WGBH Radio; The Callie Crossley Show

I'm Cally Crossley This is the Cali crossing show. Last month hundreds of METCO students graduated from high school and 90 percent of those kids are college bound. Well the program is largely considered a success. It's but it's been shrinking since 2008 and the state plans to take another whack at it next year. Founded 45 years ago by black parents and activists aiming to be segregated schools. Two hundred twenty black students were bussed to a handbook of predominantly white schools today. Close to 30 500 kids are now rolled in the program with. Four times as many applying each year. With these budget cuts is Governor Patrick throwing METCO under the bus. From there it's another edition of New Hampshire insiders with a look at how presidential politics are playing out in the Granite State. Up next from the schoolhouse to the White House. First the news. From NPR News in Washington I'm Lakshmi Singh. President Obama

says he's not concerned about a double dip recession but he is worried about the pace of job growth in the U.S.. At a White House news conference today the president sought to reassure Americans that economic recovery is not stalling. Recovery is going to be uneven and there are going to be times where we are making progress. But people are still skittish and nervous and the markets get skittish and nervous and so they pull back because they're still thinking about the traumas of just 2 1/2 years ago. The president speaking to reporters while hosting German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Global economic recovery as well as NATO's role in Libya and Afghanistan ranked high on their agenda today. In a farewell visit to U.S. forces in Afghanistan Secretary of Defense Robert Gates tells the troops they are on track to deliver a decisive blow against the Taliban. NPR's Quil Lawrence reports. Gates was wrapping up a four day tour in Kabul.

Gates has made 12 visits to Afghanistan as secretary of defense. This trip he visited five different bases around the country to thank U.S. soldiers and answer their questions. Gates enjoys great popularity among troops who credit him with pushing the development of mine resistant trucks for Iraq and Afghanistan. Still many of the questions Gates got from U.S. servicemen and women had to do with the possibility of ending the U.S. mission here especially after the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan last month. Gates cautioned that the progress he's seen in Afghanistan could be reversed if this July's troop drawdown goes too quickly. That may put him at odds with Congress and even the White House. Gates will retire this month after four and a half years in office. Quil Lawrence NPR News Kabul. The Syrian government says it's launching a military assault on a town near the Turkish border where 120 security personnel reportedly were killed this week in an ambush. Syrian state media say armed gangs were behind that attack. We're tracking developments from Beirut NPR's Deborah Amos reports. Anti-government activists are disputing the official account.

The northern town of Jisr goor is bracing for more retaliation after a three day crackdown. The government has blocked communication there. But in a rare telephone interview an observer at the local hospital says that many of the 75000 residents have already fled. There is no one to clean the dead bodies he said. On Sunday according to this witness security forces killed two protesters firing from an armed helicopter which followed at least 25 deaths after Friday prayers. The Syrian government acknowledged security forces had lost control of the city. The official report of one hundred twenty deaths is the highest in three months of protest. Deborah Amos NPR News Beirut. Dow is up 65 a 12000 155 and the Nasdaq is up nine points it's a two thousand seven hundred twelve. This is NPR News. Europe's agriculture ministers reportedly are considering whether farmers can recoup up to 30 percent of the cost of vegetables. They are unable to sell because of Germany's E.

coli outbreak. Today the European Union's farm commissioner proposed 150 million euro or over 200 million dollars in aid. The source of the outbreak is still unknown. A World Health Organization expert tells The Associated Press that if there's no hard lead in a week the cause may never be known because contaminated vegetables have likely disappeared from the market E.coli contamination killed at least 22 people and sickened thousands more. General Motors is holding its annual shareholders meeting in Detroit for the first time in more than 20 years. NPR's Sonari Glinton reports this is the company's first such meeting since it emerged from bankruptcy. The ghost of the old GM still haunts the new company but CEO Dan Akerson asked shareholders to look at the automaker as a long term investment. He really is the new GM and we have a new attitude. We expect to win strive to win and that's what this company and its management is about. Akerson also says the company will begin making its luxury Cadillac brand outside of the

U.S. within the next 18 months. He also expressed concern about how the economy will affect car sales. Sonari Glinton NPR News Detroit wins in eastern Arizona's fire zone are expected to pick up again which could further fan the flames. The so-called Wallow Fire has already burned 365 square miles and it's growing. Three communities including Greer have been evacuated. Thousands of firefighters are tackling the wallow fire and another further south. I'm Lakshmi Singh NPR News in Washington. Support for NPR comes from the doors do charitable foundation supporting the performing arts environmental conservation better car research and the prevention of child abuse. Good afternoon I'm Kelly Crossley This is the Calla Crossley Show. Last month hundreds of METCO students graduated from high school and the majority of them will go on to college. The Medco is largely considered a success. Its budget has been shrinking over the

years and it's expected to undergo another substantial cut in 2012. Joining me to talk about the history of METCO and what is meant to students of color over the decades are Khatami Sumner and Susan Eaton Qahtani Sumner is a METCO counselor and literacy specialist at Newton South High School. She's also an alumnus of the Medco program. Susan Aden is the research director at the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School. She's the co-author of a joint publication of the Houston Institute for Race and Justice and the pioneer Institute on the history and effectiveness of Medco. The paper will be released later this month. Welcome to you both planning to be here. I'd like to begin this way because if there are people listening who. Have heard about men go through the years they have in their minds what it is and others don't have a clue. So let's define exactly what it is and what it is not students. Susan why don't we start with you. Sure MECO is one of eight what are called voluntary enter district school

desegregation programs there are eight such programs that exist like this in the nation and each one of them is very different. Mecca was created in 1965 and it's the second oldest continually running program of its of its kind and basically it was created at the height of the civil rights movement by some parents African-American mothers for the most part who were dissatisfied with the education that their students were receiving in large part because of the segregation that the students were experiencing in their schools. I mean through a coalition of white educators black educators and. African-American parents and white parents they began this program which allowed students from Urban who would otherwise attend urban school districts to attend schools in what are still predominantly white suburbs and today the program has grown over the years it's also grown in popularity. And today about nearly thirty five hundred students participate in the program now and tens of thousands of people have graduated from the program in the greater Boston area. Tommy before you answer I want to give a call out to our listeners because we want to hear from them

during this conversation. We're at 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70. Did your children go through the medical program call us. Suburban parents did your children school participate in METCO. Give us a call. What are the effects of having your kids in a diverse school environment. Again we're at 8 7 7 3 1 8 9 7 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70 and you can send us a tweet or write to our Facebook page so tiny divine Medco if you would. Well for me I can define it from my personal experience it was an opportunity as a young person to attend a community where I would never have had access I was a Lexington medical student back in the 70s a class of 81. So from that perspective I got to meet what I thought were nice white people because I had very little access to them. Growing up in Dorchester and going through the Louise day Hicks era we were afraid of the folks in South Boston so referring to the busing aggressively but when that was during my elementary years so for me MECO was access to quality

education or what my parents believed to be a better quality education as a parent of a medical student my daughter currently attends Medco is a medicine in Newton. I appreciate the access she has to the resources so the opportunities and just two people who are not like those in our community and in fact Susan in your paper it's you describe the program as opportunity rich in terms of what the students get when they attend these suburban schools. And at the time when this was instituted in 1966 it was written in your paper that people thought three years will will stabilize and equalize and we won't have a question about diversity in the schools that was as along right go. That's right and folks also at the time hoped that you know perhaps you know things will improve in the city of Boston it won't. Educators won't be as overwhelmed as they had been. And obviously those kinds of trends that we see that are manifest in differences in opportunity difference and difference in graduation rates are still present in some cases have

worsened over the years and so. We see that there is still a need for a program like my CO to give kids access to schools and experiences that they otherwise wouldn't have access to and the only reason they don't have access to is because of these school boundary lines which really set up unnecessary divisions between communities. Now we're talking today because the program but any number of measures and I'm going to allow you to talk about that because you're the data person is really a success we're talking about you know from just a bottom line perspective. We have high rates of graduation from those students. Though you make it very clear in your paper that there are there is another way of measuring success of this program that we should not only look at those high rates of graduation as a way to determine that this is a successful program and you would say another measure is what. Well I do think that the graduation rates in particular are very important to consider when we're looking at math and the grades are really startlingly high. I mean we've got 93 got a

graduation rate of 93 to 95 percent for moko students which in a lot of cases even the affluent white suburbs that these kids are going to don't have those high numbers and so that is really a testament to this program's value and the persistence of the students who are in the program. You know as you're familiar with policy makers tend to judge programs like this. Which exist for a complex you know set of reasons on things like test scores and we do caution against that in the paper but at the same time it is important to note that METCO students are scoring quite well and water are very competitive rigorous academic environments. And also you have to consider also that medical students are facing a lot of logistical challenges often times getting up quite early to catch the bus coming back school coming back home very late and even under these stressful circumstances students are really excelling. They're outperforming their counterparts Latino and black students in Boston and also they're

outperforming urban students overall and in many cases the students are at the state average which is which is quite good considering as well if you look at the demographics of Necco students one of two students qualify for free and reduced lunch so live below the poverty line. And if you just take that into consideration you wouldn't expect them to be as doing doing as well as they are but but they are doing quite well. That's my guest Susan Eaton She's a research director at the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School and she's coauthored a report of joint publication of the Houston Institute for Race and Justice and the pioneer Institute on the history and effectiveness of medical and you've just heard her speak about the effect of this I'm going to take a caller and come back to you Tony for another question right after the caller Felicia from made it go ahead please you're on the Kelly Crossley Show. Hi. Thank you so much for taking my call. I'm actually a graduate of the high school that participated in the macro program and I was just calling for the guest's thoughts

on kind of the social segregation of the kids within the schools. I know that McCourt does a lot to bring inner city kids out to the suburbs but it always seemed that there was a lot of social circuit Dushan going on with kind of those micro kids separated from the mainstream students and I was just wondering is did a program do anything to kind of combat those issues or is that something more up to the kids themselves. And I'll take the response off the air. Thank you very much for Alicia for your call Qahtani that's right in your wheelhouse. OK so as the counselor to high school I can say that and there's also a great book to read if you get a chance why are the Black Kids Sitting Together in the classroom by Beverly Daniel Tatum What appears to be segregation is actually students who are comfortable around each other getting to reconnect at lunch because often they are not together during the classrooms time particularly in upper level classes where there may be one student of color who will try to reconnect at lunch and some other time during the day. However if you are able to take a survey you see that most of the hockey players are sitting together the tennis players are sitting together is just more obvious when the students of color are seemingly segregated

off on their own. But there are various activities that we try and encourage the advisor for the Black Student Union and it is not just for black students our secretary to show is a white student so we in Cup encourage other students who are interested in talking about issues of race and. Integration segregation inclusion to come and be involved the Black Student Union and I'm the director of a gospel choir that is very inclusive and diverse we have Korean students we have Jews and Gentiles in the Gospel Choir so I'm very actively trying to integrate students in the overall school population it's a great issue it's a great point. All right. Leno from Boston Go ahead please you on the Kelly Crossley Show. Oh how are you. Hi this is a very interesting topic because I am the first year medical student I went to Brookline Massachusetts so I'm very familiar with that program and what I was able to do for me. Oh so you say it's good. It was phenomenal I started the very first year the MECO started and in the very first year that I was in grade school with first grade I had six teachers. And

so my mother had to make the decision she was also a Boston schoolteacher and I'm to take her children out of school system. So all of us have gone on to graduate you know high school down to college my brother and my sister both in the Harvard graduates graduate program and they are also teachers. The school system believe it or not so for or in higher education. So let me ask you a question I'm going to ask my guest in just a second and that is and by the way callers other callers 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70 is our number 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 7 if you want to get in on the conversation as Lena is doing why do you think a program that is clearly successful from a data perspective and from a personal perspective as you have described is being cut. Well I think that people feel is those schools are gated now and there's no need for them but I think they're missing the larger picture. I work in the Boston school systems and I see the challenges that we have and we still have to overcome.

And the schools that are in the burbs you know have more to offer our students you know and I think that's really what they're looking at but they're not looking at the. Looking underneath. Thank you very much for the call Nina. Tommy let me go to you. Why we're in the state where the governor proclaims himself to be the education booster. We've gotten the top prize from the federal government in terms of our education. This is a program that by all evidence is working. So why is it being cut and by the way Governor Patrick benefited from a program like Medco the better chance program allowed him to be a boarding student at Milton Academy and he's talked about it he's praised it. He's written about it in his book he said it changed his life. So what's going on here. Well I actually think Governor Patrick is very supportive of METCO and I'm thrilled to report that I received an email recently from Jay McGuire the executive director that stated that you know we now are actually

going to receive level funding again going into all 12 thanks to the efforts of senators chain Diez cream and Ross who you know went to bat for METCO So we got back the funding that had been just cut now level funding is to not. I was going to say thanks so much. We're happy to get it back to level funding and I think that in this economic climate what you see is people who are clamoring for you know any extra finance is what I hear is an argument as parents saying there's not any space. Why do we have these students here we don't have space for our own students and I want to make the point that it's not just a program that benefits the students from the inner city it benefits the communities because. It's helpful to have your student raised in an environment that's you know globally inclusive that they can operate in a global environment that they can relate to people who are not like them they are able to resolve conflicts with people who are not like them as the world is flat now. So you need to be able to you know communicate with other people so I think people are making great efforts including Governor Patrick and the parents have to continue to be vocal and especially the community parents not just the Boston parents we have to say that is beneficial for everyone.

Susan's a new parent so I know that she's an advocate for METCO as well in Newton so. All right well we have much more to talk about. That was my guest by the way Qahtani Sumner who is a medical counsellor and literacy specialist at Newton South High School and she's also an alum of the medical program. We're going to continue this conversation on the other side of the break we're talking about met coal the program that was created 45 years ago to give inner city students a chance to get an education at some of the state's best suburban schools with Medco facing another round of budget cuts even with level funding that's a cut in these days and times. We're taking stock of the effectiveness of the program. Listeners we want to hear from you. 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70. Are you a product of METCO. Tell us how the program changed your life for the better or for the worse at 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70. We'll be back after this break stay with us. Support for WGBH comes from you. And from Lincoln.

Presenting the new Lincoln MKC hybrid a luxury hybrid that gets an EPA estimated forty one miles per gallon in the city. Moore at Lincoln dot com. Lincoln It's not just luxury. It's smarter than that. And from the Museum of Science and their newest IMAX film Tornado Alley now showing in the Mubarak many theater the Museum of Science is proud to support the Nova Radio minute weekday mornings here on eighty nine point seven WGBH. After abruptly departing MSNBC in January Keith Olbermann returns to broadcasting later this month with a new version of Countdown on The Current TV network. On the next FRESH AIR we talk with Keith Olbermann about why he left MSNBC and about his plans for the new show. Join us this afternoon at two on eighty nine point seven. GBH. To everyone who supports WGBH NPR and PBS Thank you.

And if you've started to renew your WGBH membership in the last year and there's still time to double the impact of your gift. Hundreds of New England companies stand with their employees and supporting local nonprofits by offering matching grants that means you give to them. If you gave your employer might to learn more at WGBH dot org slash matching gifts. In 2002 voters approved a state ballot measure requiring students to learn all subjects in English. I'm Andrea Smardon. Join me next week as I explore the measure's impact in public schools only here on eighty nine point seven. WGBH. I'm Cally Crossley This is the Calla Crossley Show. If you're just tuning in we're talking about METCO this hour the state's been cutting away at its budget over the years since 2008 in fact even though it's widely considered a success. Joining me to talk about Medco is Susan Eden. She's the research director at the Charles

Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School. She's coauthored a joint publication of the Houston Institute for Race and Justice and the pioneer Institute on the history and effectiveness of the Medco program and the paper will be released later this month. I'm also joined by Catoni Sumner a METCO counselor and literacy specialist at Newton South High School. She's also an alum of the Medco program. Listeners taking your calls 1 877 3 0 1 8 9 seventy 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70. Call to share your experiences of METCO be US student teacher bus driver whomever 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 8 9 7 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70. And you can send us a tweet or write to our Facebook page now. There's a couple of other misconceptions misconceptions Susan that seem to keep swirling around so let's address them while the two of you are here as experts. One is about the keeps popping up is that the reason the graduation rates are so high is because somebody is cherry picking the kids and that you know you pick all the

best ones the smarter ones and so therefore the rates are going to be high. That's a common misconception. I mean first of all one thing to remember is that most moko students enter into the program as kindergartners first graders or second graders and so to be able to say that we know who the best students are in kindergarten first grade and second grade of course is absurd because we don't know that. And then secondly what we found out in looking at the data that we receive from the state to write a report was that actually half of the students who were in the MECO program their families have incomes so low that they qualify for free and reduced lunch. And that's pretty high. It's not as high as you know the Boston schools or the Springfield schools where MECO draws its students from. But it is certainly a much higher rate than you would see in suburban districts. Secondly about half of the I'm sorry about 25 percent of the students in Mexico are also special they have special students have special needs in some way shape or form. And that rate again is slightly higher than

Springfield and. Slightly higher than Boston as well so again in many ways that there's a reflection of many aspects of what you would find in the main population in the urban districts as well. The differences that are there are English language learners. Both Springfield and Boston have far higher shares than English language learners and that is a challenge that educators in urban districts have to deal with and have to face up to that suburban districts don't. But it's simply not true that Medco brings in an elite group of students who are you know characterized you know completely different from urban students. That's not true. Another misconception or misunderstanding or maybe we just never knew. Some there are who literally specialist literacy specialists at Newton South and also met Coe director. Is that how this program is funded that somehow this costs more to have to fund a medical student so if I'm getting the facts right from everything I've read it's nine thousand

dollars or more per pupil is assigned to the support of any Boston public school student and 5000 for transportation for medical students something like 30 100 for the rest. So that cuts about even to me as I read it is am I reading this wrong and then don't get wonky on me just want to know is it more expensive or not. No I think it comes at a cost typically to the communities it's less than they would give to a law student to a Boston student so in essence they should be giving more to the communities from the state because if they were in Boston they would get that amount of money so no. All right so that's a because you know that comes about this that well if you know there's been all this money and that's the reason why they want to have cuts to it. I'm going to take some calls but Sheldon from Boston Go ahead please you're on the Calla Crossley Show how do you do. Hi my name Sheldon Fisher I'm chairman of the board of the Boston learning center. I'm 1977 graduate of Wellesley High School. I'm black American and I grew up in Wellesley many METCO students who are my friends and I carry a

shout out to all of them and they provided an education of what was going on in the inner city that but for their president Wellesley High School would not have been provided in for these many 45 years. That's been an education and I was a kid so the benefits you see throughout the better part of the time that the programs operated in every school that the program actually endorses it doesn't fully want to receive the funding that is necessary for it to continue. Thank you thank you very much for the call Sheldon. Amy from Framingham Go ahead please you're on the show. Hi hi I'm a parent and I just and I'm Framingham. Which is you know in a domain a very diverse community and I do choose to educate my daughter there partly for that reason. But I grew up in a moment on that and that whole program. My question is for your panel how big can I guess. And at the moment and one can do that charter school which I personally don't support because I feel like as one of your

panelists said you know whether it's 9000 or 9200 or more or less money that is money that nonetheless is not going into Boston public schools in those very students who have involved parents who are able to you know get their children into the medical lottery. Are the students and the families that are Boston public schools in some ways need the very most to be participating so you want to know charter schools how charter schools compare. Is that just then I guess I mean maybe your panelists do support charter schools. I personally do not and that's kind of. The similarities are the differences in terms of the fact that they tend to pull both involve compassionate parents and OSA resources away from Boston public schools. OK well first I want to be clear that I don't think that's what Catoni Sumner was saying. I think what we're trying to establish here is that the cost of medical student you know going out to the suburbs is the same cost approximately or even less than it would be purple if if he or she were in the Boston public schools.

Now instead of per pupil money that Boston is not getting then. Susan you want to address yes that's true but of course they would also have to educate the students and so that's also a cost that gets expended by educating the students and the fact of the matter is is that if you suddenly got rid of the medical program Boston public schools would not be able to suddenly take on Thirty three hundred students that they weren't responsible for they wouldn't have the capacity to do it. But I guess my concern is I do see your point and I think that that's a that's a really you know valid point that you're making about involve parents but it's important to remember as well that it's not a huge challenge to get your steer your child into the medical program. You basically you know fill out a little card filler form and go to an information. Information Center and it's a program that's well known throughout the throughout the community as well. You know the question about charter schools I'm sort of agnostic on the issue of charter schools. I don't I SHOULD I was able to show for it.

Yeah exactly but I think that I think the larger question is is the moral question of whether you want to confine a student to attending a school that is basically racially segregated just by any and it is overwhelmed in many ways with all of the challenges that come from high poverty schools. OK and that's the situation that Boston is in and that Springfield is in. Do you want to confine that student and basically force that student to attend that type of school just because of his or her zip code. And that's the that's the kind of thing that that METCO intervenes in MECO intervenes in this unequal. Structure of opportunity that exists you know not just in the Boston metro area but throughout the country and Framingham is a very interesting place because Framingham is both a high opportunity district and a very racially diverse district so in many ways it's the best of both worlds in a place like Framingham I think. Yeah but Framingham is also very unique and so that's that's an important thing to remember that most school districts in Greater Boston are still highly segregated in

fact there was a report in 0 9 and one in 2010 by Northeastern that showed the level of segregation and how high it is in our metro area. Thank you very much for the call Amy. Thank you. We're 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 8 7 7 3 0 1 eighty nine seventy. The subject is Metro. Its history its success and level funding which is in essence a budget cut to a program that has a bottom line sucess. By data and by personal experience Tony go ahead. I like to respond to a comment made by Sheldon from Wellesley class of 77 and what I found as the MECO counselor in Newton is that I have become like almost a den mother for the resident students of color because there are so few faculty members of color we find in most of the suburban communities that in essence the MECO students are like a cultural lifeline for the resident students and the parents as well as the students really appreciate having these other students of color in the community that they can relate to and spend time with. So although our students get on the bus and go back home we see very tight connections between the resident students as

well as my students and I also teach an African American Lit class so I have access to students who are not just of color and I made that choice because I think the students the community need to see black faculty members and there aren't very many at all at our school in the district. Thank you so much that was my guest Catoni Sumner who is a literacy specialist at Newton South High School and alum of the METCO program. You reference the 2009 study by Northeastern University about the segregation in public schools as a nationwide study but Boston and spring feel jumped out very high on the list. And what you saw there that there was just a startling amount in 2000. Well I guess it was probably it came out in 2009 and 2010 and and so that when you look at that and then say well this was the point of Medco was to try to even this out. It's pretty shocking that at this point we're still talking about that level of segregation.

Yes exactly and if you if you look at the state if you widen the lens a little bit and you look at the state yes we do have these incredibly high levels of segregation both by race and by poverty but it's much more intense by race and that's a result of a lot of factors you know not. But in large part the history of racial discrimination in this area as it existed all throughout the country really is the only program the only state sponsored program that's explicitly designed to reduce the segregation and to reduce the segregation specifically in the public schools. And for that reason alone. And we also it's incredibly important that their program be sustained enhanced and we argue in our paper even expanded. But it's crucial to you know keep and to to recognize the level of segregation and also to to recognize what the research says about both the harm of racial and economic segregation in schools and the benefits of racial diversity in schools. It's positively associated not just with math and reading

achievement and higher graduation rates but also over the long term we find the graduates of this is just both white African-American and Latino graduates of racially diverse schools are more likely to seek out racially diverse workplaces racially diverse learning experiences after high school and racially diverse neighborhoods so over time it begins to diminish the racial segregation that still characterizes us now. So how do you respond now when we see that Linfield drop the program Lincoln-Sudbury is in conversation about consolidating. You see these very high numbers that just came out in 2009 so clearly there's a lot of work to be done as you've articulated what now. I mean how. It's just that the people don't understand the success of of this program they don't you know because in your book that you wrote Susan called the other Boston busing story I mean I think a lot of people don't know about it. So tell me what do you say. I think it's very short sighted I think because of the economy people are getting nervous and are saying well there's not enough

money to go around and I think sometimes when people are feeling overly stressed because of the economics they start becoming more concerned just about themselves and not about the overall community so I think in an ideal world we would need Mikko in an ideal world we'd have integrated communities economic diversity in communities but in the meantime for me Mikko bridges the gap between reality and the ideal world so it's very shortsighted those communities I think they'll regret it ultimately. Susan you want to add. Yeah I think it's really important I mean one of the recommendations that we do make in this paper is that it's important for suburban communities there from eco advocates to keep the suburbs informed of the purpose of moko the history of Mecca why it was created in the first place. The regional inequalities in which co-exist in that context and also the successes of the program over the years and a lot of what I found in my research is that a lot of people don't even know we're just walking around Newton and talking to parents like you know what is that program people who would be inclined to support such a program.

Oh I don't even know that that existed and I think that that's something that we can all do a better job of is systematically really keeping communities aware of this program that's in their communities. It may be that you know that people are assuming that folks know because it's been around for a while. Yeah. Here's a couple quotes from a student that wrote in I know Qahtani your daughter is a medical student and she's a part of a documentary that seem to come out looking at her last 10 years. I came out of the teacher now. OK. But this student I thought wrote something interesting just so people understand the impact on the students she says without Medco. I would probably be a completely different person then who I am today. The program has helped me along with hundreds of other kids and I look forward to coming to school every day and it's pretty powerful for teenagers and we know they are about it. All right Sam from Newton Go ahead please you're on the Calla Crossley Show. Thanks for taking my call. Great program calling for new. But I I live in Lincoln we have a very large medical program. It was very sad in fear that the talking I would use in the program

but I feel obliged to state but it's obvious that it was really a small finger in a very leaky dye in until you know our culture changes in terms of racism and increasingly more intrusive classism that until education is funded in a fair way and by that I mean not based primarily on real estate taxes and the only answer I see is either honestly why are we even on a federal level. Nothing will really change that in the broader picture. It's a very unequal unfair and class system reste the system and that's the real problem. Thank you very much for your call Sam. Either either one of you want to respond. I agree with you Sam. Thank you. Yeah absolutely. What happens now I mean what we know is OK so level funding now. That's good but it's really when these programs come up even with any demonstrated success it's about political will too. And you so Susan your point about there are people who don't even

know you know it exists and that I have to keep. You need to be informed and don't know about the success of me somehow that has to connect. I note that executive director Jean McGuire says this is a win win is a win win. But if people know it's a win win win there you are right. Because choices have to be made there it means tough times. The governor got to make some cuts somewhere right and I think and I think he's done a good job over the years they have a lobbying day at the legislature every year and they have done a good job educating a lot of legislators as well who are very knowledgeable and supportive of the program. But I guess I go back to my original point that in the actual communities and what Patani said it's very important as well for suburban parents to stand up in support of this program both of which exists and then also maybe expanding it we've seen a lot of support over the years from suburban superintendents and many suburban educators but I do think that the last kind of place where we haven't seen a lot of support coming is among parents who live in suburban communities who Yeah they love the program they think it's a great

thing they would like to maybe see more of it. They do feel like their kids are losing out by going to such a home homogeneous school district. And yet I think that educating folks in the communities and kind of getting them on board as more solid allies would would help as well. Final thoughts good timing. I know that may could change my life. I was from a family of that. No one had graduate from college yet and being in that community everyone was talking about college so then I knew I needed to do the same thing and that might not have happened if I had attended school in Boston. So I left Lexington went to Brown and so I'm now big advocate. I had a corporate career but I now love working in education I intend to continue to promote the program and to support students. Well thank you both and thanks to our callers. We've been talking about METCO with Susan Eaton. She's the research director at the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at the Harvard Law School. She's coauthored a joint publication of the Houston Institute for Race and Justice and the pioneer Institute on Medco. And that paper will be released later this month. I was also joined by Catoni Sumner a medical counsellor and literacy specialist at Newton

South High School. Thanks again. Thank you. Up next it's another edition of The New Hampshire insiders with Arnie Arnesen and Fergus Cullen. We'll be back after this break stay with us. Support for WGBH comes from you. And from the New England mobile book fair in Newton for 54 years. New England's independent bookstore the New England mobile book fair find them online at an e-book fair dot com. That's an e-book fair dot com and from Elsa Dorfman Cambridge portrait photographer. Still clicking with the jumbo format Polaroid 20 by 24 analog camera and original Polaroid film online at Elsa Dorfman dot com. That's Elsa Dorfman dot com. Next time on the world sharing power in the Middle East solar power that is. Palestinians and Israelis consider cooperation every kilowatt hour of

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section online at WGBH dot org. Good afternoon I'm Kelly Crossley. This is the Cali Crossley Show the presidential race is heating up with no end of Republicans tossing their ads into the ring to find out how this race is playing out. We're going to the state that can turn a candidate into a president or an also ran. I'm talking about New Hampshire and who best to talk about it in our New Hampshire insiders. I'm joined by radio and TV commentator Arnie Arnesen and Fergus Cullen. He's a public affairs consultant former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party and an editorial page columnist with The New Hampshire Union Leader. Welcome to you both. Well let's I just by way of getting to your interesting piece about Sarah Palin and sabotaging perhaps Mitt Romney's rollout Fergus. I wonder if you saw our both of you saw the new poll out that has Mitt Romney equal to President Obama.

I don't know about you but it was no surprise was it I think he's the only as you said the only adult in the room Fergus. I haven't put it the only one only that we could use a couple more but yeah I think that President Obama is favored for re-election at this point though not by a large margin and it certainly is good news for Mitt Romney to show him nationally competitive with the president that's going to help him for sure. All right well given that then how can how could or how can Sarah Pailin be sabotaging Mitt Romney's rollout he made his announcement but in effect none of the press came they all ran to see what she was doing. Yeah I mean you've heard of the movie Wedding Crashers you know what they're doing just last week was not crashing. Here's someone who has spent two and a half years of avoiding New Hampshire and she shows up. The theme time Mitt Romney is making his official announcement that he's running for president. She makes a grand entrance just a few miles away. I mean she didn't have the courtesy after two and a half years to wait one more day to Mitt

Romney. It's just not a class thing. But that's what Sarah Palin did last week. Yeah but it's even worse than that Kelly because I mean not only does she show up and step on his message which I think is interesting. But remember she's on a quote unquote History Tour am I right to make sure forget this is a history tour. So what was she doing you know bashing Romney about health care. When did that happen 1776 1775. Maybe that's what Paul Revere was doing. It was a warning the British he was warning the Massachusetts residents about Romney. Yeah. I mean that's part of the problem is if he's going to be doing this history tour then frankly if I were in the media and she started you know hitting on Romney for Obamacare are for his you know his his version of Obamacare in Massachusetts I would have said excuse me what part of history is this. And part of it is is that is a freaking frenzy with her which is really unfortunate for Republicans because I think she really taints the Republican message. Well you know and that's a question for our guests because if it's perceived that she did this deliberately and it

certainly does look like it. How how can she be regarded in the party still as a powerbroker but it seems as though she is. Well I think she is. She may represent the entertainment wing of the Republican Party. You know the therapy on reality shows. But nonetheless look it's amazing to me to see how many people leapt to her defense after she tried to bluff her way through a question about Paul Revere. I mean for a number of her supporters the facts don't get in the way of the truth. And she continues to have a very strong hold over sort of that anti-establishment group of voters and it's a significant group. If she becomes a full fledged presidential candidate she's a real threat to everybody. All the other candidates in the race Mitt Romney included she would be co front runner in my view. I would actually become a candidate. Wow. And Arnie you think so too. Yeah. Well I've got I hope not. I mean but I mean I do. What is it with Ferguson strike that she could be.

I would think she's I think she sucks the oxygen out of the room. I think there is a tremendous appeal I think she plays the maverick card over and over again. But I'm also going to remind everyone the problem right now with what's happened with so many news divisions in the media is that they now are under the entertainment wing. So this isn't just about news when you're covering a candidate. It's about sales and entertainment. And Sarah Palin understands this. She so manipulates the media. We saw it in New Hampshire. There was an article that came out that talked about her her bus and followed it and that it was a menace. She went through stop signs if you think she thinks she's Lady Di. I mean she was speeding down the road the paparazzi which in this case were like the CNN media were following her. I mean at some point I almost feel like we should all take a collective shower and grow up. But it wasn't just Sarah Palin that was beating up on Mitt Romney. It was Rudy Giuliani that was beating up on Mitt Romney and I think you're beginning to understand that I don't know if you heard the Argus but Mitt is basically saying he's going to take a pass this summer and play very low key until

after Memorial Day. And frankly given that poll that just came out this says he's you know neck and neck with Obama. It's probably safe for him not to open his mouth for a couple of months and let everyone else dig their grave. I thought this to your point about the bus and creating havoc in New Hampshire. One report reads this way. Palin's two SUV is used for minor events and tight spaces. Brave the tiny winding streets of Boston's north in and when the bus join them the trailing car and the entourage ran to red lights after the bus barely made it through the yellow as did the media caravan and the bus nearly hit a biker turning off Pine Street in Philadelphia. People were chasing her record this article all through New Hampshire because of course she did won't tell them where she was going so they just have to let you know if they all revere actually run a couple that was British years ago. Well you know she's just doing what. OK well then. Yell abrupt but both of you have brought that up this whole Paul Revere brouhaha. But

in Ferguson's point it doesn't seem to be hurting her. Well it doesn't hurt her but as I was saying the other day I am so looking for my Britannica encyclopedia salesman now I really hate Wikipedia because obviously she is so adored that they will go into Wikipedia and try to rewrite history which they can actually try to do on Wikipedia but that just tells you facts are expendable with her facts have no meaning with her audience. In fact facts are almost like she marginalizes the media because they seem to think that that matters. And when you see her on Fox I mean I'm looking at what she said when the reporter said. So what did you learn or remember that was the gotcha question. What did you learn. And Kelly what's so frightening about her response isn't that she just butchers history she butchers the English language. And as someone who works with you know students of where English as a second language and I have to like repair their their assignments. I'm looking at this going I want to ESL students feel much better about themselves because this woman thinks she can be

president. First you want to say something about that. Oh well only that you know she did definitely bluff her way through it and of course it was echoing something that Michele Bachmann to come yes months ago when she was in New Hampshire a war the one occasion referred to New Hampshire the place where the shot was fired that was heard around the world. She seemed to confuse whether Lexington and Concord were in Massachusetts or in New Hampshire. And you know this is of course from two candidates who take special pride in representing the values of the nation's founding and have fundamental facts wrong about the nation's founding. It really is that is I think a problem for them you know to borrow a line or adopt a line from Ronald Reagan. Is there a pail and better off now than she was four weeks ago. She has a she is well you know I hate to say it but given the amount of camera time and amount of conversation look at this conversation we're not talking about Gary Johnson not participating in the CNN debates on Monday.

Well I was getting ready to bring that up. But what's amazing Kelly is that she really has dominated the conversation and just the way Rick Santorum was trying to announce that he was running for president. He was eclipsed by you know Anthony Weiner or wiener. Yeah. And now we have Sarah Palin eclipsing Mitt Romney on the day that he announces. And when you're looking for content and credibility obviously Mitt in the polls suggest that people are able to at least compartmentalize. They look at Sarah Palin and smile and say that was a chuckle but that's not a president. OK so a couple of things there what does it mean that Gary Johnson was snubbed for the televised debate Fergus. Well there is the first major debate is going to take place next Monday at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire and the big news is that Mitt Romney is going to be at this one which means unlike the debate that sort of took place in South Carolina a month ago this was going to be real. And the challenge for the organizers is always where do you draw the line between real credible candidates and everyone else who is thinking about

running. And so the organizers which include CNN WMUR TV and the entry unit leader drew the line thing that Gary Johnson former governor of New Mexico did not make the cut and also not making the cut. Buddy Roemer former governor of Louisiana you know it's always a challenge to me personally I think the more the merrier early in the process. You know given the number of candidates who have opted out of the race Haley Barbour Mitch Daniels Sarah Palin and Jon Huntsman declining to participate. I think that's interesting as well. To me there was room on the stage for one or two others. I would have perhaps personally had a more inclusive view at this stage I think it's critically important that the media not be the one to determine who's a real candidate who's not. That should be left up to the voters and that's part of the New Hampshire primary process works. Well you are under you're on my page for August because I'm on record for saying that I get very irritated if people have brought themselves forward as a candidate. It is not

for us the media to determine whether or not they can be in the debate I don't feel that I don't understand why they couldn't fit two round tables of people and that would have an interesting mix it up you know. And the other thing is that just I don't know if you've seen this but the Young Republicans of New Hampshire have sent a letter of disgust to CNN saying saying why aren't you letting Gary Johnson into this conversation. As you pointed out so early on Fergus this is a wonderful opportunity for him to be part of the conversation. And the other thing is we have to also make sure people understand who the h is. You know former governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson. He is the purest libertarian in the group. He is pro choice because he thinks government shouldn't get involved in people's lives or their bodies. He is pro marijuana and pro drug drugs in the sense of not being for drugs but saying that the war on drugs isn't working. So when you look at all those libertarian things he walks virtually lockstep on that agenda. And that's very exciting for a lot of young Republicans which explains why the young Republicans are so ticked off that he's not participating. And for a party that wants to bring

new blood in and shouldn't be afraid of the libertarian message it's kind of shocking that Gary isn't involved at least at this early stage in this race. Is it because they don't want that message on the table as part of the discussion because they're afraid that they won't actually sound legit or realistic in their responses. Well here's and here's another thing that maybe you too can weigh in on as well and that is Congresswoman Michele Bachmann who has not declared is participating in the debate. So I think that's a little tricky. Then here are the people who are participating thus far Congresswoman Michele Bachmann businessman Herman Cain. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich who seem him in awhile Texas Congressman Ron Paul. Former Minnesota Governor Tim plenty and Mitt Romney as we've spoken about and now former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum who declared he was in the race yesterday. So those are the candidates it's by the way June 13th for those who are listening. CNN and WMUR TV New Hampshire Union Leader debate. But how can you

justify having someone who has not declared in the debate Fergus. Well I think that anyone who is an elected official they've won an election in a state wide level or at the federal level perhaps a member of Congress over a very important credibility threshold I mean again there's always that question of who's who's in and who's out who should make the cut doesn't. But I'm also worried about sort of the slippery slope and four years ago or three and a half years ago on the eve of the primary Fox News held a debate in New Hampshire and they limited the field to four and then hunt out Ron Paul for ample and then kept going. Fred Thompson who ran a just horrific campaign didn't really make much of an effort in New Hampshire and Ron Paul who came within a couple of votes of getting a delegate out of New Hampshire and finishing almost a third was excluded and again you know I'm in favor of down the road after the early states. You know sometimes there are a logistics that have to come into practical consideration.

But until voters have actually had a chance to speak cast both candidates I'm in favor of having a very loose interpretation of who's a real candidate who's not letting many people participate as possible and in that whole thing when it's New Hampshire I mean New Hampshire is supposed to be mad. I mean actually exactly. And let's remember that New Hampshire is different from Iowa. Iowa is the value state. It's the social conservative state. It's the Christian right state. New Hampshire is the libertarian state. If any place should be putting out a welcome mat for Gary Johnson it's this place. I mean that's the part that makes me so crazy is that Fergus is actually right and people are even saying that there may yet be a dark horse that hasn't even announced yet that might be the potential candidate. So this is such an unformed field at this point Kelly. And one of the reasons why Herman Cain has been so successful was that he was such a shine in the South Carolina debate Am I right Fergus. I mean Herman Cain came out of that South Carolina debate as a relative very well-known character where he went in not that way. Maybe that's part of the fear is how Gary Johnson perform.

Will he suddenly out shine a Mitt Romney. Will the outshine a Michele Bachmann. That may be part of the concern as well. The Democrats had the issue 4 years ago who's the former governor of Alaska who is in some of the early debates then really proved that he wasn't up to speed and was eliminated from some of the later that. But he at least got a shot to earn support. He blew that shot and then adjustments were made. Exactly. Absolutely and by the way I have from you too quickly how do you think Rick Santorum will be greeted in New Hampshire he's coming later this week. You know you carving out a niche. He's a dentist himself as you know very strong on the pro-life issue and that's an important issue in fact the primary issue for about 10 percent of Republican primary voters. They are involved in politics because of the life issue. And he certainly is trying to build that into a base from which to grow it. You know he adds something to the discussion I'm glad he's running. You know whether he'll be able to break out of that

kind of a ditch or not is up to him I guess for down the road. Well I think what he's planning on doing is one of his ways of breaking out of the niches he's talking about privatizing Social Security. So while he watched everybody sort of you know trying to figure out how to deal with the Medicare issue he's really going to punch through and he's going back to that all Social Security issue and he's saying we need to privatized it. So one of the things he's trying to do is not just talk about the social issues but he's going to be this real fiscal conservative and say Dammit let's give Wall Street Social Security they will do such a great job for us I'm sure. And he'll stand out if only if Michele Bachmann does not get in the race. Right. Because there will be that that that part that part of the party will be wide open for him. Well how do you classify Tim Polanski for Agus isn't he sort of the bridge between the New Hampshire and the Iowa conversation because he wants to be the social conservative. Well you know you seem to be putting it all it in Iowa that could be a very risky strategy if I was only going to spend one or two candidates on anchoring. All right well more to come with our New Hampshire insiders thank you both so much. We've been talking about the

presidential race and how it's playing out in New Hampshire. I've been joined by radio and TV commentator Arnie Arnesen and Fergus Cullen. He's a public affairs consultant former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party and an editorial page columnist with The New Hampshire Union Leader. You can keep on top of the Calla Crossley Show at WGBH dot org slash Calla Crossley follow us on Twitter or become a fan of the Calla Crossley Show on Facebook. Today Show was engineered by Antonio only are produced by Chelsea hers will Rose lip and Abbey Ruzicka we are a production of WGBH radio Boston NPR station where news and culture.