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Fenger Parents VowToSeekSolutionsBy Noble Di SalviWhat happened at Fenger High school Wednesday night was both encouraging and dis-sappointing. Between 200 and 300 parents of Fenger students and concerned citizens met to discuss, and seek solutions to the racial unrest at the school which resulted in three days of rioting.On hand to discuss the problems were George Triezenberg, principal of Fenger, Paul McLaughlin, commander of the Kensington police district, and alderman Dominic Lupo (9th) and Wilson Frost (21st).Each member of the panel made opening remarks, urging parents to cooperate in helping, school and law enforcement off-icals to quell disturbances by encouraging their children tocooperate with officials of the school and police.After that the meeting reverted to the panelists answering written questions from the audience; mostly the same questions which had been answered by the panel members in at least a half dozen meetings over the past 10 days. While, disappointingly there were mostly questions, and few suggestions from the audience there also appeared certain things which could lead to positive solutions.Both George Triezenberg, and commander McLaughlin,showed the “Courage” indicative of leadership by talking “cold turkey” to the parents Wednesday. Triezenberg and McLaughlin had often taken the brunt of criticism in the numerous appearances before panel groups over the past 10 days.We would like here to comment on two criticisms aboutthe Fenger Principal whichhas the highest ranking police officer in the district was just where everyone might have expected to be, on the scene, rather than behind his desk answering the phone.We hope that this will end these two criticisms of Triezen-lieve that the administration of Fenger for the most part, doesthe best job of discipline theycan within the limitations puton them by the Chicago Boardof Education.The REPORTER has longberg once and for all, he was on the scene, and he has always talked to representatives of this paper on the phone or in person whenever he has hadtime.Wednesday night Triezenberghad the courage to tell most of the parents what many of them didn’t want to hear, and still probably still won’t believe to their last days, that the largestEart of the riot was caused not y “Outsiders” but by FengerStudents themselves.Since the end of the riots last week the most frequent comment that we have heard while attending parent meeting wa; that the problems caused by “Outsiders” such as the Blackfelt that pressurebebrought to bear on the board toallow local schools to take atougher police line with students .2. Policing the schools. Wlt; feel the board of educationshould be able to find a priority in its future budget to provide some kind of security force for schools in spite of the high cost of such a program.were reported in one or tne otn-er of the communities local papers during the past week. The criticisms involve the complaints made at meetings by parents groups, and reported in the community as such, that Triezenberg locked himself in the library during riots, and he was inaccesable to talk to parents on the phone during the riots.While this paper has at times had its differences with Triezenberg in his handling of news, particularly the unpleasant kind involving Fenger; we have criticized only when we think it is valid and feel unfairciriticisms in unwarranted.The REPORTER can saywithout reservation that inthree days of being on the scene at Fenger he personally saw George Triezenberg at least a dozen times both inside and outside the school making every effort to quell the rioting students.As to the principals inaccesa-bility on the phone during the day of the riots, we would be very surprised, and indeed critical if we were able to speak to Triezenberg on the phone during the three days of the riots; he was where he would be expected to be as the head of the school, on the scene. No one seemed critical of the fact that they could not reach commander McLaughlin during the riots, and McLaugnlin in his capacityPanthers, Blackstone Rangers, etc. who got into the school.Wednesday, Trienzenberg’s comments should have ended the talk fear of outsiders, which most parents have chosen to use as a crutch in order not to face the fact that it was their own, rather than others who were causing the trouble.Again in three days of being on the scene we did not see the vast army of Red berets alleged to have been on the scene from other schools. This of course does not preclude the possibility that there were someoutsiders present, but there where near the vast numbers we have heard of.Both Commander McLaughlin and Triezenberg provided another bit of courage when they told the parents another reality that they don’t like to hear. Both men related incidents involving arrested students during the riots, in which they had received criticism from parents for arresting the youth, and in some cases were even faced with legal action by parents irate over the arrest of their child. As Triezenberg put it one time during the evening “Every parent wants to see the kid arrested, until its his own.” Commander McLaughlin read a listof offenses iincluded in the city, and state criminal codes to the parents in an effort to make them aware of the penalties,and charges which offenders could be charged within.A suggestion to have the criminal code printed and distributed to Fenger students was accepted. Another suggestion that a program similiar to the Officer Friendly program which has been instituted on the elementary school level; to familiarize pupils with the police officer be started in the high schools was taken underconsideration.Still left unresolved, but we hope not forgotten by the concerned parents were two issues that the REPORTER continues to contend would go a long way in helping to solve the problem,these are:1. The power for school officials to take stronger disciplinary action; making the punishment fit the crime. “We be-At present security is provided by the Chicago police and usually consists of a, regularly assigned officer, and any part-time police the school can get. As Triezenberg pointed out in commenting on school security Wednesday, student and teacher hall guards while they can provide extra eyes and ears for the schools, but cannot understandably provide the same security that persons trained in such procedures could.It is probably not feasible to expect the police to carry the security load, the department already has a manpower shortage, and even on the district level the forces are strained, particularly during such incidence as the riots, when notonly was it necessary to patrol the regular district beats, but also to cover, elementary school and branches of Fenger where the riots overflowed.Monday was a start in the right direction with the impetus given by the straight talk of Triezenberg and McLaughlin, maybe much of it was what people didn’t want to hear, but nobody wfho is honest with themselves can say it wasn’t what they should have heard.The next move is up to everyone. We hope the peaceful conditions at Fenger this past week, and the return to normalcy at the school won’t result in apathy of action setting in, either in the school or among the parents. Much is yet to be done, and neither the school, parents or community can afford to wait any longer.50ENwthwSIaisifiotlt;tiCbs1stuIt\(PolMakeFour ArrestsFour youths were arrested Wednesday following an incident which resulted in breaking a wisdow in a jewelry store at 11419 Michigan.Kensington policeman, James Creighton, responded to a call of a fight on the street at 114th and Michigan. Arriving on the scene Creighton placed four persons under arrest.Charged with criminal damage to property was Hector Flores, 19, of 345 Kensington. Charged with disorderly conduct were Angel Cabion, 17, 346 Kensington, Michael Florez, 22, 11446 Forrestville, and Francisco Rodriguez. 156 Kensington.
Newspaper Details
Chicago South End Reporter
Chicago, Illinois, US
Sun, Jun 01, 1969
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
IL, USA 08 May 2020
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