Evening star., 1953-11-19
Crippled Pupil
Facilities Hit
As Shocking
School Authorities
Order Corning to
Report Conditions
By jones G. Deone

NJ NCOuS
What a Board of Education
member yesterday called almost
ndescribably shocking" condi-
tionS in classes for crippled chill
dren are due for special atten-
tion from District school author
tiles.
Both the Health School at
Thirteenth and Allison streets
NV, for white children, and
facilities for colored handicapped
children in the Anthony Bowen
School, Delaware avenue and M
street S.W., drew severe criticism
from Mrs. Margaret j. Butcher.
Glasses in both buildings are
understaffed and inadequately
housed, Mrs. Butcher declared.
but she aimed her main fire at
the Icolored facilities, which she
described as tragic and pitiable. -
Corning Agrees.
Mrs. Butchers complaint
brought a request from the
board to Supt. Hobart M. Corn
ing to report on the conditions.
DR.. Corning agreed they are
very, very pathetic" but he
pointed out the board already
has asked an extension to the
white school and a complete new
plant for the colored facilities
in next years budget.
The facilities at Bowen, which
Mrs. Butcher described as "a
tragic and pitiable sight," are
two clasSroomS. TWenty-six
youngsters are being inadequate
ly taught there, the board mem
ber asserted, because one of the
two academic teachers is doing
only therapy and the other must
teach all levels from kindergar-
ten through the eighth grade.
Mrs. Butcher described seeing
a crippled boy struggling down
the hallway, where she said there
is mot even a hand rail"
The school has one occupa-
tional therapist who takes 13
youngsters at one time in the
morning and the other 13 in the
afternoon.
"One child, age 7, has been
learning how to tie shoe for a
year." Mrs. Butcher asserted.
No OrderIies to Help.
There are no orderlies, so
teachers must lift the children
about themselves, she added.
Parents and other organiza-
tions long have been seeking i'm
provements for both the white
and colored special schools.
School officials always have
pleaded lack of funds in failing
to meet the requests.
Mrs. Butcher also asked the
board to look into what she
called inadequate facilities for
helping colored youngsters with
reading difficulties. White chill
dren enjoy better conditions in
this field, she charged.
Mrs. Butcher failed to win the
support of her colleagues on an
other proposal.
The colored board member,
who has been critical of DR..
Corning concerning conditions
at Armstrong High School and
the teacher shortage in the COL
ored schools while there is
surplus in the white division,
tried to get the board to set
special meeting to take action
on these subjects next week or
the week after.
Stalling Charged.
On the Armstrong matter she
accused the superintendent of
Stalling.
No one seconded her motion
for a special meeting, however.
And board president, C. Melvin
Sharpe, took Mrs. Butcher to
task for the "stalling" charge,
asserting:
II would respectfully request
you do not use such language"
To this Mrs. Butcher rejoined:
Il do not propose to be repri-
manded in a public meeting"
Later Mrs. Butcher voted
against approving a report by
DR.. Corning to Armstrong's
PTA, which had complained
about the school.
DR.. Corning, in answer to an
earlier request by Mrs. Butcher,
submitted report on the
teacher situation which showed a
shortage of SO colored teachers
and a white surplus of 1873
teachers as of October.
Reductions Forecast.
The superintendent said it
would be impossible to operate
if the entire white surplus were
eliminated. because the surplus
is scattered in so many schools.
However" the report added,
"it cannot be denied that the
teaching staff in Division
(white) must be reduced to ap-
proach more nearly board
standards as rapidly as vacancies
occur which will make further
reductions possible"
DR.. Corning blamed "the
rapidly changing nature of the
city's population" for the dis
parity in teaching staffs.
He indicated additional teach
ers will be provided in the colored
schools in February, and added
he will announce how many "as
soon as the numbers can be
determined"