Herbert L. Foster is a Professor Emeritus, Graduate School of Education, State University of New York at Buffalo. Prior to his 28-½ years at SUNY/Buffalo, he was for 17 years a teacher and administrator in the NYC Public Schools. Sixteen years were in the "600" schools and Junior Guidance Classes Program for emotionally disturbed and socially maladjusted children.
Born in the Bronx, he grew up in Brooklyn, NY. After serving a Regular U.S. Army WW II hitch in the occupation of Japan with the 24 ID, he took his BS and MA from New York University, School of Education; and his Ed. D. from Columbia University, Teachers College.
He is the author of the best selling Ribbin', Jivin', and Playin' the Dozens: The persistent Dilemma in Our Schools (See Phi Delta Kappan, November 1974 for an interview about Ribbin'). He has been published in innumerable journals. A 1995 issue of the Journal of African American Men carried his research article, "Educators' and Non-Educators' Perceptions of Black Males: A Survey." In this study, he had 3,130 respondents who were asked about people's stereotypical beliefs, feelings, expectations, and fantasies about black males. He tied the study into the disproportionate referral and assignment of black schoolchildren--males in particular--to special education programs for the mildly handicapped and the emotionally disturbed.
He has consulted & run workshops for districts under court desegregation orders. A much in demand speaker and workshop leader for topics such as educating black children, teacher racism, classroom management and school discipline, and experiential education.
For 3 ½ years, he hosted Inside Education a half hour weekly radio educational interview program on WBFO FM, the NPR affiliated station in Buffalo, NY. Additionally, Herb has been interviewed on radio and television shows throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Presently, he is completing the manuscript for Ghetto to Ghetto: Yiddish and Jive in Everyday Life.
During the riots at South Boston High School in Boston, Herb and his buddy George presented a workshop on Thompson's Island for some of the staff from South Boston High School. With 24 undergraduates, Herb did a Winter Outward Bound as an experiment in Teacher Education. He also completed a sailing Hurricane Island Outward Bound.
On the Vineyard, Herb is President Emeritus of the Martha's Vineyard Hebrew Center, an elected Trustee of the Edgartown Free Public Library, a member of the MA State Advisory Council on Libraries, a former Trustee-MV NAACP, a member of the Dukes County Search and Rescue Team until dissolved, a Boy Scout District Member-at-Large, and a member of American Legion Post # 257 Vineyard Haven. Herb intends to become, if he is not already, the oldest continually registered Boy Scout in the United States.
