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Ronald Reagan ALS as Pres. Re: Crime in Schools "...black students are the majority of victims"
Ronald Reagan ALS as Pres. Re: Crime in Schools "...black students are the majority of victims"
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Description:

Ronald Reagan
Washington, D.C., January 4, 1984
Ronald Reagan ALS as Pres. Re: Crime in Schools "...black students are the majority of victims"
ALS
An autograph letter signed by Ronald Reagan concerning a recent speech made on education standards. 1p, measuring 7" x 10.5", Washington, D.C., dated January 4, 1984. On embossed White House stationery, signed "Ron" and addressed to an old California friend and former education advisor, Alex Sherriffs. The letter is in regard to a recent speech in which he advocated increased classroom discipline, school prayer, and higher standards. Reagan's conservatism, views on civil liberties, and self-deprecating sense of humor all come through in this personal note. Accompanied by a typed letter from Reagan to Sherriffs, dated July 17, 1981, thanking him for a letter - with a secretarial signature. Uneven mat burn, else very fine. Boldly signed.

Reading in full:
"Thanks very much for your good letter & generous words. It was good to hear from you. Enclosed is probably much more that you need. I assume the L.A. Times article was probably referring to the Dec. 8 speech in Indianapolis. But just to be on the safe side here is everything I've said all the way back to June. Don't feel you have to read them all – they'll be great on the bottom of a cage if you have a canary. I heard from a civil liberty type about my remarks on discipline. He took the attitude that I was advocating a police state. Well the most recent figures we've compiled show our schools to be about the most crime ridden sector of our society. And guess what—?? black students are the majority of victims. Nancy sends her best. Again thanks."

On educational issues, Ronald Reagan usually focused on themes such as local control of school districts and curriculum, an end to busing students to create racial balance, and teacher accountability. He also advocated higher academic standards and stopping drugs and alcohol in schools. At times, Reagan identified the advent of federal aid to education as the beginning of public education's downfall. Here, Reagan brushes off recent criticism of a policy shift he announced during a speech on education a month earlier in Indianapolis.

Reagan's Indianapolis speech on education contained several key additions to his prior policies on education reform. While he still insisted that more money, especially more federal money, was the problem rather than the solution, his proposals went much further than his typical call for higher standards and teacher accountability. First, Reagan insisted on a return to "good old-fashioned discipline" where teachers regained lost authority not only in academic areas, but also regarding behavioral problems. He lamented that some teachers "don't even have the authority to quiet down their class" and others "suffer verbal and physical abuse" which "must stop." He reminded his audience that at one time, disciplinary codes were strictly enforced by teachers who were told "you have the law back of you. You have intelligent public sentiment back of you" and he insisted as a nation, we "must make both of those statements true once again." The President continued his speech, assailing drug and alcohol abuse in schools, and finally turning to academic performance issues. After his six-point plan, he then advocated a return to school prayer. "God who has blessed this land should never have been expelled from America's classrooms....The members of Congress can start each day with a moment for prayer and meditation, so can our children in their schools."

Despite the reaction of the Los Angeles Times to his remarks, Reagan again made a case for greater discipline in America's public schools in his first radio address of 1984 on January 7—just three days after writing to Sherriffs. There, he repeated the call for increased school discipline to stop violence against both students and teachers.

Alex Sherriffs (1917-2002) was Education Secretary (1967-1974) under Reagan as Governor of California. In the late 1950s, Sherriffs, a psychology professor at Berkeley, became a special assistant to the Chancellor. In his role as chairman of the committee on student affairs, he was widely respected by the student body. However, once he was named official Vice Chancellor in 1958, he became an authority figure and was the object of numerous protests, especially during the Berkeley Free Speech Movement in 1964-1965. The movement, which included sit-ins and over 800 arrests, helped propel Reagan to the California governor's office. Once there, he promptly directed the University of California Regents to fire university system president Clark Kerr for being too soft on the protestors. Reagan had campaigned on the issue, pledging to "clean up the mess in Berkeley," a point of view he would sustain as President regardless of the costs. Refusing a Washington appointment during Reagan's presidency, Sherriffs instead became Vice Chancellor of the California State University System.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 7" x 10.5"
  • Medium: ALS

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