Willie Advocates Reform Plan

Educational reform should focus more on "community advancement," a Graduate School of Education professor told about 20 people last night.

In his remarks, Professor of Education and Urban Studies Charles V. Willie outlined his plan to bring about the betterment of society through education.

"Education has a two-fold goal: individual enhancement and community advancement," Willie said. The emphasis on the individual is "one of the errors of our community," he said.

Willie said he deals with three areas of educational reform, "diversity, choice and education improvement."

He said many past attempts at educational reform have failed because they did not deal with all three of these areas. "It must be the simultaneous implication of all three--not singly or sequentially," Willie said.

Most educational reform efforts in the country fail to adequately address the need for diversity in the nation's schools. But Willie emphasized that diversity alone is not enough to en- sure educational improvement.

"In order to have an effective community, youmust have diversity, because no group knowsenough," Willie said. "Quality and diversity gohand in hand."

Citing evidence from the Boston schools Williesaid the most diverse institutions are the onesmost educationally successful.

"If there is a population group that isunrepresented, the fairest way to increase theirproportion is through quotas," said Willie."Quotas are a way of enhancing rich experience ofthis University."

Willie also addressed the issue of diversity inthe Harvard student body and faculty.

"The goodness of Harvard has been driven bydiversity," said Willie. "One-third of Harvard isminority."

Willie said the racial diversity of the facultyshould mirror that of the students.

"I don't understand why 90 to 95 percent of thefaculty is white," Willie said.

The education expert also discussed school"choice" plans. Willie said he generally supporteda system of controlled choice for the Boston-areaschools but he said choice is only part of thesolution.

"Choice had some beneficial effects, but in theend was wanting because it was not advancingsociety as much as it was enhancing theindividual," he said

"In order to have an effective community, youmust have diversity, because no group knowsenough," Willie said. "Quality and diversity gohand in hand."

Citing evidence from the Boston schools Williesaid the most diverse institutions are the onesmost educationally successful.

"If there is a population group that isunrepresented, the fairest way to increase theirproportion is through quotas," said Willie."Quotas are a way of enhancing rich experience ofthis University."

Willie also addressed the issue of diversity inthe Harvard student body and faculty.

"The goodness of Harvard has been driven bydiversity," said Willie. "One-third of Harvard isminority."

Willie said the racial diversity of the facultyshould mirror that of the students.

"I don't understand why 90 to 95 percent of thefaculty is white," Willie said.

The education expert also discussed school"choice" plans. Willie said he generally supporteda system of controlled choice for the Boston-areaschools but he said choice is only part of thesolution.

"Choice had some beneficial effects, but in theend was wanting because it was not advancingsociety as much as it was enhancing theindividual," he said