Evening star., 1952-02-14
Extra White teachers
May Be Transferred
To CoIored Schools

I0I0I0Te0 0cnOOS
Transfer of surplus white
teachers in the public schools tc
colored schools where there is q
shortage of instructors Is under
study by District officials.
The issue came before a confer
ence between Commissioner r
Joseph Donohue and school Of
ficials at the District Building yes
terday.
The problem grew out Of an In
crease in the colored school popu-
lation and need for more
teachers.
School officials today were
studying a report made by Budget
Officer Walter Fowler on the re-
quest made by them last Decem-
ber for $116.820 for hiring more
teachers in the colored schools.
More Study Planned.
During the conference, school
officials said they were not salts
fed with the figures submitted by
Mr.. Fowler, and asked time to
study them. The report was not
made public.
There are now sc teaching
vacancies in the colored schools.
they told Mr.. Donohue. and many
of the colored schools are so over
crowded that pupils have been
moved to schools that formerly
housed white students. There are
now IA vacant rooms in the Roose-
velt High School and Mckinley
School is not nearly filed. and
there is a surplus Of white
teachers.
3 Courses Open.
After the meeting, CommiS-
sioner Donohue said there were
three ways open to clear the
school situation here. One would
be to do nothing except what has
been done by getting more IA
cilities for the colored children
in schools now partly used by
white children and moving the
white children out. Another
would be to dismiss the surplus
white teachers, or use them to
instruct the colored children.
He said it was up to Congress
and the people Of Washington to
decide what to do because the
Commissioners are powerless un-
der the present system of segre-
eating white and colored school
children.
D0nohue states Stand.
Personally, I do not believe
In segregation in the schools, "
Mr.. Donohue said. Nor am I
In favor of revolution.
Il believe that the integration
of white and colored pupils could
be started in the lower primary
grades before the children become
aware Of racial distinction. It
might work also in the teachers
colleges we have here because the
pupils are more mature.
DR.. Hobart M. Corning, super
intendent Of schools; DR.. James A..
Cannon of the school board and
DR.. Harold "A. Haynes assistant
superintendent in charge of COL
'ored schools attended the meeting.
,.Integrafion Of Firemen.
Meanwhile, on the problem in
volving proposed integration of
white and colored firemen. con-
gressional district leaders plan to
hold an informal meeting with
city commissioners and firemen,
probably next week.
House District Committee
Chairman Mcmillan called such o.
conference for 4 pm. tomorrow
in his Office, but Cancelled it later
He said he could not get all those
needed for the meeting at the
time, and must leave tomorrow for
South Carolina.
Wants Frank Discussion.
The chairman said he wants a
frank discussion of the Commis-
sioners' plan to transfer some col
ored firemen to white fire COM
panies. Among other things Mr..
Mcmillan said he wants to find
out is the attitude of the new
fire chief, Millard H. Sutton, on
integration.
Among those asked to the con-
ference were Representative Davis,
Democrat, of Georgia. who has a
bill pending to prohibit integra-
ton of flremen; Representative
Smith, Democrat, of Virginia, and
Representative Simpson, Republi-
can, of Illinois, ranking minority
member of the District Committee.
Also invited were the District
Commissioners, and Chief Sutton.
Representative Davis said today
he hoped hearings would be called
on his bill to ban integration "at
the proper time"