The Poly Path to Excellence

Not every high school cleanly survives the anger, fear and dissension that too often plague our campuses. Long Beach Polytechnic, for instance, might not have been accorded much of a chance when racial tensions first boiled over in the 1960s. But Poly had a history. It had been an anchor of Atlantic Avenue since Grover Cleveland was president. And its grads had something to say to their scholastic descendants about how things ought to be on campus. That made a difference not all schools enjoy.

Establishment of the Poly Community Interracial Council was the key, Times staff writer Douglas P. Shuit pointed out in a report Thursday. Alumni, parents, students and teachers set up, among other forums, the so-called Poly experience, in which 10th-graders go each year to a Big Bear camp to mix with classmates of different cultures. “What we do is take away outside influences, like family and friends, cars and clothes,” says Poly co-principal Mel Collins. “The playing field is leveled.”

On campus, magnet programs for international trade studies and advanced placement testing have put a focus on academics. What Poly has created is an atmosphere of commitment, of the dedication that in 1933 pulled it from the rubble of one Southern California’s worst earthquakes to become a school that has passed successfully through the cultural divisions of our times.

School leaders and the various communities obviously have seen a base to build on, and they’ve done it in a style that should please the ghosts of Poly past. Scholars, rappers, pro athletes, civic leaders, admirals and generals--they started at Poly and helped build a tradition that serves well the name of public education.