Correspondence Regarding the Utilization of Skilled Cuban Refugees in Education

Refugees

Refugees--Employment

Cuban Americans

Letter from James L. Burnsted, Director of Adult and Vocational Education for the Broward County Board of Public Instruction to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Thomas D. Bailey, calling for skilled Cuban refugees to be eligible for certification as teachers. Burnsted also addresses the idea of a University of the Americas that would utilize Cuban refugees with professional skills and knowledge that could be used for a broader program of international education. Included is a letter the original letter to Governor Farris Bryant, as well as an inter-office memorandum from administrative assistant John E. Evans to Howard Friedman at the State Department of Education asking how the Department was handling this letter from Burnsted.

Burnsted, James Lawson, 1910-2002

Evans, John E., 1932-2017

State Archives of Florida, Series S756

1961

letters (correspondence)

eng-US

Text

s756_b044_f08_03

Postwar Florida (1945-1968)

Miami (Fla.)

Miami-Dade County (Fla.)

/fmp/governor-records/thumbnails/s756_b044_f08_03.jpg

s756_b044_f08_03_01

s756_b044_f08_03_02

s756_b044_f08_03_03

s756_b044_f08_03_04

Florida--Governor (1961-1965 : Bryant)

BOARD OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION BROWARD COUNTY 1320 S.W. 4TH STREET FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA MYRON L. ASHMORE SUPERINTENDENT VIRGINIA YOUNG, CHAIRMAN FORT LAUDERDALE A. WESLEY PARRISH POMPANO BEACH JOHN O. CALVIN HOLLYWOOD CHARLES R. FORMAN, DVM FORT LAUDERDALE VERLON BURRELL DANIA January 26, 1961 The Honorable Farris Bryant Governor’s Office Tallahassee, Florida Dear Sir: Please forgive my sending you a carbon copy of a letter. However, the problems it describes are educational in nature and thus within the responsibility of our great school superintendent. However, the need is urgent and Florida stands on the threshold of greatness if we can grasp leadership. As you are fully aware, there are hundreds of well educated, skillfully trained, and intelligent citizens of Cuba in South Florida. There are many from the teaching ranks of the University of Havana. These people constitute a tremendous resource for their good, the good of the citizens, and the improvement of Latin American relations. I am sure that you would find many people in municipal and county government, in education, and in business and industry who would support bold plans of action under your capable leadership. Call on us, we are ready to go. Cordially yours, James L. Burnsted, Director Adult and Vocational Education JLB: sc ENCL.

January 26, 1961 Mr. Thomas D. Bailey State Superintendent of Public Instruction State Department of Education Tallahassee, Florida Dear Tom: The story in the Miami Herald which is attached prompts me to write this note. You probably are not aware of the pressures which are being applied to the Vocational and Adult Educational Programs in the Southern part of the state. Hundreds of our citizens want to take courses in conversational Spanish for business and travel. In Broward County we had 33 sections in our January schedule and many of these sections had to be doubled to accommodate adult students. Obviously finding well-qualified and trained instructors for so many Spanish classes is a difficult job. In our midst are dozens of skillful teachers, supervisors, and administrators from the public and private school systems of Cuba. In Fort Lauderdale, for example, we have the supervisor of the English program for the Havana public school system. The Minister of Education is working as a bus boy in a Miami Hotel. Prior to the severance of diplomatic relations we could employ these skillful people and get teaching certificates for them. Now this can no longer be done since the Teacher Certification Office has invoked the citizenship provision which appears on page 10 of the Certification Requirements. This states that the applicant be “a citizen of a nation not antagonistic to democratic forms of government”. This is slamming a door in the faces of the people who could help us during this emergency and who, by their very actions, have indicated that they are not antagonistic to a democratic form of government. These people, at tremendous personal, professional, and financial risk and loss, have sought refuge in Florida. As you are quoted by the Herald, they are “high class people, they don’t need handouts, they want jobs.” It seems incredible that these people could be certificated and employed as teachers as long as their application was processed prior to December. Nothing about these people has changed. Their

Mr. Thomas D. Bailey January 26, 1961 Page 2 attitudes concerning the Castro government and our democratic government are the same as they were when they fled their homeland. It seems incredible that some administrative provision cannot be made for their certification. You know that local directors and county superintendents would screen these people carefully before signing their applications for teaching certificates. This is a magnificent way that we in Florida, representing the United States, can say “Welcome” to these intelligent citizens and provide some useful activity for them and great benefit to ourselves. There is no doubt that many of these people will remain in Florida after the present crisis has passed. We are bound to be better off for their decision to remain with us. On this subject you have probably read about a possible “University of the Americas” to be established in the Miami area which would make use of the talents of the many professors from the University of Havana who are refugees here. I can’t think of a better way for Florida to take leadership in the Latin-American problem than to encourage the establishment of such a university. The old Naval Air Base at Opalocka has been mentioned and would be highly suitable. I agree with you that our educational budget at state and county level could not accommodate this enterprise. However, with the kind leadership that you can give to such an idea, national and private financing would be forthcoming. As you can see, I have given you two problems. One of them is most immediate - the certification of these worthy professional educators who can help us so much. I plead for your assistance with this problem. The other one is international in scope and its future could be magnificent. Your strong leadership at this time cannot help but produce affection for Florida and the United States and reduce the tensions of which we are so strongly aware. Cordially yours, James L. Burnsted, Director Adult and Vocational Education JLB: sc

February 9, 1961 Howard Friedman, State Department of Education John E. Evans, Administrative Assistance Utilization of Cuban refugee teachers in Florida Mr. James L. Burnsted, Director Adult and Vocational Education Board of Public Instruction of Broward County 1320 S.W. Fourth Street Fort Lauderdale, Florida (ltr 1/16/61) How are you handling it? JEE: im att.