Evening star., 1949-11-17
Education Board
Rejects Plan for
Fewer Meetings
Continues Bi-MonthIy
Sessions; Cooke Case
Criticisms ReteoIed !

The Board of Education ha'
turned down a proposal suggested
by some members that 1t NEE
only once a month, rather thar
the present twice a month.
School Supt. Hobart M. Cornini
told the School Board at its meet.
ing yesterday he would not max,
q recommendation on whether i
would be advisable to have onl!
one meeting a month. He sug.
gested that. If the board wantee
to try the plan for a period, HI
then could see how 1t worked. ou'
and make a recommendation.
The board then voted not X
change the number Of month";,
meetings.
The suggestion to cut down thu
number of meetings was made By
c. Melvin Sharpe, board president
He explained he threw the subject
out to settle the matter, since some
board members had been talking
about the advisability of such 8
move.
Letters on Cooke Case.
1t was pointed out at the meet.
ing that the Board of Education
had been receiving a number o1
letters on the, disposition Of the
case of DR.. Paul Cooke. an instruc-
tor at Miner Teachers College
who appealed to the board that
a promotion he did not get vic.
lated the board procedures.
The board ruled several weeks
ago, after a public hearing, that
DR.. Cooke had no case. During
the hearing, DR.. E. A. Clark, pres.
ident of Miner Teachers College
and DR.. Cookies immediate supe.
rior, stated:
IF a teacher doesn't accept q
decision I doubt seriously if he
is the kind OF person we want
to promote. even with two Phi. DIS
doctor of philosophy degrees -
The Education Committee OF
the Federation of Civic Associa-
tions wrote the board, asking why
DR.. Clark was not rebuked for
such a statement, and expressed
the hope that his views were not
accepted by the board in reach
ing its determination.
NAACP Also Wrote.
The District chapter of the Ma
tional Association for the Ad-
vancement of Colored People also
wrote the board. The chapter
asked If a teacher had any re-
dress when a president openly
criticized him on personal
basis" and asked clarification of
the matter.
Albert E. Steinem, a board
member, said. In reference to the
letters, that DR.. Clark's comments
were not considered in the deci-
sion against DIR. Cooke. John H.
Wilson. another board member.
pointed out that DR.. Cooke had
expressed the viewpoint that the
hearing was "just and impartial" !"
Other board members agreed
with Mr.. Steniem, although no
official action was taken on the
matter. The letters received on
the subject are still in the hands
of a board committee for consid-
Grafton.
In other actions the school
board:
Retired Mrs. Rosetta o. Robin
son, 1131 Girard street. NV, a
teacher at the Garfield Elemen-
tary School, after As years serv-
ice, and Clarence B. Ingram, 1s
Fifty-third place NE, a mathe-
mates teacher at Shaw Junior
High School. after 40 years serv-
ice.
Act on Teachers' Pay.
Authorized DR.. Corning to ask
for legislation to prevent a loss
in pay to about 90 temporary
teachers caught In a legal quirk
of a bill approved by Congress to
correct inequities for another
group of teachers. The temporary
teachers were hired at a set sal
ary, but the new bill, which ives
made retroactive to q date before
they were hired, set up. new
system for giving credit for ex-
perience that meant they would
lose, in some cases. up to $400 a
year.
Before the school board began
its meeting, a group Of about Is
students from Cardozo High
School showed UP at Franklin
Administration Building. The
board is still studying what to dc
about crowded conditions at Car.
] dozo.
Mr.. Sharpe informed them the
Cardozo question would not come
up for discussion and then wanted
. to know how they were out o1
school. The students said they hae
been excused from class.
? DR.. Corning was asked to looi
into the matter and let the boarc
] know If they we're being excused
from class to attend board meet.
ings.
The board also heard an appea,
from Mrs. Ruth e. Glennon, pres.
ident of the Congress Height.
: PTA, that the board do some.
thing at once to get at least tws
new elementary schools built 4
the Congress Heights area Mrs
Glennon pointed out that hous.
ing developments are still goinl
up and that the two schools therl
now - Patterson and Congress
Heights-have part time classes.
Woman, II, Dies After Fa|
In Store Revolving Door
Miss Clara Phelps, u, Of th'
SrY~.Ls~~%ox. TYn,,an fn,s Tnr,fra h1ae