Valuable lessons LETTERS

Unfortunately, a change in how Houston Independent School District and Houston Community College board members are elected, from a combination of at-large member and single-member districts to only single-member districts, has resulted in those boards becoming dysfunctional and selfserving and not serving the students and teachers and community. Citizens for Good Schools, which George founded for the 1967 election and which Victor and Barbara Samuels and Jonathan and Barbara Day and a few others, myself included, participated and then went on to work in the 1969 and 1971 election.

Through an interview process we selected, then coached and supported some wonderful candidates. Yes, sometimes it was scary and ugly, but it also provided me with some of the headiest moments in my life to see our city come together for the common good. Eleanor Tinsley, then a woman whose only service was being active in her church, was one of those candidates. She became a giant in Houston public service.

The tenure of the CGS candidates wasn't perfect. What is? But sooner or later, Houston had to desegregate its schools. Thanks to George's dogged, inspired early leadership, Houston did it peacefully and without ugly national headlines. One of the high marks of the history of the city of Houston was the 1969 school board election.

George Oser was able to look back on his life and know that he inspired that moment. Marc E. Grossberg, Houston