full consideration by your committee of Federal aid to assist in providing improved educational opportunities for children of migrant agricultural workers. As a pioneer in the State of California in conducting makeup schools for migrant children and English classes for adults in or near migrant labor camps, it has been possible for me to observe several important factors relating to education for seasonal farm families. The first of these is first-hand information over a 6-year period on the educational needs of these farm families, over 90 percent of whom come from Spanishculture background. These families migrate to Santa Clara County to harvest our varied crops, which start with cherries in May and continue through apricots, peaches, pears, row crop vegetables and taper off with nuts and grapes in October and November. The average schooling of the parents who attended our English classes was 3 years, usually received in Mexico. Over half of the first through fourth grade children enrolled in makeup schools for the past 4 years (over 200 children) were two or more years behind grade level. A national study of this educational problem estimates that over 50 percent of the 100,000 school-age migrant children are from 1 to 4 years retarded by the time they reach the age of 14. In Santa Clara County, as well as other counties in this State the Southwestern States and Colorado, the bilingual character of the home places an even greater burden on the school to bring about knowledge and practice of English and thereby increase normal participation in our English-language society. Early attention (during kindergarten years) should be given to the problem of children from non-English speaking or bilingual homes with a different cultural heritage if they are to be protected against future frustrations and failures created because they are always behind and from ensuing dropouts even before they receive an elementary school education. A recent survey prepared by a principal in one of San Jose, California's interracial junior high schools indicates that more minority youngsters drop out because of lack of achievement due frequently to never being "caught up" than from low socioeconomic status. The second fact is the eagerness of many migrant children and adults alike to take advantage of educational facilities when curriculum and teachers meet their needs. Statistics from the Santa Clara County summer makeup schools compare faborably with those given in the recently published Social Profile of Agricultural Migrant People in Colorado in which 96 percent of the migrant children attending Colorado's four successful summer schools state they want to finish school. Personal interviews with Spanish-speaking parents indicate that the majority of them want better educational opportunities for their children than they received. In many cases these parents are aware of the fact that good jobs will not be available to the uneducated and so they have high school graduation as a goal for their children—at least for their sons. And finally, those of us involved in migrant education problems recognize that provisions for increased educational opportunities for these families, if to be other than spotty attempts, must be nationwide in scope to be realistic and successful. For instance, many of our seasonal farm families migrate from Arizona and Texas. Only a tiny portion of the hordes of youngsters who follow the crops ever attend our makeup schools. And those who do, may not be enrolled in school regularly at their home base if crop vacations are the pattern or attendance officers are not overly conscientious to seek out these "different kids." Many States have made their pilot efforts to promote migrant education: the $50,000 pilot project in Oregon, Ohio's $175,000 reimbursement program to school districts, California's practical material for teachers (Teaching Children Who Follow the Crops), Texas' "Little School of the 400" in Houston, action in New York, New Jersey, and Colorado's 3-year study with four summer schools for migrant children made possible with the help of the U.S. Office of Education. These efforts point up the need for coordination, exchange of information and encouragement from Federal levels down to the local school districts. We as members of a great democracy must not permit the continuation of this waste of human resource due to a shameful educational lag among large numbers of our seasonal farm families. Respectfully submitted. Mr. McCORD. We also have a letter with an accompanying document from Miss Naomi Hiett, executive director of the Illinois Commission on Children. Mrs. GREEN. That will be made a part of the record. (The letter and document follow :) Hon. CLEVELAND BAILEY, ILLINOIS COMMISSION ON CHILDREN, Chairman, General Education Subcommittee, House Committee on Education and Labor, Washington, D.C. DEAR REPRESENTATIVE BAILEY: Since you are considering some Federal legislation, namely S. 2864 and H.R. 9872, pertaining to payments to assist in improving opportunities for children of agricultural migrant employees, I am sending you a marked copy of a report which includes specific conclusions and recommendations pertaining to this subject. These conclusions and recommendations are the results of 2 years of study and discussion by a widely representative voluntary committee. Also, I would like to suggest, if I may, both commendation and concern over the section on planning. It is commendable that recognition is being given to the need for thorough investigation, planning, encouragement of children to attend (or of parents to let children attend) and for coordination. My concern is about the grantee. It has been my experience that the preparatory planning work is generally initiated and carried through by some other group than the "local educational agency." Sometimes in spite of the "local educational agency,” frequently as a partner of the local educational agency and sometimes as a silent partner. The latter being where the education leaders recognize the problems and want to do something about them, but the "community" doesn't share nor wish to hear such notions expressed. Because the influx of migrants, at least in Illinois, occurs mainly in the rural areas in which heavy landowners are the school board members, it sometimes takes some outside influences to help create the climate of opinion necessary to secure recognition and planning for these children. These same people are generally unsympathetic to Federal money—at least for education of someone's else children-and it is sometimes necessary to sell them on the fact that the district, much less the Nation, has a responsibility for these children who are almost stateless. It is not my intention to imply that one should bypass the local educational agency because no effective educational service would result or continue without their acceptance and guidance. However, a number of the planning elements frequently must take place for a year or more before some of the local people are convinced (1) that there is a problem, number of children, etc.; (2) that they have any responsibility for doing anything about it; (3) that this solution cuts across county and State lines and a program they develop along is just a drop in the bucket, unless other counties and other States are also developing similar and dovetailing educational opportunities for these children. A case in point is a county in which the children arrive after our schools are out and remain 6 weeks or so. Perhaps they leave a week after our schools start. The logic to most local school board members is that they have no responsibility. Schools aren't in session in Illinois and even if they are for a week or so, anybody would know that it wouldn't do those kids much good to enter school for a week or so. However, they don't realize that their presence in Illinois prevents them from going back to the State where the school starts earlier, or that they left their home State before their school was finished, or that the days missed in traveling and shifting from school to school work a real hardship on their learning opportunities. It isn't that these school board members (who also are frequently the employers) are insensitive or that they will reject their responsibility, but someone has to help them understand it. The educator is faced with priorities: which subject is he going to propose to the school board: higher teachers' salaries, additional teachers for science, language, special education, or a new building in a mushrooming area? It isn't human nature not to justify that this is a lesser problem as far as the local community is concerned. This is one reason why I feel that this is an area in which the Federal Government has a right to be helping, because no one local district or State can possibly see it in its entirety. On the other hand, when local communities do see the problem they are generally willing to help pay for their share of the service and so local funds are also forthcoming. I doubt very seriously how much planning is going to take place at the local school level without some outside stimulation, and how effective that planning will be if it is done by a local school district for it has to be tied to too many other services in too many other counties and States. It cannot be done in isolation. Community planning, especially that dealing with creation of a climate of understanding in the community for acceptance of more financial responsibility, is generally not an area in which educators are the most effective. If they were, there would be no need for citizen school committees to secure the number and kind of schools we need for our child population. Therefore, I think it would be well to consider other resources besides local educational agencies who might have some greater skills and opportunity to do effective surveying of need, stimulation of action, promotion of attendance, and coordination. We are gratified to see that recognition is being given to this problem and my comments are sent to you with the hope that the experience we have had in Illinois might suggest some points for your consideration so that any law which is passed will accomplish the desired educational opportunities for these children. Sincerely, NAOMI HIETT, Executive Director. SIZING UP THE SITUATION ON AGRICULTURAL MIGRANT WORKERS IN ILLINOIS, WITH CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A report of the Committee on Agricultural Migrant Workers, Illinois Commission on Children SETTING THE STAGE Agricultural migrant workers move so frequently in following the harvest, they have little chance to improve their own conditions. Therefore, many of those who come to Illinois each year find themselves, through community neglect or indifference, having to work and live under unfortunate and even deplorable conditions. There are numerous communities and individual employers representing marked exceptions to this observation, but unhappily, there are many others to which the statement is only too applicable. Today, Illinois ranks first among the States in the value of its farmlands and buildings. In 1956, it led in production of corn. Ranking third in value of manufactured goods, Illinois leads the world in the production of farm machinery and in meatpacking. Our whole economy is tied up with a bountiful harvest. A bountiful crop wouldn't be of much value if it couldn't be harvested and processed. Because agriculture is such a big and important business in Illinois, more workers are required for harvesting and processing our crops than are locally available. Therefore, migrant workers are hired by growers and canners to supplement the local labor supply. This places a moral as well as an economic responsibility on citizens, employers, and official agencies to make certain that our harvests are not reaped at the expense of the migrant laborer and his family, that they be afforded the same protection, opportunities and responsibilities as are afforded local residents. Between 10,000 and 15,000 migrant workers are required in Illinois between March and October. Many of these workers bring their families with them. The influx of large numbers of migrant workers with their families creates problems of housing, sanitation, health, child labor, education, and recreation. Illinois migrants frequently have the added handicap of language, for though most of them are U.S. citizens from Texas and Oklahoma, some speak Spanish rather than English. Migrants in southern Illinois generally come from Missouri, Arkansas, and Kentucky. PATTERN FOR PLANNING A committee on agricultural migrant workers In April 1955, the Illinois Commission on Children appointed a subcommittee on problems of children of agricultural migrant workers. Since the problems of the children cannot be separated from those of their families, our concern is for the migrant worker and his family. Committee defined its function This subject was so enormous and so complicated that the committee set up these limitations. Definition of agricultural migrant workers An agricultural migrant worker is a person who leaves his home to work in the gathering or processing of crops, and who cannot return to his home community at night, but will return home or go to another communty when the crop has been harvested or processed. Definition of employer Any farmer, grower, or food processor hiring one or more migrant workers in harvesting or processing crops. Factfinding, public education and stimulation of existing organizations to action were determined to be the major functions of this committee. A. Factfinding scope: The areas of the committee's concern and interest should be housing, health, education, recreation, child labor, community acceptance of migrants, and the reason why migrants come to Illinois. The committee should consider its responsibility to be that of collecting accurate information, seeing that it gets into the hands of the established organizations and stimulating these organizations to take direct action in carrying out recommendations for solution of the problems. B. Public information and stimulation of existing organizations to action: All during the various phases of factfinding and workshops, a public-education program should be carried on simultaneously. 1. Information should be disseminated by the committee on agricultural migrant workers to statewide organizations who in turn can inform their members through their own bulletins. 2. Committee on Agricultural Migrant Workers should ask statewide organizations to discuss this subject in their meetings and make recommendations to them. 3. In order that this dissemination of information be uniform, a small booklet or manual on migrant children in Illinois should be compiled by the committee. This should include such factual data as may be available, as well as a statement of the purpose of this study, and such other information as will make possible intelligent discussion and action on the needs and problems. Became affiliate organization of President's Committee on Migratory Labor In June 1955 a letter was received informing us that Governor William Stratton, in response to a request from the Chairman of the President's Committee on Migratory Labor, had designated this subcommittee to serve as Illinois' affiliate committee with the President's Committee on Migratory Labor. READY TO SHARE CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS For 14 months, this committee has gathered information about the agricultural migrants in Illinois. Because the problem is so complex, the committee has confined its activities to these areas: Health, housing, recreation, education, and community acceptance. In analyzing and discussing these data certain conclusions and recommendations have been drawn, which the committee is ready to share with you. In the following pages we share with you the conclusions and recommendations on these five areas. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS PERTAINING TO SIGNIFICANCE OF MIGRANT WORKERS TO OUR ECONOMY Conclusion-I Migrant labor is of critical significance in Illinois. Despite mechanization there has been an increase in certain operations which demand a large amount of hand labor. Such labor, however, is needed in large numbers only at seasonal periods. Recommendation-I Consideration for the needs of the migrant and his family should be coupled with consideration of the growers' need for migrant workers to harvest the crops. |