AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION HAS BEEN INEFFICIENT AND UNEQUAL AND HAS EFFECTIVELY BLOCKED ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL MOBILITY FOR NEGROES. CHANGE AND IMPROVEMENT HAVE BEEN IMPEDED BY DOGMAS ABOUT THE INVIOLABILITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL, BY ADMINISTRATIVE BARRIERS, AND BY DEEP-SEATED PSYCHOLOGICAL PREJUDICES. COMPENSATORY EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN SEGREGATED SCHOOLS, WHILE OSTENSIBLY AMELIORATIVE, MAY SERVE TO PERPETUATE SEGREGATED EDUCATION AND TO OBSCURE THE FACT THAT DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN RECEIVE INFERIOR EDUCATION. A SHIFT IN GOALS FROM IMMEDIATE SCHOOL DESEGREGATION TO INSURING QUALITY EDUCATION FOR NEGROES APPEARS NOW TO BE BOTH EXPEDIENT AND ATTAINABLE. HOWEVER ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL SYSTEMS SHOULD BE DEVELOPED IF IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN SEGREGATED SCHOOLS. REALISTIC AND PRACTICAL PARALLEL SYSTEMS MIGHT INCLUDE STATE FINANCED REGIONAL SCHOOLS WHICH CUT ACROSS URBAN-SUBURBAN LINES, OR FEDERALLY FINANCED SCHOOLS WHICH ARE INTERSTATE AND POSSIBLY RESIDENTIAL. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, AND LABOR UNIONS MIGHT OPERATE SCHOOLS WHICH WOULD BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. ALSO THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT COULD EXPAND ITS EXISTING ARMY SCHOOLS AND MAINTAIN THEM OUTSIDE OF THE MILITARY. HOWEVER THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPETITIVE SYSTEMS MUST NEVER PRECLUDE THE GOAL OF QUALITY INTEGRATED EDUCATION. THIS PAPER WAS PREPARED FOR THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA'S CITIES, SPONSORED BY THE U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS, WASHINGTON, D.C., NOVEMBER 16-18, 1967. (NH)