VARIOUS ATTEMPTS TO IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL QUALITY IN GHETTO SCHOOLS HAVE FAILED. THE FACT THAT A FEW ALL BLACK SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL MERELY INDICATES THAT SEGREGATION OR FAMILY BACKGROUND MAY NOT BE THE MAJOR CAUSES OF GHETTO SCHOOL FAILURE. HOWEVER, A MEANINGFUL SCHOOL EXPERIENCE FOR THE GHETTO CHILD WILL NOT BE PROVIDED UNTIL THE ONUS OF HIS FAILURE TO LEARN IS REMOVED FROM HIM, AND UNDERACHIEVEMENT IS VIEWED AS THE FAILURE OF THE SCHOOL TO INSTRUCT. FURTHERMORE, ANY MEANINGFUL ATTEMPT TO EDUCATE THE GHETTO CHILD MUST INCLUDE A MENTAL HEALTH APPROACH AIMED AT INCREASING HIS FREQUENCY OF SUCCESS AND RAISING HIS LEVEL OF ASPIRATION. CONFLICTS IN VALUES BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND GHETTO STUDENTS AND THE ENTRENCHMENT OF INEFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATORS AND DEMORALIZED TEACHERS ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE GHETTO CHILD'S LEARNING. STRESS SHOULD BE PLACED ON ACHIEVING QUALITY EDUCATION IN DE FACTO SEGREGATED SCHOOLS, WITH THE COMBINED FORCES OF "TEACHER POWER,""BLACK POWER," AND "PARENT POWER." A DECENTRALIZED SCHOOL SYSTEM INCORPORATING A MENTAL HEALTH APPROACH AND A "COMMISSION OF ACCOUNTABILITY" COMPOSED OF LOCAL PEOPLE COULD EFFECT CHANGE IN THE EMOTIONAL TONE OF GHETTO SCHOOLS. THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN "CHANGING EDUCATION," VOLUME 2, NUMBER 3, FALL 1967. (NH)