Evening star., 1951-05-17
Corning's Program for Future
Placed Before Education Board
By Colt Hondley. Jr.

mltted by School Supt. Hobart M
Corning and his staff.
The 70-page report outlines tn
unfinished business facing tn
School Board. if it is to create tn
best school system in the Unitet
States. The report also review
the progress made in the last flv
years.
1t apparently was DR.. Corning
answer to critics that he was neg
ligent in long range planning TO
the schools.
Up for re-appointment mex
March for a third three-year tern
as superintendent, DR.. Corning
has been under heavy fire recentl!
from some board members, par
ticularly Adelbert w. Lee, boarc
vice president.
When he submitted the report
yesterday, DR.. Corning was ap'
plauded by the board members
something he has not heard otter
In the past year.
Only Report for Year.
The only cloud came when Mr.
Lee asked DR.. Corning if he in
tended the bulky report to be ir
lieu of an annual report.
This is the only one that will
be presented this year." the school
S,Iperintendent replied.
Mr.. Lee said he had been dis
turbed in the past because no
annual reports have been made
by DR.. Corning, as the board rules
require.
The School Board voted DR..
Corning permission to print the
report so that copies will be avail
able for use of the school system
and, to a limited extent. to others.
Funds are available.
To finance the perfect school
system, DR.. Corning recommended
the board begin stern fight to
change it's fiscal procedure.
He advocated-as he has before
that the pay-as-you-go system
of financing school construction
be abandoned. Instead, he said
the schools should be able to bor-
row funds, as all other school sys-
TENS do, and pay them back over
the years. The Federal Govern
ment would be the lender in the
case of the District, of course.
Wants Money From Sales.
In addition he recommended
that when the board disposes of
an old school no longer needed it
be allowed to use the money OBJ
tanned from the sale of the prop
erty. At present the money goes
back to the Federal Government.
He also recommended early ac-
QUESTION of school sites in unde-
veloped areas before the cost Of
the land goes up even further.
Main recommendations made
by DR.. Corning included creation
of city colleges from the now
existing teachers colleges, which
offer only training for teachers: a
new central administration build
ing, upward revision of the
teachers salary scale so that top
flight teachers can be hired and
held, and reduction of the size of
classes in the elementary schools.
DR.. Corning also held out the
possibility of the school system
owning its own radio and tele-
vision stations.
He said it is possible that he
will present such plans some day.
Later. at the board meeting, he
commented that whether the pub
lie schools should own such sta
tions is a question that deserves
careful study.
"The philosophy of the Wash
tngton schools states that the
child is the center of the educa-
tional process" DR.. Corning de-
clared.
However complicated the prob
lens of administration and man
agement may become, their solu-
tions will be of no avail unless
they are related directly to the
betterment of youth. All services
are carried on and all plans for
the development of the schools
are designed for the single pur-
pose of improving the education
Of the child"
Need for City Colleges.
Concerning the need for city
colleges, DR.. Corning declared:
THE citizens of Washington
have very limited opportunities
for higher education at public ex-
pense, as compared with the
available opportunities in other
States"
He pointed out that, in each of
the States, there is an impressive
list of publicly supported institu-
tions, with the average number in
each State totaling 6.4. Thirteen
States, having populations less
than the District, contain Al pub
licly supported institutions, he
added.
He said Wilson and Miner
Teachers Colleges are functioning
well but have serious limitations.
Not only do they conflne their
training to teachers, but they do
not offer courses leading to mas
ters' degrees or in specialized
fields.
DR.. Corning said he will present
specific recommendations to the
School Board later concerning city
colleges.
"One of the most urgent needs
Of the Washington schools is the
replacement of the present office
facilities for the Board of Educa-
tion and for administrative Off
GERS" DR.. Corning said.
Now in 20 Buildings.
Administrative officers are scat
tered throughout 20 buildings,
other than the Franklin Admins
tration Building at Thirteenth and
K streets NV, he explained. This
initiates against unified and
smooth running administration, he