Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-04

Asks Program
For Integrdtion
Training for Teacher.
And Purents Urged
In Reply to Board

A entertaining program to
prepare for possible District
school indignation was urged to-
day by the District Congress Of
Parents and Teachers.
The PTA congress, central or
ganization of the IS parent
teacher associations in the city's
white schools. also urged an ed
ucational program for parents,
including inter-racial meetings
of parents and teachers.
The proposals were submitted
in answer to the Board of Edu-
cation request for views Of
citizens on the mechanics of.end-
ing the dual school system. il
that should be required by the
Supreme. Court. A court decision
is expected in the spring on
pending cases attacking race
segregation.
The PTA congress suggested
using a handbook already avail.
able in the school system for
intergroup education of parents.
The handbook was prepared
some time ago by a committee
headed by Associate Supt. Carl
F. Hansen.
Several other groups also made
public proposals on school int.
grafton today.
A training program for parents
and teachers was proposed by
the Washington Branch of the
American Association of Uni
versity Women.
The AAUW, an interracial
organization. urged integrated
workshops for teachers and adj
miniStrators of all schools. prof.
ects to promote understanding
among children and meetings of
parents in the city's schools to
study and discuss successful
iptegration.
The American Veterans Com
mittee's Washington Chapter
also urged creation of a teacher
training program covering inter-
group relations. AVG urged that
under indignation school person.
mel policies should be independ.
ent Of race. +
Committee Proposed.
Creation of q steering com.
mittee to plan a similar program
was proposed by the Washington
Fellowship. 4
The Consolidated Parents
Group. Inc, said school board.
members should consult with
sociologists before making plans.
The group also suggested that
under Indignation all principals
and administrators should be
re-eXamined and their posts re-
filled without regard to race.
A special committee set up in
December formulated the PTA
proposals. Mrs. Richard Radue
was committee chairman. The
statement follows:
1--WE welcome the opportunity
Of sharing in the planning Of
the school administration, but
we do not feel we have the tech.
nical background to make rec
concentrations on the mechanics
of indignation. We do know,
however, that young children are
most adaptable and we suggest
that the administration study
the methods followed success
fully in other cities whereby in.
tegration was begun on the kim
dergarten level.
eve believe that the teachers
are the key to the situation. 1t
is the administrations RESPONSE
bility to initiate training pro-
grams both in service and in
the teachers colleges which will
help teachers face the possibili-
ties and problems of intergroup
education. and accept their re-
SponSibilities as teachers Of all
children.
Parents must be helped to
see their role as a source Of
strength to children, as co-part-
nerS with teachers. To do this
we suggest the directed use Of
the handbook on intergroup
education prepared by DR.. Han
sens committee and meetings Of
small groups of parents and
teachers from divisions l and 2
with similar problems who could
thus get to know each other and
talk through their problems. ,
"Our deepest concern is the
prevention of tension among
children. We urge that in the
administrations planning the
whole emphasis be laid upon q
consistent effort to evolve a sys-
tenn which will better serve all
children"