Jack we are a bit late with this idea.
You might recall my biggest gripe (we all have one) is how Asbury
Park High School was segregated by race back in 1996.
Well, they did it with Music. Isn't that ironic? You want to use
music to help Asbury, and the state used it to hurt Asbury.
Asbury Park's High School sending districts were from Deal down
Belmar, including Interlaken, excluding Loch Arbor. That kept the
school racially desegregated, and it was also the natural state of
things - those were always the sending districts.
1996 was when the Commission of Education ruled that Red Bank
Regional's music program so exceeded Asbury Park's, that APHS
students could go to RBR for the music program instead.
Nearly all of them from the sending districts did. Damn near every
student that got accepted was white (not RBR's fault; that's who
applied). APHS became racially segregated overnight.
Well, its grown beyond our control, now. RBR's Performing Arts
program is so big now (and it's a great program from what I hear)
they are taking kids from all over the county.
Add to that other towns have started their own. In Howell we have a
concentrated performing arts program. I hear approximately 600
students apply for 23 seats.
The RBR ruling by the commmissioner was a coffin nail for APHS.
Only a federal civil rights lawsuit challenging the ruling based
upon de facto segregation can change it.
I've been singing that song for almost a decade, to everyone who
ever ran for board of education in AP. They think its worth
following up on when they are running for office. They forget it
after election day.
No one's listening.
No one cares.
--- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, "Jack Pitzer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Stuff like this illustrates the idea that Asbury Park could really
>capitalize on developing it's
> reputation as a breeding ground for great music and musicians, as
>well as showcasing our
> musical history, and bringing more clubs on line to expand both
the >types of music one
> can go to hear live, as well as giving bands, both local and and
>national new and exciting
> places to play. Asbury Park could literally become one big School
of >Rock, very similar to
> Austin TX and Seattle.
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