Evening star., 1953-09-24
New Shortage
of Teachers
Created Here
Unexpected d Increase
In Negro Enrolment
Cited by Corning
By jones 6. Deone

Dy james y. De0ne
An unexpected Negro enroll
ment increase has created new
teacher shortage In the District
public schools, officials disclosed
today.
Supt. Hobart M. Corning said
he is trying to find the money to
hire extra Negro teachers.
Walter N. Tobriner, chairman
Of the Board of Education's Per-
sonnel Committee, said he be-
lieveS 1t will be necessary to let
some temporary white teachers
go in order to provide the money,
Some white senior high school
teachers may also have to be
shifted to lower grades, Mr.. To-
briner said.
Negro enrolment is now 4,O96
greater than a year ago. White
enrolment, however, has dropped
1922, and Negro students now
outnumber white by 12,987.
School officials had expected
the colored margin to be only
11,172. But colored pupils have
increased and white pupils de-
creased faster than expected.
DR.. Corning said final en-
rollment counts. won't be made
until late next month and the
picture may change somewhat
by then. He said white pupils
may partially catch up. But
more colored teachers are
needed than planned for, he
said.
Calls Situation Grave.
DR.. Corning refused to COM
ment on the possibility of dis
missing or shutting white
teachers. He said he didn't
want to alarm teachers need
lessly.
But he called the situation
extremely grave"
Two white teachers were let
go last fall and 46 others were
shifted to lower grades in a
move to provide money for extra
colored teachers. The action
brought protests from parent
teacher organizations.
Negro enrolment is already
ahead of the total which had
been expected for late October.
Colored pupils as of last Friday
totaled 57,39e-more than 200
ahead of the prediction.
White pupils, by contrast, on
Friday totalled 44,409-a lag of
more than $500 behind the pre-
diction for next month. The
grand total is now 101,805 pu-
pills. a net gain Of 2,874 over last
year. This is the. largest ,ublic
school enrolment in District
history.
NOyes Problem Cited.
The Noyes Elementary School,
Tenth and Franklin streets NE,
illustrated the crowding problem
in the colored schools today.
Enrolment was 495 pupils, and
classes numbered 63 pupils each
nearly twice the standard size.
Two extra teachers have been
promised this week, to reduce
the class size to 40. But classes
are oversize in many other
schools as well, which means
more teachers are needed.
Noyes was transferred from
white to colored use this fall,
but officials had not expected so
many colored children.
DR.. Corning would not say
how many extra Negro teachers
may be needed. There has been
a long-standing teacher Short
age in the colored schools, how
ever, and several hundred new
colored teachers are being
sought in next years budget re-
quest.
Mr.. .Tobriner said he had
called the teacher situation to
DR.. Corning's attention with a
request for steps to remedy it.
White Teacher Surplus.
He pointed out that the white
senior highs have teacher sur
plus.
Last fall, a number Of senior
high teachers were moved to
Junior high and elementary posts
in order to release salaries that
otherwise would have been paid
to temporary elementary teach
erS.
About the prospect of doing
this again, Mr.. Tobriner said:
II hate to do it, but what can
we do?"
He said teachers would be
given decent. notice." however
Last year many were notified
by telegram.
On another matter, DR.. Corn
ing told reporters today he sees
a danger in current widespread
talk about juvenile delinquency.
There are plenty of people, "
DR.. Corning said, who get the
notion the whole generation of
young people are going berserk.
I'm not minimizing the seri-
BUSINESS of delinquency. but ]
want to cite a warning that we
don't indict the whole genera
tion," the superintendent said.
He said there should be a
community wide effort to boil
ster the confidence of young peo-
pie in themselves.
Institute for Blind 10 Use
al a NhH 81 - UR m