Evening star., 1954-09-23

School Supt. Hobart M.
Corning presented the tollo1O-
ing report to the Board OF
Education yesterday ON the
start of race desegregation in
the District public schools:
Because Of the important and
far-reaching changes that have
accompanied the opening of the
public schools, I am presenting
this summary Of the happenings
thus far in September.
BY September 10, the. first
working day for teachers. the
staff officers had completed their
work Of reorganization of schools
in accordance with the steps in
the desegregation program pre-
sented to the board in June.
Eligible registers Of applicants
for teacherships had been merged
and appointments had been made
to fill vacancies from these
merged lists. Other teachers had
been transferred to meet changed
school populations. Many pupils
I'm addition to these promoted
from the elementary to the
Junior high schools Ind from
the junior high to the senior
high schools-had been trans
ferred to new schools according
to the plans formulated in the
late spring. Furniture had been
moved to meet changes in build
ing use. and supplies, equipment,
and textbooks had been readied
for q new and different opening
school day.
At the first teachers meetings
in more than one-fifth Of the
buildings for the first time col
ored and white teachers were
side by side as they participated
in the final plans for the return
of their pupils on the following
Monday. In, the afternoon ele-
mentary-school personnel gath
cred before the television screens
in their respective buildings to
receive my direct greetings.
Some Tension.
There was admittedly tension
across the city on the opening
day. Much careful preparatory
work had been done-not only
in the way of checking and oil
ing the machinery of school ad-
ministration-but more deeply
and of far greater Importance
in increased understanding and
sympathetic acceptance Of the
many variations in cultural re-
lationships. Some Of this had
been accomplished by city wide,
official workshop sessions and
some by the participation of
hundreds Of school employees on
a wholly voluntary basis in
meetings, discussions, and study
in order to be better prepared
to meet changes such as now
were set into action by the pro-
nouncement of the Supreme
Court in May, 1854, on the sub
ject Of segregation in the public
schools Of the United States.
We no longer ring bells to
summon our pupils to school.
On Monday, September Is, with
out signal and beginning long be-
fore 8 o'clock, children left their
homes for School-about 81, 1000
Of them, many to go to buildings
near their homes which they had
not hitherto even entered. To
help in this day of transition
police officers were available near
every school building in the city
to watch traffic conditions, to
assist at street crossings, and in
general to cooperate in the be-
ginning Of q new kind of school
system.
No Difficulties.
had heard some rumors Of
the possibility Of friction on this
opening day, but as the morning
passed ! received no appeals for
assistance, no word of Difficult
ties, but on the contrary reports
of an amazingly successful OPEN
ing in which parents. children
and teachers outdid themselves
In q determined cooperative ef-
fort that resulted in a very
satisfying record. Children were
excused at 1918 this first day
In order that teachers and school
officers might have the remain
ing hours to complete the jobs
that were still 10 be done before
the first full day of the study.