Evening star., 1950-01-22
Corning Studies
Next Move in
McAu|iffe Case
Sharpe Considers
Whether to Coll
Special Meeting.
BY Colt HendIey, Jr.

School Supt. Hobart M. Corn
ing will meet with his staff to-
morrow morning to decide if he
Will resubmit the name of Miss
Eleanor P. McAuliffe to the Board
Of Education for the post the
board denied her as principal of
the new Sousa Junior High School
it was learned last night.
This latest move came as C.
Melvin Sharpe, president of the
Board of Education, was consider
ing whether he should call a
special session of the school board
to take up the controversy which
has arisen. Adelbert w. Lee,
chairman of the boards personnel
committee, yesterday asked for a
special meeting.
Miss McAuliffe, now assistant
principal at the Paul Junior High
School, was rejected by the board
by vote of to 3 on Wednesday
after DR.. Corning had presented
her as his nominee for the Sousa
principalship. According to official
reports presented by DR.. Corning
at two closed sessions of the per-
sonnel committee, Miss McAuliffe
ranked above two other candidates
being considered, John D. Koontz,
assistant principal of Kramer
Junior High School, and Frank
A. Stutz, assistant principal at
Deal Junior High School.
Corning Silent on Plans.
DR.. Corning refused to discuss
what he intended to do about re-
submitting Miss McAuliffe's
name.
II intend to confer with the of
flcers (his staff on Monday on it
and decide what we should do"
he said.
Under the law setting up the
Board of Education, DR.. Corning
must submit teacher promotions
to the school board for approval.
The board may approve or disap-
prove his selection but is power
less to select an individual itself.
1t was believed that DIR. Corning
would make another attempt to
get Miss McAuliffe approved.
After the board rejection, he COM
mented he still was convinced"
that she was the best qualified
candidate.
Opposed by CantreIl.
One of his staff officers. Lawson
j. Cantrell, associate superintend-
ent in charge of junior high
schools, did not agree with DR..
Corning in the closed sessions,
favoring Mr.. Koontz for the job.
Several board members, among
them some of those who voted
against Miss McAuliffe, said the
disagreement arose because of in
consistencies in the facts pre-
sented or bcause of doubts raised
by the vigorous opposition to Miss
McAuliffe by the personnel COM
mittee chairman, Mr.. Lee.
The situation was regarded as
evidence of a growing split between
DR.. Corning and some board mem
bers, but no one would come out
and say so for publication.
The request for the special ses-
sion of the Board of Education
came yesterday from Mr.. Lee after
publication in The Star of infor-
nation from the reports presented
by DR.. Corning at the closed ses-
sions of the personnel committee.
He said:
"I want to know who divulged
what was labeled confidential in
formation. Also, I want a chance
to justify my position and make
a statement proving my position
to be correct"
inconsistencies Claimed.
The inconsistencies referred to
by board members arose from the
presentation of Miss McAuliffe' IS
qualifications at one of the closed
sessions, it was learned.
After presenting facts from the
Board of Examiners to show Miss
McAuliffe was the best qualified
candidate, DR.. Corning told board
members that the colored and
white schools have a slightly diff
ferent system of evaluating teach
ers for promotions.
In the colored schools, candi-
dates receive a final and single
rating figure after all phases OF
: the tests are completed. A certain
percentage is allowed for each
phase of the examinations and the
total gives the rating.
Although the basic testing is
the same in the white schools, nc
final and single rating figure is
given candidates for promotions
Each phase of the examinations
is rated and from the separate
ratings, the candidate is selected
1t was learned that after Dr.
Corning had presented Miss Nc
Auliffe's ratings based on tht
system used in the white schools
he hurriedly figured her rating
out on the basis of the coloree
system.
The result was that in certain
phases, her rating was not quite
as high. This brought charge.
from some members that DR.
Corning's presentation was incon.
sistent.