Eaton and Orfield both said Vance's is aclassic response from a district administratorcriticized for ineffective integration policies.

Eaton said that there would be many changeswhen the final copy is released--including somesuggested by the Montgomery Schools. Eaton saidthat many of the errors were left in and notdouble-checked precisely because the report wasonly a first draft.

Eaton said she thought the letter was areaction to the leak.

"Instead of sending us back a response thatwould have offered clear recommendations, [Vance,]without offering serious arguments, proceeded towrite a letter to me full of random insults andattacks," Eaton said.

"It was a piece of propaganda whose solepurpose was trying to deflect attention from thereport," Eaton said. "There was nothingparticularly useful in there to make the reportmore accurate."

Vance did describe the omitted programs at somelength in his letter.

But Eaton said the policies "aren't terriblysubstantial in desegregating."

Eaton also said she didn't think the report wasunfair or biased.

"In my opinion, they're overreacting to areport that states the obvious," Eaton said.

"The primary mission of this report is not toupset the people in Montgomery County," she said."[If a county] lets a school district do what itwants, it may not be the best road [tointegration].