Code,131004 Subject,James Lanese Date,2/25/13 Interviewer,Carol Malone Abstract,"James Lanese discusses growing up in Lyndhurst and attending private school in Cleveland. Lanese also shares information about his teaching career in a vocational program, and his involvement in the desegregation of Cleveland City Schools. " Tags, Special Notes,"Bell rings at 11:45, 14:45, phone goes off at 23:15," Minutes: ,38 minutes 0,Introductions. Grew up in east of Cleveland in Lyndhurst. 1,"Born in 1948. Attended grade school at St. Clair in Lyndhurst, Ohio. Then attended Cathedral Latin in Cleveland near John Hay High School. Cathedral is no longer standing there- the W.O. Walker Center is now in its old location. Went to Cleveland State for undergrad. " 2,Received a teaching and business agreed. Hired by Cleveland Schools as a business teacher. Taught vocational business education- unit record equipment. 3,School district desegregation suit was filed. District was guilty of segregating students in schools in 1976. School needed to create a process to integrate the school district. 4,By 1978 he was transferred to work in the desegregation office. Spent 20 years working with desegregation. Father worked for General Electric in East Cleveland as a brick layer in Neal Park. 5,Mother worked in the cafeteria at Brush High School. Lanese was the paper boy who delivered the afternoon Cleveland Press. 6,"At age 16 he got a job at a Grocery Store called ""Pick and Pay."" Still worked in a grocery even while teaching. " 7,Lyndhurst was still a growing suburb growing up- small brick bungalows lined the street. Born in the Collinwood area. 8,Describes the developing area around the house where he grew up on Sunview Rd in Lyndhurst. The city of Cleveland was densely populated. 9,Latin was in University Circle- met students from all over the city at school. Went to St. Clair Catholic Parish. 10,Connected to St. Gregory in South Euclid and St. Pascal parish in Highland Heights. Friday treat was to eat dinner on Friday's at Howard Johnson's. 11,Two movies theaters- Mayland Theater and Richmond Theater 12,Could see a movie for $.25 on a Saturday. Spent a lot of time watching television. 13,"One Howard Johnson's was on the corner of 107th and Euclid, near old high school and John Hay. Family used to visit one on Mayfield Road near the Green Road intersection. " 14,Another Howard Johnson's was a part of a hotel complex on the lake near 55th Street. Ran restaurants and hotels. 15,Shopping happened downtown- there were no malls/weren't too prevalent. Would get on a bus with his mother to go to downtown. Used the Cleveland Transit System. 16,CTS stopped lines at Green and Mayfield. Needed to take the Redifer bus (Lyndhurst transportation). 17,"Department store likes Higbee's and May Company. Higbee's was were the Casino is now, and May was where the Cadillac Grill is now. Treat was the cafeteria type restaurant called the Mill Cafeteria- got tray, went through line and got to pick of the counter what you wanted. " 18,Treat downtown- shopping and food. Would take the Reedier home. Fridays were grocery shopping days- he and his mother would take the bus to the local grocery store and father would pick them up. 19,Talks about teacher training at Cleveland State. 20,"At CSU he learned methods that were similar to what he experienced in high school. In the Cleveland district, what was practiced was similar to what he had growing up. " 21,"In a vocational program not only lecture was involved, but a large portion of the time would be spent working on the machinery in the room. " 22,"Took the class as a junior and senior in high school- should be ready to take a job after graduation. Taught for 8 years at John Adams then worked downtown for the desegregation effort in Cleveland for 20 years, the went back to Cleveland at John F. Kennedy and South High School. " 23,"Technology and equipment changed- style of teaching was similar, but there was a difference in regards to the nature and style of students. " 24,"The challenges for the teacher change- different behaviors and styles was challenging, but program was effective. " 25,1976-1996 desegregation effort in Cleveland. Needed to organize within the school district to align with the court's demands. The plan not only included to bussing. 26,"Also included reading programs and cooperation with other institutions. Needed to move students around the racially integrate the district with east and west side of the times. Whites lived on west, African Americans on the east side. " 27,Time period referred to groups as blacks and whites. Worked with how school would be paired up and schools would work together with pairing. For example- paired East Tech and South. 28,Looked at neighborhoods and literally mixed kids half and half to accomplish integrated schools in both neighborhoods- then decided what busses would pick up the students. 29,"1978 the program began with pilot trials- issues to work through. Citywide integration effort did not officially commence until 1980. Moving 40,000 students a day on busses in Cleveland. " 30,Working on other components of the court order that demanded programs in the schools were improved. 31,Need to provide several reports to the court each year to show that the requirements were being satisfied and the programs were having an impact on the kids- educational outcomes and progress. 32,Some weren't happy that they needed to take the bus everyday. Acted as a factor that might have led to a decrease in city population. 33,After several years (end of 1990s) district wanted to be found to be in compliance with the court order. 34,Court struck a deal that involved a lot of political action- state was also involved along with the Cleveland City School District. 35,"If a way is worked out to govern the schools, the court agreed to step back and release the school district and state for liability. Mayor is technically in charge of Cleveland Schools. State no longer has direct involvement. " 36,Who is in control and how things are accomplished are considerably different than in the past- today might be back to neighborhood schools. 37,Was a only child. Grew up on a street with a lot of families. 38,End 39, 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67