Evening star., 1951-04-19

superintendent Urge!
Substantial Boost
Opposes Klein Bill
The, Board of Education an,
Schools S,ipt. Hobart M. Corning
have gone On record as fayorinl
a substantial salary increase fol
District public school teachers.
Meeting yesterday, the Schoo
Board voted to inform the Dis.
trict Commissioners they favored
a pay raise for the teachers.
The matter came up when DR.
Corning asked for the boards
opinion on a bill pending in the
House which would grant to the
school employees a fat $1,100 sal
airy boost. DR.. Corning recon-
mended the board dissapprove this
particular bill until he had COM
pleted a study of the present
: teacher~ Salary set-up.
He explained that teacher rep
resentatives had been meeting
with him in the past weeks in
an effort to revise the salary
scales.
Problem Held Deeper.
"We definitely are in favor OF
a substantial increase" DR.. Corn
ing declared. But the problem
is deeper and broader than the
Klein bill" (The fiat 1,100 raise
was proposed by Representative
Klein, Democrat, of New York. }
we do not have specific legis-
lation to propose right now," DIR
Corning added.
The Board then voted to inform
the Commissioners of its desire to
get wage boost for teachers. II
added that it also stood by its
previous action calling for Dis
trict teachers to get the same
raise as Federal Government en-
ployes, if they get one in the
future. 8
The board also voted to have DR.
Corning bring In aSreport on the
possibility of adopting the song
book. "Sing a Song of Friendship, u
by Irving Caesar, as part of the
school curriculum. This is the
book that Adelbert WI Lee, board
vice president, criticized at the
last meeting.
Suggested by Cannon.
DR.. James A. Cannon made the
suggestion, which the board ap-
proved. He said he had procured
an album of the songs and played
them. He said that if Mr.. Lee took
time to listen to them, and to
understand them, he would ap-
prove.
Mr.. Lee. who was presiding at
the time, said since the matter was
of considerable Importance" he
suggested the board members look
into it carefully while waiting for
DR.. Corning's report. =
The board also heard three
speakers, Herman Edelsberg, of
B'nai Birth; the Rev. j. F.
Whitfield. president Of the Inter
denominational Minister'S Alli-
ance, and Earl Slammed, rep
resenting Cardozo High School
parents.
B'nai Birth gave 100 copies of
the song book to the school sys-
tenn. Mr.. Edelsberg said he ap-
peared mot to defend the song
book because it needed no de-
fense." He said he wanted to
recommend the school board ap-
point a school official to do moth
ing but work on the development
of intercultural education.
Mr.. Whitfield and Mr.. Sham
mel both spoke on the recent
incident at Cardozo High School
at which Writer Pearl Buck was
banned as a speaker.
Corning Bungling Charged.
Mr.. Slammed criticized DR.
Corning for "bungling" a number
of matters and said he had an
tagonized whole segments of the
population and alienated public
confidence. He asked the board
not to penalize the Cardozo Of
ficials involved in the incident.
In other actions, the board:
l. Adopted report from DR.
Corning defending the smoke rec
ord of the District schools. DR.
Corning described as untrue a
statement by H. Z. Kugel. chief
engineer in charge of smoke regu-
latlons in the District, that the
schools were the worst offenders
He said since 1886, rs school plants
had been built or converted with
Mr.. Kugel's approval and that hi
regulations were followed care.
fully+, He pointed out that il
would take $500, 900 to correct Ger.
tain old furnaces and the Boare
of Education had decided tha
was too much money to spene
now, in view of other school needs
2. Asked DR.. Corning to brins
in a report on teachers maternit.
leave with a view to broading pro
visions somewhat.
3. Set summer school tuition
rates for nonresident students. a
SIG. Rates for nonresident vet
eran students will be SAL.