Evening star., 1950-01-21

McAuIiffe
Continued From First Page.)
tendent in charge of Junior high
schools. did not agree and was
supporting another candidate,
John D. Koontz, assistant prin-
cipal at the Kramer Junior High
School.
/ Mr.. Lee said he was going to
ask C. Melvin Sharpe. president
of the Board of Education. to
call the special meeting as soon
as possible. either Monday or
Tuesday.
Il want the public to know
everything that went on" Mr..
Lee explained.
Mr.. Sharpe said today that he
had not heard from Mr.. Lee.
Asked if he would call such a
meeting, he replied that he would
have to discuss the matter with
other members of the board.
He said he has no statement at
this time regarding the nomina-
ton of Miss McAuliffe.
Mr.. Lee said the proceedings of
the Personnel Committee were
supposed to be secret, according
to the law setting up the Board
of Education. In view of the fact
that one side of the question had
been presented to the public, he
continued. he felt a special ses-
sion should be called to enable him
to explain the opposition to DR..
Corning's nomination of Miss Nc
Auliffe.
The rules governing the Board
of Education specify that special
meetings shall be at the call of
the president or in response to a
request made by at least three
members Of the board and the
object of the special meeting shall
be stated in the notice of the call.
Evidence of Growing Split.
The rejection of Miss McAuliffe
was regarded as further evidence
of growing split between DR..
Corning and members of the
Board Of Education. This split
has become more evident in the
past year as time after time GER
tain board members opposed rec
concentrations of DR.. Corning.
In spite of Miss McAuliffe's
seeming superior ratings present.
ed by DR.. Corning in his reports
to the Personnel Committee of the
board, certain members are known
to feel that the school superin-
tendent did not present the pic
ture clearly enough.
At the closed session Monday,
it was learned, DR.. Corning pre-
sented the figures to show that
Miss McAuliffe was the top can
didate. But, he then admitted
that the colored and white schools
have a slightly different system of
grading persons up for promotion.
In the colored schools candidates
for promotions are assigned a GER
tain percentage value for each
phase of the examination for pro-
motion-so much for the written
examination, so much for the oral
examination, so much for expert
ence and so much for extra train
ing in the form of studies at uni
versities. These factors are then
graded on rigid" chart which
produces a final. single figure that
gives the standing of the candi-
dates.
Differences in White Schools.
In the white schools, the basic
examinations are the same. But,
the white schools do not give a
definite value for each phase of
the examination. There Is no
final and total figure to give the
rating. Each phase is graded
separately and then the conclu-
sion is drawn as to which is the
best candidate from the separate
factors, not from a final overall
figure.
It was learned that after DR..
Corning had presented the evil
dence Of Miss McAuliffe's superior
rating on the basis of the system
used in the white schools, he then
worked up her standing accord 4
ing to the system used by the
colored schools.
The result was that in some
categories she did not rank as
high as when it was figured under
the system used for the white
schools. This led to criticism by
some board members of the "in-
conclusive" evidence presented.
Mr.. Lee, as head of the Per-
sonnet Committee, refused to
accept DR.. Corning's recommends
ton OF Miss McAuliffe because he
said all the facts were not
presented.
DR.. Philip T. johnson, board
member, said that he had the
greatest confidence in the chair
man Of the committee (Mr.Ieet
and that if Mr.. Lee had some
doubts he felt the matter should
be postponed at least" until these
doubts were cleared away. He
voted against the, nomination of
Miss McAuliffe.
Wants Proper Procedures
He said he liked proper BRO
cedure" and he felt most of ssthe
board members voting against
Miss McAuliffe's nomination had
this In mind. He added his vote
4