bootstraps: leadership, education and integration, december 2009

www.medaille.edu/alp/

A Medaille College/Accelerated Learning Program publication dedicated to showcasing valued Western New York leadership practices that translate into self-sustaining, profitable business.

Leadership, Education and Integration

30 Wilson RoadWilliamsville, NY 14221716.631.1061

Non Profit Org.US Postage Paid

Buffalo, NYPermit #948

Buffalo has had its share of angry moments and discussions. The riots of the 1960s near the UB campus, the push, pull and resis-tance of the prohibition era in the 1920s and Mayor Jim Griffin’s removal of Larry Griffis’ Green Lightning sculpture in the 1980s mark just a few of the more pivotal events that launched many agitated conversations and charged legal decisions, setting a framework and corresponding impact that our city has felt for years and generations. For many of its citizens, the mid-1970s were angry years in Buffalo. Whether or not you agree with the ultimate outcome of the 1976 school desegregation case in Buffalo, the efforts and impact of United States District Judge John Curtin during this volatile era are worth revisiting. A look back reveals lessons in leadership, damage control, politics and compromise. It can be argued that Judge Curtin should be seen historically as one of Western New York’s most influential legal figures. Now in advance of 90 years of age, Judge Curtin is still an active Senior Judge and is present many days at Buffalo’s downtown United States Courthouse. Some of his past critical rulings were related to the Attica Prison riots, the employment practices of Bethlehem Steel, the cleanup of Love Canal and other hazardous waste sites, and of course, the Buffalo Public Schools. The decisions in these cases were very difficult ones to make because so much was at stake, and Judge Curtin was well aware of the impending impact of his decisions.

As I sat with Judge Curtin in his chambers, I was in awe of his ability to recollect so many memories, images and personalities. As far back as his childhood in South Buffalo, to his days at Canisius High School, and then onward to his service in World War II, Judge Curtin has an ability to retell stories with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. One story Judge Curtin discussed at length was the complicated rulings involving the desegregation of the Buffalo Public Schools, a case that was assigned to him in 1972. At that time, the nation was experiencing an uneasy and growing sentiment in many of its urban settings after the Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education ruling and a growing body of evidence that indicated a disparity in the public education system where schools were overtly segregated along racial lines. Continued on page 3

From theFrom the

December 2009

By Jerry IngletAssistant Directorof AdmissionsCorporate & BusinessCommunity Liaison

From theFrom the

The Accelerated Learning Program at Medaille CollegeDesigned for adult students to complete their degree while maintaining their careers and personal lives. Features of the ALP program are: A

LP

• Small class size and cohort structure increases productivity and provides networking opportunities• Work full-time during the day and attend our classes one night a week• Students are full-time for financial aid purposes• Free, convenient parking• Books are delivered to your classroom• Competitive tuition• Highly experienced faculty members bring their knowledge to the classroom• Relevant, practical approach to education; “Learn it today, use it tomorrow”• Study groups teach students to be effective team members

There is still time to applyfor January classes

Medaille College's ALP one evening class per week, at

Medaille College’s Amherst Campus.www.medaille.edu/alp


Continued from Front Cover

Undeniably, a legal response and resolution was necessary. Parallel circumstances were building in other cities, including Boston, where violence was a recurring theme as a result of both the proposed desegregation and discontent with the status quo. Anxiety was building on both sides of the issue. In 1976, Judge Curtin put an end to Buffalo’s desegregation angst. Today, in genuine leadership fashion, he recognizes how the contributions of others facilitated his ruling that resulted in the racial and geographic integration of students in the Buffalo Public School System. Opponents of the desegregation measures argued strenuously that the decisions to bus and integrate students would be too costly, contribute to suburban flight and destroy the fabric of the neighborhood schools. But Judge Curtin, along with the Buffalo Schools Superintendent Eugene Reville and many others, created an action plan founded on compromise that minimized the discontent. For starters, Judge Curtin engaged the opposition and included them in the process. The result of this engagement helped create magnet and vocational schools with specialized concentrations like that of City Honors School. Additionally, his openness to the input of the opposition made way for a slow transition to integration instead of an immediate all-or-nothing plan. Judge Curtin acknowledges that the input of the opposition helped to strengthen the decisions that were made and quelled a signifi-cant amount of the vocal and public dissatisfaction. With the decisions Judge Curtin would be implementing, costs were a central concern. Compounding the challenge even further, the Buffalo Public School System as an entity is not an independent taxing authority. Expenses and budget consider-ations required back then (and still today) the approval of the Buffalo Common Council and the Mayor. While Judge Curtin was the central decisional figure to the ruling and implementa-

tion, he still had to gain consensus from the Mayor, the Common Council and the Board of Education, while protecting taxpayers. In the end, Curtin was successful at gaining this consensus even though it was at times an almost impossible task.

As I engage more accomplished leaders by way of this publica-tion, I realize that leadership practices can and should be simplified. Judge Curtin’s overriding framework to his body of work was recognizing, valuing and including the thoughts of all of the stakeholders in the issue at hand. Employing the use of focus groups was a rare practice in 1976. But for the visionary Judge Curtin, it was a necessary task to understand the thoughts of others. A simple leadership concept: gaining the thoughts of others before making a decision that impacts these very same individuals. Whether one agrees or disagrees with his decisions, Judge Curtin’s example of seeking consensus is a practice that should be valued by any of today’s contemporary leaders.


EARN A BUSINESS DEGREE IN ONLY 2 YEARSTHROUGH OUR ACCELERATED LEARNING PROGRAM...

Medaille College’s Amherst Campus is located at 30 Wilson Road in Williamsville.This campus offers the accelerated degree programs to adults in the greater WNY area.

Do You Recognize the Names of These Firms?They represent some of the companies that our adult students work for or own!

(Photo Courtesy of the Buffalo News)

107th Airlift WingAAA Western and Central New YorkAFLACAmerican Red CrossAT&TBank of AmericaBausch & LombBlue Cross Blue Shield of WNYBoys & Girls Clubs of BuffaloBristol VillageBristol-Myers SquibbBryant & Stratton CollegeBuffalo NewsBuffalo Veterans AdministrationBufflink CommunicationsCaplugsCatholic Health SystemCiminelli Development ComapnyCitiGroupCoca-ColaConstellation Brands, Inc.Cornerstone Community FCUCTGCummins NortheastCurbeuDelaware North CompaniesDelphi ThermalDupontEric Mower & Associates

Excellus BlueCross/BlueShieldFedExFirst Niagara BankFisher-Price, Inc.Fox Run at Orchard ParkGeneral MotorsGlaxoSmithKlineGMACGreater Buffalo Savings BankHealthNow New York, Inc.Honeywell InternationalHorizon Health ServicesHSBCIndependent HealthIngram MicroInternal Revenue ServiceInvitrogen CorporationIPLogic IncIRSIskalo Development Corp.Kaleida HealthKey BankM&T BankMerchants Insurance GroupMerrill LynchMetlifeMoog, Inc.Multisorb TechnologiesNational Grid

NOCO Energy CorporationPaychexPerry's Ice CreamPraxair, Inc.Prudential FinancialPure Solutions NAPyramid ManagementRegent Broadcasting of Buffalo, Inc.Rich Products CorporationRosina Food ProductsRoswell Park Cancer InstituteRSA, Inc.Sodexho IncorporatedSorrento LactalisSprint PCSThe Hamister GroupThe Hartford Insurance CompanyThe Park AssociatesThe Talking Phone BookUnited HealthcareUnited Parcel ServiceUnity Health SystemsUnivera Health CareVerizonWashington MillsWilliams Advanced MaterialsWilson GreatbatchXerox

The programs currently offered are: Associate of Science in Business Administration (ASB) Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Master of Business Administration (MBA) Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership (MOL)


A Medaille College/Accelerated Learning Program publication dedicated to showcasing valued Western New York leadership practices that translate into self-sustaining, profitable business.


30 Wilson RoadWilliamsville, NY 14221716.631.1061

Non Profit Org.US Postage Paid

Buffalo, NYPermit #948

Buffalo has had its share of angry moments and discussions. The riots of the 1960s near the UB campus, the push, pull and resis-tance of the prohibition era in the 1920s and Mayor Jim Griffin’s removal of Larry Griffis’ Green Lightning sculpture in the 1980s mark just a few of the more pivotal events that launched many agitated conversations and charged legal decisions, setting a framework and corresponding impact that our city has felt for years and generations. For many of its citizens, the mid-1970s were angry years in Buffalo. Whether or not you agree with the ultimate outcome of the 1976 school desegregation case in Buffalo, the efforts and impact of United States District Judge John Curtin during this volatile era are worth revisiting. A look back reveals lessons in leadership, damage control, politics and compromise. It can be argued that Judge Curtin should be seen historically as one of Western New York’s most influential legal figures. Now in advance of 90 years of age, Judge Curtin is still an active Senior Judge and is present many days at Buffalo’s downtown United States Courthouse. Some of his past critical rulings were related to the Attica Prison riots, the employment practices of Bethlehem Steel, the cleanup of Love Canal and other hazardous waste sites, and of course, the Buffalo Public Schools. The decisions in these cases were very difficult ones to make because so much was at stake, and Judge Curtin was well aware of the impending impact of his decisions.

As I sat with Judge Curtin in his chambers, I was in awe of his ability to recollect so many memories, images and personalities. As far back as his childhood in South Buffalo, to his days at Canisius High School, and then onward to his service in World War II, Judge Curtin has an ability to retell stories with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. One story Judge Curtin discussed at length was the complicated rulings involving the desegregation of the Buffalo Public Schools, a case that was assigned to him in 1972. At that time, the nation was experiencing an uneasy and growing sentiment in many of its urban settings after the Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education ruling and a growing body of evidence that indicated a disparity in the public education system where schools were overtly segregated along racial lines. Continued on page 3

From theFrom the

December 2009

By Jerry IngletAssistant Directorof AdmissionsCorporate & BusinessCommunity Liaison

From theFrom the

The Accelerated Learning Program at Medaille CollegeDesigned for adult students to complete their degree while maintaining their careers and personal lives. Features of the ALP program are: A

LP

• Small class size and cohort structure increases productivity and provides networking opportunities• Work full-time during the day and attend our classes one night a week• Students are full-time for financial aid purposes• Free, convenient parking• Books are delivered to your classroom• Competitive tuition• Highly experienced faculty members bring their knowledge to the classroom• Relevant, practical approach to education; “Learn it today, use it tomorrow”• Study groups teach students to be effective team members

There is still time to applyfor January classes

Medaille College's ALP one evening class per week, at

Medaille College’s Amherst Campus.www.medaille.edu/alp

bootstraps: leadership, education and integration, december 2009

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