Evening star., 1949-03-04
Strayer Invited
7o0pen Hearing
On School Plan
Reactions to Report
For Reorganization Of
System Are Cautious

Chairman Hill of the Senate
Appropriations subcommittee ham
ding District revenues will invite
DR.. George D. Strayer to testify
at open hearings in connection
with recommendations in his
2,OOO-page criticism of the public
schools here.
The District revenue bill, passed
by the House, calls for an outlay
of S98 ,923,621 for the fiscal year
beginning July l. No date has
been set for the hearings.
Reactions today to DR.. Strayer's
detailed survey of the schools, re-
leased yesterday, were limited
and cautious. Very few people
concerned have had chance to
see the report, since only six
copies are in existence. The sur
vey was made for Congress, which
allotted 100000 for the job.
S3S,OOO,O00 for Construction.
The Strayer report recommends
nearly S38,O0O,00O in immediate
construction, to be raised by a
Federal loan. Other improvements
to the school system would add
maximum of s4,618,868 to the
current operating budget.
The report calls for reorganiza-
ton of the whole school adminis-
tration setup, including operating
procedures of the Board of Educa-
ton.
1t said the greatest needs of the
schools are reduction in the size
of classes, better pay for teachers
and enough classrooms to take
care of the children. A mass of
recommendations we're made on
every phase of school organization.
Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, pres
ident of the Board of Education,
said:
MY interest in the report is to
get anything good out of it for
the schools"
Hadn't Seen Report.
She had not seen the report. she
said, but she said she gathered it
contained "a wealth of educa-
tional and administrative recon-
mendations' from which some
benefit undoubtedly would come.
Mrs. Doyle said the board would
expect an early report from
School Supt. Hobart M. Corning
on it.
In response to DR.. Strayer's
criticism that the board should
deal with policy only and leave
administrative details to DR..
Corning, she said the board always
has been a policy-making body.
DR.. Corning, who has seen the
report, would comment on it only
in general terms. He said the
mass of detail needs thoughtful
study and that he will report his
conclusions first to the school
board. He characterized the re-
port as a strong, basic" docu-
ment.
On the criticism of DR.. Strayer
that clerical detail work per-
meates the school system, DR..
Corning said: I'm not surprised
he makes the comment. It's a
valid criticism.
On Capitol Hill, Chairman Nc
Grath of the Senate District Com
mittee, said he wants to read the
report before deciding his position.
If DR.. Strayer's recommendations
were carried out, it would require
a larger Federal payment to Dis
,trict costs here. he added.
Representative Bates, Democrat.
of Kentucky, chairman of the
District Subcommittee of the
House Appropriations Committee.
said he will make the report avail
able TO the House DlSJrlCC COM
mittee for consideration in con-
nection with legislation.
Senator O'Mahoney, Democrat,
of Wyoming, member of the Sem
ate Appropriations Subcommittee
on the District, said the report will
have to be studied carefully and
that Washington Ought to have
the best school system in the
country"
He said the Federal govern
ment, being substantial land
owner here and not taxable for
that land, should make a sub
stantial contribution towards ex-
penses of the city.
Al IL Al