It was in the spring of 1975 after the publication of Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1982 (federal regulations). School districts needed to demonstrate that affirmative action was being implemented, that equity was alive and being served.
I was an aspiring school administrator in the right place, at the right time. I was also the "best candidate for the job", thereby fulfilling a major requirement. And so I began my school administrative career at Vina Danks Middle School, Ontario, California, where I was provided with every type of opportunity imaginable to facilitate "paying my dues". I was also privileged to serve on the Ad Hoc Title IX Committee of the Association of California School Administrators, the professional organization of site and district administrators. ACSA collaborated with Project Equity, a federally funded training institute, whose LEA was at California State University, Fullerton.
In 1976, Dr. Jessie Kobayashi, ACSA, joined Dr. Barbara Peterson, Project Equity, to give expression to the mission of Title IX in California: to help school districts implement equal opportunities for students and staff members within the intent and requirements of the Law (Title IX). Training priorities and opportunities would be developed as quickly as possible in order to reach the greatest number of participants possible: to teach participants how to provide equity and equal opportunity. An easy task, right? Well, the subtleties of bias and discrimination are profound, ranging from habitual language to arbitrary chores assigned to students and staff. The task was very complex, and we approached it with the zeal of evangelists.
Our access points were instructional materials, course offerings, athletics and activities, counseling and testing, student and teacher interaction, and recruitment and hiring procedures. We were determined to make all school personnel in the State aware of inequities, and teach them how to remediate and resolve the problems.
Title IX fit perfectly with the philosophy and beliefs of Wilson Riles. He had always worked toward equity and excellence in education, and now there was legislative backbone for affirmative action measures. His own non-adversarial, soft spoken intellectual emphasis pervaded our work. The directives from the State Department, authored by Barb Landers, Director of Project SEE (Sex Equity in Education) were precise, informative, and in our perspective, very non-threatening. Required Action Steps published in May 1976, informed districts of compliance procedures and deadlines.
Interested and committed individuals whose organizations sponsored and trained hundreds of school personnel from across the State remember the heady experiences following the many conferences - we used educational strategies for equity training: historical background, cultural awareness, experiences, simulations, practical strategies for successful implementation and simultaneous removal of false stereotypical barriers.
Efforts were focused upon the talents and creativity of the people in authority: teachers, administrators, and parents in our schools. Wilson Riles taught us to believe in the innate goodness of the people involved. Rules and regulations were adopted by districts in California. "Official" artificial barriers of gender bias were eliminated by means of informing, educating and alerting. It was a heady time - missionary work always is.
Wilson Riles was an inspiration for the spirit, body, and mind. His speeches, letters, and support gave us confidence and strength to work for improved educational opportunities for California's children.
Marsha Kading Kelly
Director of Community Legal Education, Monterey College of Law; Women in Educational Leadership, Past President; ACSA Title IX Committee, Chair; ACSA Women's Caucus