Evening star., 1952-08-29
Corning Hopes
To Hold Down
Teacher Firing
But Funds Are Needed
To Meet Shortages
In Negro Schools
By jones G. Deone

By jones 6. Deone
School Supt. Hobart M. Corn
ing today said he hopes few OF
no white teachers will have to be
fired in q. new move to provide
money to meet the Negro teacher
shortage.
But he made no promise dis
missals can be avoided.
The Board of Education author
lied the dismissals yesterday, as
we'll as a large-scale white teacher
shutting.
Up to 100 surplus white junior
and senior high teachers are to
be pushed down to lower grades.
BY filling spots slated for tenn
porary teachers, they will release
funds to hire more Negro teachers.
Board members said this would
mean firing up to 100 temporary
teachers. But DR.. Corning pointed
out today that some temporary
positions haven't been filled.
Meanwhile, suburban school
systems reported they might alb
sorb as many as so elementary
teachers desiring employment.
Prince Georges County, Md, and
Fairfax County. Va. appear to
have the most vacancies.
To Avoid Excitement.
The superintendent told report
ers this morning that temporary
teachers fought not to get ex-
cited about this thing at this
time"
He said every teachers job win
get intensive study" And he
added:
'We may be able to accomplish
this without laying off great num-
bers of temporary teachers. I'm
still hoping, if any, it'll be very
small number that will be dis
missed"
He said he was concerned that
the teachers may "get jittery and
excited, maybe unnecessarily so"
Only one teacher had called his
Office up to mid-morning about
the sudden action, the superin-
tendent said. The teacher ex-
pressed concern, he admitted.
Authorized by Board.
The Board of Education au-
thorized the unprecedented move
in an emergency session yester-
day. Supt. Corning had warned
that Negro schools are confronted
with a shortage Of lit teachers
this fall.
The teacher surplus in the
white schools, by contrast, num-
bers about 10O-mainly in the
senior highs. This is more than
a fourth of the white senior high
teachers.
DR.. Corning told the board he
does not know yet exactly how
many secondary teachers will be
reassigned. But he said the total
will be nearer so than 100.
He promised the elementary
teachers will be treated fairly.
He denied any wholesale slaugh-
ter" is in the offing.
Most of the reassignments will
be made before schools open on
September is. the superintendent
said.
Secondary teachers transferred
will not suffer any loss in pay
and still will be listed as Sec
ondary teachers, he emphasized.
Eventually some of them might
be transferred back again, al
though future white enrollments
will determine that.
Most on Permanent Tenure.
Most junior and senior high
teachers have permanent tenure.
But the temporary grade-school
teachers are appointed for a year
at a time only, and often their
appointments have been ter
minated sooner. DR.. Corning said.
In advance of yesterdays meet
ing, senior high teachers were
asked to volunteer for grade
school assignment, but only two
agreed, the superintendent re-
ported. The new assignments will
be mandatory. however.
Yesterdays board action, which
followed an hour-long Personnel
Committee meeting. was unani-
nous. Wesley Williams, colored
member who was absent, told a
reporter earlier he also favored
the proposal.
DR.. Corning said he cannot pre-
dict yet how many new Negro
teachers will be hired. But he
said he hopes the relief win be
substantial.
Some of the temporary teachers
to be replaced are in junior high
schools, but most are assigned to
grade schools. Included are many
who already have been hired for
the new year.
Suburbs Report Needs.
Prince Georges School Supt.
William S. Schmitt estimated
there are about 20 vacancies in
elementary teacher positions for
classes which begin September 8.
The salary scale is slightly below
that in the District.
In Fairfax, Supt. w. T. Wood
son estimated that between 12
and IS teachers might be used in
the elementary grades at salaries
on a par with those paid in
Prince Georges. Glasses there
open next Tuesday.
Arlington Supt. T. Edward
Rutter and Alexandria Supt. T.
C. Williams reported no short
ages of teachers. Arlington may
have nne o,. two vacancies &c q