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SOUTHERN SCHOOL NEWS—August 1955—PAGE 9
School Authorities in D. C. Act on Two Special Problems
4 Special Report
WASHINGTON, D.C.
T wo problems, one brought into
focus since school desegregation
and the other resulting from desegre
gation, have been acted upon by the
District school administration during
die summer recess.
The first and broader problem was
discussed by School Supt. Hobart M.
Corning in a press release in which
he said:
“Public concern has been expressed
about the range of differences in
school achievement in our schools.
“Since the desegregation of the
Washington schools,” Coming ex
plained, “and more particularly as a
result of the inauguration of a city
wide testing program, these different
achievement levels have been b-ought
more sharply into focus, revealing
wider ranges of differences and more
numerous individual cases.”
The second problem arose in the
first official and public protest by a
Neero educator against his new as
signment under the integrated sys
tem.
The protest was against a reassign
ment which followed the merger of
Wilson (white) and Miner (Negro)
teachers’ colleges. The merged school
will be known as the District of Co
lumbia Teachers’ College.
WHITEHEAD PROTESTS
Dr. Matthew J. Whitehead, the
president of Miner, orotested against
Proceedings
(Continued)
that reason we now are perfectly
willing to accept what is there.
JUDGE DOBIE: Well, the Supreme
Court, I mean, very definitely said
they wouldn’t set any time limit.
MARSHALL: Well, to this extent;
we urged them to set it and they
didn’t set it, but they didn’t delib
erately discard it. They just didn’t
use it and it was my understanding
Judge Dobie, that the Supreme Court,
! could be wrong, that the Supreme
Court took the position that the dis
trict court, the three-iudge court,
would be in a better position to set a
time than the Suoreme Court. But I
don’t think it precluded the district
“Urt from setting a time limit if the
district court wished to do so.
JUDGE DOBIE: Of course the dis
trict court of course would limit it
o a nartif. u ] ar case that is before it.
MARCH AT,L: Yes sir.
Midge DOBIE: Whereas the Su-
Preme Court of course had a group
°f cases.
MARSHALL: Yes sir...Even if
there
were a definite time limit, I
nk there would be limitations on
*t. S°, as I understand it now, they
w ith all speed and move along
d I would assume that we find out
6 Way or the other how they are
"deeding and when it got to the
fiert^ W ^ ere either side was dissatis-
and it couldn’t be worked out
^ an amicable basis, then to petition
tain ? U . T d'' w ith this court having re-
rvl 1Ur i°dietion I understand.
BARKER: Yes.
j.. . r SHALL: You have retained
fiction.
sta ^° GE DOBIE: Well. I under-
v erv i ° m you just now and I was
to „ S a< * to hear it, that you want
'°eooDer a te.
MMjshatX; Absolutely,
pyr^. h DOBIE: You don’t want a
* “ victory which would result
Mtma» Uc ^ on the public schools.
ty e 'SHALL: No sir, Judge Dobie.
as a working in states as far south
th e a nsas. We pro working with
*herg hoard in Houston. Texas
thep, /here is no way possible for
Sw ° ^segregate before ’56. We
tit io : haven’t even filed a pe-
1011 ■ We
are fust working with
out 0 C °° De rativelv to get it worked
^ndahl mU ^ Ua l basis that is under-
tnitted t 6 wherever we are per-
fic 0 0 d° it, we do it. And terri-
'*etion?f ress * s being made in all
^fk an ’ ’^eluding two counties in
•Us mo, S ' h't Paso, Texas, and I think
Jlmpi^Hong.
, DBIE: All right.
a ALL: That is all unless
e more questions.
his assignment as Dean of Graduate
Instruction of the merged institution,
contending that he was better quali
fied for the position of Dean of Un
dergraduate Instruction.
Dr. Walter E. Hager, president of
Wilson, was named to head the inte
grated school.
In 1950, when integration of the
public schools was considered quite
radical here, Hager formally pro
posed a merger of the city’s two
teacher colleges. He offered to serve
in a subordinate capacity to Dr. Eu
gene A. Clark, then head of the Negro
institution.
To combat the problem of varying
achievement levels, School Supt.
Coming offered a program for the
next school year aimed at “unifying
and strengthening the educational
program.”
In his discussion of the problem,
Corning noted it has always been
true that “in any subject matter field
at any grade level, the achievement
of students as measured by standard
ized tests varies widely.
CAPACITIES VARY
“After all,” he went on, “nature
does not create human beings by the
use of a common mould. Just as in
dividuals differ in appearance and
various physical characteristics, they
also differ in mental capacities and
aptitudes.”
Coming said there is “ample evi
dence” that teachers and officials have
been able to maintain “high stand
ards of achievement in spite of the
fact that the schools serve groups
that are heterogeneous as to native
ability and achievement.”
PROBLEM IN FOCUS
Desegregation and citywide test
ing, however, had brought the
achievement variation problem into
focus, Coming continued, adding:
DR. MATTHEW J. WHITEHEAD
“The situation continues to require
the utmost in professional skill and
positive action of a preventative and
remedial nature.”
Details of the proposed new pro
gram:
Through administration — Smaller
classes, more special classes to meet
the individual needs of children, more
equal distribution of the services of
special teachers, a carefully planned
remedial program in summer school,
placement of teachers to bring out
their greatest potentialities for help
ing children.
For principals—Monthly meetings
devoted to practical problems of su
pervision, an integreated principals’
association working on common prob
lems, emphasis on a supervisory pro- "
gram designed to obviate the need
for remedial work, community meet
ings of nearby schools to work on
educational problems.
For teachers—A supervisory pro
gram with continued emphasis upon
the needs of individual children, small
area meetings in grade groups to
discuss teaching and learning situa
tions, demonstrations and visits be
tween buildings, monthly faculty
meetings based on problems of in
struction.
For all education employees—Re
examination of the program in each
school by principal and faculty to find
strengths and needs, common policies,
procedures and practices discussed
and agreed upon; more effective con
tacts between heads of departments,
special teachers, emphasis on the best
use of school time, wider use and un
derstanding of the curriculum mate
rials to meet the needs of children.
For parents — Study groups in
buildings to help parents understand
what the schools are trying to do and
how they can help, an integrated Par
ent-Teacher Association working on
common problems.
Steps already taken—The use of
citywide test results as a basis for
review of citywide standards and
practices, establishment of a summer
school committee to evaluate the
work this year and plan for a strong
remedial program next year, budget
requests for additional salaries for
special classes, plan for systematic
citywide remedial program.
COLLEGE MERGER DETAILS
The two teacher colleges were
merged July 1, but because of lack
of facilities elsewhere the merged
college will operate out of the two
existing plants.
The school board designated Dr.
Hager as the head of the integrated
school. Designated as deans were Dr.
Whitehead, Miss Hope Lyons, a mem
ber of the Miner faculty, and Dr. Paul
O. Carr of the Wilson faculty.
School Supt. Coming proposed that
Whitehead be named Dean of the
Graduate Program and Director of
the Summer Session and of the In-
Service Training Program. Coming
suggested Carr as Dean of Graduate
Instruction and Miss Lyons as Dean
of Students.
Whitehead took exception to the
proposals, and the board set a spe
cial hearing.
POINTS OF CONTENTION
At the hearing, Whitehead made
these points:
(1) That his proposed assignment
was a deviation from board policy
under which, in instances where dual
positions existed, one has been desig
nated head and the other as second-
in-command of the integrated setup.
The graduate deanship is not second-
in-command, Whitehead contended.
(2) That the assignment was not
based on merit and that Whitehead’s
formal training and experience were
not taken into account.
(3) That the graduate program over
which he would serve as dean lacks
legal status, budget, adequate under
graduate foundation and appropri
ate accrediting approval.
Whitehead also stated that the Min
er College faculty last year was bit
terly opposed to the establishment of
a graduate program before the under
graduate school was strengthened.
“The position, Dean of the Gradu
ate Program, is characterized by an
emptiness,” Whitehead said.
CORNING’S PLAN ACCEPTED
The board, however, concurred in
Coming’s recommendation by a vote
of five to two. Two Negro members
of the board voted against the recom
mendation, while the third did not
vote.
Florida Sees Its First Test of ‘Reasonable Start’
MIAMI, Fla
roundwork for the first legal test
of whether a “reasonable” start
has been made toward integration was
laid in Florida’s third largest county,
Hillsborough.
Parents of 17 Tampa Negro chil
dren petitioned the school board “to
take immediate steps to reorganize
the public schools under your juris
diction on a non-discriminatory
basis.”
The petition came as a survey
showed three of Florida’s 67 counties
have set up bi-racial study commit
tees to prepare an integration pro
gram. Two others referred the prob
lem to general advisory committees
already in existence.
School officials of the remaining 62
counties said either that they were
“considering” the matter or that they
had done nothing.
When the May 31 decision was
handed down, State School Supt.
Thomas D. Bailey urged each county
board to form study committees as
evidence of good faith.
He pointed out that an assignment
law, adopted this year by the legis
lature, actually gave counties all legal
authority needed to set up commit
tees, employ legal counsel with ad
ministrative funds and take other
necessary steps. The law was signed
by Gov. LeRoy Collins.
Hillsborough, where the first peti
tion by Negro groups was filed as a
preliminary to court action, is one
of two counties using an existing com
mittee setup to study possible action
toward integration.
Supt. J. Crockett Famell said a
Negro lay advisory group had been
inactive for several years. But this
body, as well as a similar group of
white citizens, would be consulted
before the school board acted on the
petition. Members of these groups
are nominated by civic clubs.
The petition in behalf of the Negro
children said:
“We, the undersigned, are the par
ents of children of school age entitled
to attend and attending the public
elementary and secondary high
schools under your jurisdiction.
“As you undoubtedly know, the
United States Supreme Court on May
17, 1954 ruled that the maintenance
of racially segregated public schools
is a violation of the Constitution of
the United States and on May 31,1955
reaffirmed that principle and re
quired ‘good faith compliance at the
earliest practicable date,’ with the
federal courts authorized to de
termine whether local officials are
proceeding in good faith.
REORGANIZATION ASKED
“We, therefore, call upon you to
take immediate steps to reorganize
the public schools under your juris
diction on a non-discriminatory basis.
“As we understand it, you have the
responsibility to reorganize the school
systems under your control so that
the children of public school age at
tending and entitled to attend public
schools cannot be denied admission
to any school or be required to at
tend any school solely because of race
or color.
“The May 31 decision of the Su
preme Court, to us, means that the
time for delay, evasion or procrasti
nation is past.
“Whatever the difficulties in ac
cording our children their consti
tutional rights, it is clear that the
school board must meet and seek a
solution to that question in accord
ance with the law of the land . .
The petition was forwarded to
school authorities by the Southeast
ern counsel for the National Associa
tion for the Advancement of Colored
People, Francisco Rodriquez, a resi
dent of Tampa.
CHANGING TIMES NOTED
Rodriquez said in a covering letter
to Supt. Farnell:
“This appeal is bom out of the
earnest desire on the part of the peti
tioners, as well as many other Tam
pans, to meet changing times with the
same spirit of accord which your of
fice and the public have shared since
your tenure of duty with the depart
ment of public instruction ...
“We note that some committees
have been formed, ostensibly for the
purpose of working out some type of
program. This we consider commend
able.
“In all fairness, however, we must
state without equivocation that we
shall not be bound by the work of
any would-be representative agency
which, for the sake of expediency,
may agree to terms short of the goals
which we have set for ourselves and
our children.”
Rodriquez added in a statement:
“We want to exhaust all concilia
tory actions before we consider test
cases in court. However, I doubt any
test cases will be necessary in Hills
borough County.”
A1 Chiaramonte, chairman of the
school board, said members “prob
ably will have to do some conferring”
before deciding what action to take
on the petition.
Three county school boards have
committees at work, surveying the
school situation and determining the
community attitudes.
In Alachua County (Gainesville),
School Supt. Paul E. Peters said:
“I’m sure our findings and recom
mendations will be most worthwhile
and reflect reasonable planning. We
are doing a great amount of research
and mighty little talking on this
problem.”
In Alachua, Peters said, efforts had
been made over the years to give real
meaning to the “separate but equal”
doctrine.
“However, we recognize our re
sponsibility in this matter. We have
excellent leadership in this county,
both white and Negro. Facts in the
ease may alter our present thinking,
but we’re not going to make a study
just to hide our own opinions.”
Other counties which are making
studies through lay advisory commit
tees are Manatee and Pinellas, both
on Florida’s west coast.
Florida, by the official statement of
Supt. Bailey, will adopt no state-wide
policy directives, leaving the matter
entirely with the local boards and
administrators. This has resulted in
a wide variation in the approach to
the problem.
Bradford County, in north central
Florida, is considering a separate ad
visory committee for each school.
These will not be bi-racial.
Action in Santa Rosa County, in
the northwest panhandle, will “de
pend on the attitude of the people of
the community,” said Supt. Charles
F. Morris.
This same attitude is being taken
in Lake County, in upper-central
Florida. Supt. C. A. Vaughn Jr. said,
“The committee idea takes a lot of
thought. A lot depends on the feeling
of the county.”
This is the county in which Sheriff
Willis V. McCall has taken an active
stand for continued segregation.
In populous Orange County (Or
lando), Supt. Judson B. Walker said
he has talked to Negro school and
civic leaders and they “seem to be
satisfied as long as they get equal
treatment and facilities.”
Two study committees—one white,
one Negro—were set up in Manatee
County “eight or nine months ago”
in anticipation of this situation. The
groups were set to work studying “in
tegration and other problems.”
The great majority of the counties
reported they had taken no action
whatsoever and are contemplating
none before the next school term be
gins.
An immediate end to segregation
at the University of Florida was urged
by a group of religious organizations
on the campus in a petition to the
State Board of Control. The move was
initiated by the Society of Friends.
(See FLORIDA, Page 13)