Evening star., 1955-09-06
Success of RocioI Mixinq
Surprises School OfficioIs
Continued From First Page

Continued From First Page
pupils would be transferred tc
relieve overcrowding.
Other pupils for the most part
would be permitted to remain in
present schools until promotion
to q higher level. ior graduation
thus deferring for several years
the complete effectiveness of new
school boundaries and of the
total program.
116 Buildings at Start
When the new term opened
In September, 116 school build
ings were in some degree inte-
grated. with 38 also having some
mixture among teachers. BY
November. the number of inte-
grated buildings had been in
creased by additional transfers
to l22. At this time. about 8.10C
Negro pupils were enrolled in
former white schools and about
460 white children were attend
ing schools formerly exclusively
colored.
Some 90 Negro teachers were
assigned to former all-white
schools. and several white teach
ers were assigned to, former
Negro schools.
In February, 122 additional
Negro pupils were promoted from
junior high schools to formerly
white senior highs. A few more
integrated teacher assignments
also were made after September
School officials have since re-
vamped administration. assign
ing Negroes to head elementary
and vocational schools and white
officers to direct senior and
junior highs. White and Negro
teacher colleges have been
merged. Teacher organizations
and other groups connected with
the schools have also merged or
made plans to do so, as have the
city's two parent-teacher con-
crosses.
Individual parent-teacher as
sociations accepted all parents
throughout the year.
Progress Substantial
All this, in the opinion of
school officials, spells substantial
progress. To all intents and pur-
poses, administrative reorganiza-
ton is now complete.
The question remaining, one
of undoubted interest to many
parents, is: What has happened
In the classroom?
This writer spent many weeks
seeking the answer. He talked
with many teachers, principals,
school officials and parents, and
visited many, classrooms, watch
ing and chatting with children.
The impression from these
visits is that integration has
worked much more smoothly
than expected, and that many
Of the problems have turned out
less difficult than they were
imagined originally.
School officials have not at
tempted to disguise the difficult
ties. Some principals and teach
ers have frankly admitted being
discouraged. But the dominant
opinion. both among top admin
istrators and in lower echelons.
seems to be that in significant
respects integration is proving a
definite success.
Acceptance Seen
What sort of evidence is there
to support this view? -
The first, and obvious, fact is
that for the past year a great
many children attended inte-
grated schools, and remained for
the full school year. This sig
nified acceptance by parents, as
well as children, of at least the
existence of an integrated situa-
tion within the school.
In many instances, the situ-
alton was much more than token
integration, since several white
schools reopened in September
with a Negro majority and
others had close to a balance. Ut
should be noted that go per cent
of the city's public school pupils
are Negro.)
Even more significant, to
school officials, was the fact that
some white pupils attended a
full school year at former all
Negro schools, in which they
were a small minority. Many
regard this as the ultimate chal-
lenge. Yet white pupils were
often apparently quite at ease
as small minorities in class
rooms, sometimes minorities of
only one.
Some parents told this writer
they had found such circum-
stances unobjectionable land
were quite satisfied, sometimes
to their own surprise.
Teachers Commended
The presence of Negro teach
erS in mixed or even all-White
classes also produced apparently
little active objection. Some
parents, 1t is true. made COM
plants. and in some cases pu-
pills assigned to such classes we're
withdrawn from school. But
white parents in more than one
instance voluntarily commended
colored teachers, after they had
come to know how they handled
their classes.
In secondary schools, where
more complicated adjustment
problems were anticipated, most
students apparently accepted the
changes with equal composure.
Many demonstrated a favorable
attitude by electing colored chill
dren to student councils, class
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