But the commitment of American public education is that the maximum quality of education can only take place in the most diverse of circumstances. All teachers in Oak Park deserve the greatest respect, appreciation, and support for doing their best to achieve this goal. In our community schools count. Schools count children by their diversities, including race, in order to assure diversity. Schools count children by their diversities, including race, because diversity counts.
Diversity determines the quality of education.
Racial integration is one of the components of that diversity. In Oak Park we have it at the high school. In District 97 we have it at the junior highs, which were recommended by a task force and implemented by a former board of education. Just last year a majority of the voters in Oak Park agreed to add another entire grade level from across the district to the junior highs to form middle schools. That plan, advocated by the present board of education, was done for educational reasons, which incidentally further racial integration.