Evening star., 1952-09-19
Ruling by West
Limits Teachers
To0wn Races
Whites Cont Serve
!. In CoIored Schools,
Commissioners Told

VIZ
Corporation Counsel Vernon e.
West today ruled that white
teachers must teach in white
schools and colored' teachers in
colored schools in the District.
Mr.. West. the city governments
top legal officer, presented his
opinion to the District Commis-
sioners on the request of School
Supt. Hobart M. Corning.
DR.. Corning had asked for a
ruling on whether white teachers
may legally be assigned to colored
schools. Suggestion for a ruling
came from School Board Member
Walter N. Tobriner, who wanted
to know whether a white teacher
volunteering to teach in the coll
ored division could be permitted
to do so.
Reviews History of System.
Mr.. West went all the way back
to the historical beginnings of the
District school system in 1862. He
reviewed congressional reports
that led to the School Act of 1906
which, although it did not speci-
fically deal with the teacher ques-
ton. led the corporation counsel
to state:
1T is the intention of Congress
that white teachers who have
taken the examinations of the
examining board for the white
schools must be appointed to and
continue to be assigned to such
schools and that teachers who
have taken the examinations Of
the examining board for the
colored schools must be appointed
to and continue to, be assigned to
such schools"
Surplus of Whites.
The possibility of shifting white
teachers to colored schools was
raised as a means of alleviating
a teacher shortage in the colored
school division. There is q sur
plus of teachers In the white di.
vision. ,r.
Mr.. West pointed out that orig
inally colored school teachers were
white. He cited an authoritative
history Of the District which de-
clared That over the years "as
colored teachers grew proficient
they replaced the whites. because
Of that sympathy with and ability
and willingness to enter into and
appreciate the feelings and aspi-
rations of the learner
The legal officer further point.
ed out that the last white teacher
lin colored schools was replaced
by a colored teacher in 1904. Con-
Isequently when Congress under
took to pass the School Act two
years later all the teachers in
white schools were white and coll
|ored schools were taught entirely
by colored teachers.
Cites "Great Concern"
A reading of the 1906 act,
committee reports and hearing
excerpts, Mr.. West said, disclosed
that mo one seemed to consider
the possibility of any change in
the then-existing practice of ap-
pointing white teachers to white
schools and colored teachers to
colored schools"
In fact, Mr.. West said, "the
great concern was to see to it
that the colored schools were COM
pletely under the control of coll
ored officials. subject only to the
supervision Of the superintendent
Of schools and the Board Of Edu-
cation" He noted that at the
time the School Act was being
prepared the colored high school
was supervised by the white
director of all high schools and
not under the colored superin-
tendent Of schools for colored
children. a setup which caused
considerable friction"
Mr.. West apparently took his
cue from the House committee re-
port on the act which stressed
q desire to enlarge the power of
the colored school superintendent
to include jurisdiction over colored
normal. high and manual train
ing schools as well as colored
grade schools.
The House report stated that
this expanded jurisdiction re-
suited from the earnest solicita-
ton" of colored educators.
Mr.. West also called attention
to the provision of the act which
specified that no colored teacher
could be promoted from one class
to another or from one group to
another group within a certain
class, except with the approval Of
the colored assistant superin-
tendent.
1T Is obvious that Congress by
this provision intended that only
white teachers should serve in
the white schools and colored
teachers in the colored Schools"
Mr.. West concluded.
Postmen on Scooters,
But Most Still Walk