Evening star., 1938-10-19
HOME TEACHERS
Project ASSURED
W. P. A. Enterprise Will Be
in Operation in 10 Days,
Says Mrs. Steele.

The w. P. A. home teachers project,
reduced to one-third its size by Fed
eral officials, who expressed amaze
ment at the extent of the need, will
be in operation within the next 10
days. Mrs Mary Steele, District w. P.
A. director of education and rec
reation, said today.
The proposed project. designed to
provide education at home for shut-in
children. will be brought up for con-
sideration at the meeting Of the Board
Of Education this afternoon. 1t will
then go back to Mrs. Steele to be
signed From there it will be sent to
Maj. Daniel Donovan. District w. P. A
director Of finance; to Federal w. P A.
authorities for formal approval. to
the Budget Bureau and to the White
House for the Presidents signature.
That process usually takes from
four to six weeks" Mrs. Steele said,
but we hope to rush it through in
the next 10 days"
Had Discussed Project.
Mrs. Steele revealed she had dis
cussed the project with former Com
missioner George Allen, administrator
Of District w. P. A., and Ross Haworth,
assistant administrator. who are now
in New York. Both voiced the opin-
ion that the District W. P. A. should
take what it could get" from the Fed
eral w. P. A. and expressed enthusiasm
that the project had been granted
twice as large a staff as was asked
for in the original proposal.
DR.. Lewis Alderman. Federal w, P.
A. director of the Division of Educa-
ton, told Mrs. Steele yesterday, she
said, that the project should be used
as a demonstration of what can be
accomplished by home teachers and
was to run only through June of 1899.
Mrs. Steele said Mr.. Alderman had
insisted he wouldn't consider the
project as a permanent part of the
W. P. A. Mrs. Henry Gattan Doyle,
president of the Board of Education.
has already expressed her agreement
with Mr.. Alderman on this point,
stating she thought home teachers
should be a regular part of the school
system.
Instead Of a staff of SO, requested
by health and school officials in con-
ference with Mrs. Steele, yesterday,
81 will be provided. This figure in
cludes is teachers of whom. seven
will be white and nine colored. two
field assistants, one clerk and two
supervisors, one colored and one white.
The second supervisor, Mrs. Steele
said, is being written into the project
at the insistence of the school board
and will require an exemption.
Although 708 shut-ins were listed
who were deprived of an education,
20l non-educable children were elm
mated at the conference yesterday.
The staff of 63, 50 of whom were to
be teachers. was asked to take care
of the remaining 507. With staff of
81, however, only 209 will receive the
benefits of the project.
Teachers at Hospitals.
Two teachers, one white and one
colored, will be assigned to Childrens
Hospital and the same set-up will ap-
ply at Gallinger. Two teachers will also
go to Freedmen's Hospital. 1t is hoped,
Mrs. Steele said, that the teachers
would provide occupational therapy
as well as academic work for their
pupils.
Federal officials refused to provide
transportation for the teachers, Mrs.
Steele said, because of the large num-
Der involved. It will either come out
of the teachers own pockets or
from the District government II 1t
has the funds. The teachers will re-
ceive $3.50 monthly for 1os hours
work.
As co-sponsors, the Health Depart
ment will supply materials for occu-
pational therapy. and the School
Board will provide s675 for the pur-
chase of books and SITS for paper
and pads.