READ'N, WRIT'N, SEXISM
A determined and growing membership of approximately 75 characterizes the recently formed Coalition to End Sex Discrimination in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights schools. Five working committees have been formed.
CURRICULAR MATERIALS Texts of the elementary school level are being examined. according to Ms. Lana Moresky, the committee has found that in one of the most highly thought of series which boasts of its "multiracial and ethnic approach" the treatment of girls and women is much worse than expected. In the level 13 readers of that series, it was found that every story was male centered. This committee will critique a math series at the elementary level and then go on to study the texts used at the secondary level. A report will be written based on their findings. Also, a compilation of data and an area-wide report will be issued in conjunction with similar study groups recently formed in Shaker Heights and South Euclid-Lyndhurst.
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AWARENESS COMMITTEE This committee intends to institute in-service programs
Woman
to sensitize teachers to sex discrimination, Consciousness raising and action groups among students at Heights High will be started by high school members of the committee, and the help of various PTA s is being enlisted to build up community support.
COUNSELING and VOCATIONAL EDUCATION This committee will become more active when school opens.
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ATHLETICS Figures have been gathered on what female coaches make in comparison to the salaries of male coaches, and how much money is received for girls' sports (drastically less) as compared to the money that is received for boys' sports. The Women's Law Fund is handling a suit in this area. The next issue of What She Wants will cover the entire story.
EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE Although 96% of the public school teaching staff in the U.S. is female, 86% of the public school principals are male. These are the national figures gathered two years ago. Today the situation is much the same. Women are left out of the administrative, policy making, and department head groups. The employment committee will investigate the facts for the CH-UH school system.
Sterilized
Julian Bond of the Southern Poverty Law Center this year issued the following story about forced sterlization in the south (reprinted from a letter written by J. Bond.)
"Lucy," said Dr. Benton, "when I deliver your baby you should have your tubes tied."
"What does that mean?" asked Lucy. Her six grades in Belson County Elementary, still all black, had given her an even poorer education than the average white Tennesseean.
"You don't need no more chillen, Lucy. Tying your tubes will fix that." Dr. Benton's word was usually unquestioned, but this time Lucy knew something wasn't right.
"Lucy, you want me to deliver this baby, don't you? It's due next week. My charge is $250. You ain't got that much money. Unless I let you use my office to get your Medicaid, you ain't gonna have no doctor. And unless you let me tie your tubes, I ain't gonna deliver
your baby."
"But Dr. Benton..."
"Look, Lucy, if you don't agree I'll get a court order and I'll see to it that your welfare is cut off."
The above is a true story. Only the names have been changed. On May 23, 1973, a white doctor performed a tubal ligation on Lucy Martin, bringing the numbers of coerced sterilizations this year in that one county to 18.
Sterilization is fine... but only for consenting adults.
Dr. Benton told the press he insists on sterilization of all welfare mothers with two or more children because “... my hard-earned taxes go to support these children."
Lucy Martin didn't want to be sterilized. She is now having emotional problems, thinking that she is only half a woman, that no man will want her for a wife. Recently friends say, she has become despondent and has mentioned suicide.
The recent proposals of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare against sexism in schools and sports could be a welcome aid to the current fight in Cleveland Heights-University Heights for equality in education. Among other things, the regulations would ban offering home economics courses only to women and shop courses only to men. Also they would bar discrimination against women in admission to public colleges and universities, although not in private undergraduate colleges (the Ivy League lobby prevented this.) The proposed regulations are a mixed bag, with shortcomings which we should publicize and organize around (to rectify) and with good points which we should commend, insisting that they be included in the final version. (Other groups will probabably. work to wipe the good points out.)
The Coalition strongly urges people of the community to write to the school board recommending that they choose for the job of school superintendent, which is now open, one of the very well qualified women who have applied.
People interested in working in the coalition can call 932-1986 in Cleveland Heights-University Heights, 442-6258 in South Euclid-Lyndhurst, and 921-8299 in Shaker Heights.
Welcome to our 14th issue.
What She Wants, has open meetings, and any woman interested in feminist newspaper work is welcome to attend. The response to our paper has been exciting and we really need to have more women working on it. All of us in the WSW collective have other jobs or go to school, and we put the paper out on our own time. Not only do we need writers and people to help layout the paper, we need people to sell the paper. We usually meet on Saturday afternoons. Call us at 321-1677 or write P.O. Box 18072 Clave. Hts. 44118.
STAFF: Valerie Robinson, Ann Weld-Harrington, Mary Waxman, Jackie Wessel, Melanie Youngs, Laurel Brummet, Nancy Handley, Sandy Handley, Kathy Greenberg, Barb Reusch, Jane Darrah, Helen Williams, Paula King, Peggy Van Buskirk, Lorraine Bertosa, Meredith Holmes, Amy Hosa, Beth Amoriya, Laura Smiddie, Sally Jo Caldwell, Pat Wilks, Marian Dorn, Ilene Callahan, Sheri Pawski. Gail Hopkins, Karal Stern, Edie Brashares Pat Flanagan, Mary Branaman, Christy Haynes
This publication is on file at the International Women's History Archive, 2325 Oak St, Berkeley, CA 95708.
earth
and new hours
seafood and vegetarian cuisine announcing our new menus
sunday brunch 11a.m. 8p. m. tuesday through saturday 11a.m. 1a.m.
april
2151 lee rd. at cedar
cleveland heights 371-1438
An Army of Ants ....
We'll move you and your belongings anywhere in the Cleveland area...call DOC... 231-5526
page 9/What She Wants/August 1974