Evening star., 1951-12-12
School Solution
Efforts Resumed
AS Strike Ends
Poyne-Webb PTA
Seeks Conference
With Supt. Corning

The walkout Of 300 colored
pupils of the Payne and Webb
Elementary Schools was over to-
day, but the disagreement that
caused the strike is far from set
tied.
The Payne-Webb PTA last night
voted to send the children back
to classes. They also voted to seek
a conference with School Supt.
Hobart M. Corning to begin ne
gotiations they hope will lead to
satisfactory solution of overcrowd-
ing at the two schools.
The pupils reported to school as
usual this morning. They have
not been in their classes since the
walkout began Thursday.
More than 400 parents jammed
into the Payne School last night
for the meeting that ended with
the vote to call off the strike. This
vote was taken after Commissioner
F. Joseph Donohue and Assistant
Engineer Commissioner Thomas j.
Hayes, III, had advised the parents
Ito send the children back to
school.
Anxious for Solution.
Col. Hayes told the parents:
II assure you the Board of Edu-
cation will reconsider the whole
matter. They're anxious to come
up with a solution that works"
Mr.. Donohue outlined what he
Thought the proper action would
be for the parents. He advised
sending the children back first,
then holding a conference with
DR.. Corning and the Board Of
.. Education.
II this proves unsatisfactory,
/. he told the parents to come to
the Commissioners, adding, while
it is true that the Board of Edu-
cation is an independent agency,
f the Commissioners do have a re-
sponsibility."
The walkout began after the
v Board of Education voted to
2 transfer the Madison Elementary
School, Tenth and G streets NE,
from white to colored pupils to
relieve overcrowding at the Payne
:. School, located at Fifteenth and
, c streets Sc.
The plan, to be effective at the
!. end of this semester, would shift
: some Payne pupils to Maury
e School, some Maury pupils to
Lovejoy School and finally some
! Lovejoy pupils to Madison. The
! children of Grades 4. and 6,
e who should be in Payne but now
+ are at Webb School, Fifteenth and
# Rosedale streets NE, would be
|, sent back to Payne.
g Want Bryan School.
The parents felt this was not the
IS solution. Instead. they asked that
t. Bryan School, three blocks away
l. at Thirteenth and B streets Sc,
IS be transferred from white to
S, colored pupils.
q Mr.. Donohue and Col. Hayes
decided to attend the meeting,
after the Commissioners had re-
le ceived complete report from DIR.
Corning and C. Melvin Sharpe,
president of the Board of Educa-
ton. The strike had reached a
stalemate at that point yesterday,
y with DR.. Corning and Mr.. Sharpe
q maintaining they would not meet
with the parents until the chill
Is dren were back in class.
/ Lemon H. Moses, jr., presidents
n Of the PTA, opened the meeting
S,,by saying the strike was an un-
q fortunate thing but that it has
q pointed up the needs of the area.
Mrs. Catherine Jones, PTA sec
: retary, then reviewed the con-
n troverSy.
Cites Conferences.
- 1--WE have conferred and con-
10 ferred and received nothing" she
> declared.
Mr.. Donohue said he did not
# come to the meeting to praise the
: parents, adding he was extremely
70 unhappy" about it all. He said
!" he had worked, since being ap-
Il pointed Commissioner, to tell the
% people of the District the city has
4 a responsible municipal govern
ls ment. He said they should have
a come to the Commissioners when
: their other efforts met with fall
ure.
y He chastised the parents for
q sending a telegram to President
n Truman, asking for his help. He
:. said they had a problem, but they
: also had municipal government.
O He had expressed the same view
,s earlier in the day, when he ad-
: dressed the Washington section Of
the National Council of Jewish
Women in the Jewish Community
Center.
He told the council, in discuss