Evening star., 1955-02-11
Board Group Blocks
Study Of Corning
Reorganization Plan
By Jones G. Deone

study of the plan by the Board
Of Education.
DR.. Corning yesterday tried to
present to the school boards
personnel committee his pro-
posals for reassigning top ofl-
cialS to meet racial integration.
The proposals. made public. last
week. already are known to
board members.
The committee. in a split
vote, refused to hear the plan,
however, ordering it resubmitted
to the full board next Wednes-
day. The board will decide then
whether to receive it with names
OF without them.
wesley S. Williams. Negro
member. led the blocking action.
on which he won the backing OF
C. Melvin Sharpe, board presi-
dent.
Wants Comparisons.
Mr.. Williams said he felt the
board should consider reorgan-
ization first on its merits, with
out regard for individuals.
Among other things, he said.
Dr.. Corning ought to submit
comparisons with other cities.
81 think we should develop an
ORGANIZATION plan for the Dis
trict that shall be the best plan
for operating in this country,
Mr.. Williams said.
Robert r. Faulkner. along
with Mr.. Sharpe, indorsed Mr..
Williams stand, and both said,
after the meeting. they will back
him again next Wednesday.
Dr.. Corning himself protested
strongly, however, asserting
there we're many misunder-
standings and that he felt the
board should get the plan before
It. He said he feared he was
being placed in an impossible
situation.
Walter N. Tobriner. personnel
chairman, and Col. West A.
Hamilton supported DR.. Corning.
Lets not make ourselves
ridiculous" Col. Hamilton urged.
DR.. Margaret j. Butcher de-
clared:
II assume DR.. Corning has put
the administrators as people into
the jobs they best fit. I don't
see any point in stretching this
out" :
Mr.. Tobriner offered to let
DR.. Corning present the plan
Immediately deleting names as
he read it, but the Superintend-
ent said he would rather wait
until Wednesday.
Although most of the board
was present for the discussion.
only Mr.. Tobriner, Mr.. Williams
and Mr.. Sharpe voted yesterday.
Under committee procedure.
Rowland F. Kinks left the meet
ing early and Mrs. Frank S.
Phillips was absent.
There had been advance indi-
cations that board members
would not see eye to eye on the
reorganization. Mrs. Phillips, as
we'll as Mr.. Williams, said sew
eral days ago she was interested
IN looking thoroughly into the
present setup.
=, Strayer Report in Mind.
Both Mr.. Williams and Mr..
Sharpe carried copies Of the
1949 Strayer Report to yester-
days session. The Strayer Re-
port, prepared after an extensive
survey of the school system
headed by DR.. George D. Strayer
Of Columbia University, recon-
mended drastic reorganization
of the school administration and
Mr.. Sharpe and Mr.. Williams
have expressed interest in re-
considering its proposals.
Col. Hamilton, staunch sup
porter of DR.. Corning, who fire.
Quently has stood out for adj
ministrative independence for
the superintendent and his
aides, said yesterday he did not
see how individuals could be di-
Vorced from the reorganization
plan.
Mr.. Williams. however, took
sharp issue with this. In addi-
tion to calling for considering
the reorganization on a general
basis. instead of in terms Of in
dividuals, he said the plan
should have been brought
directly to the entire board.
rather than to a committee. He
also complained about having it
made public before being sub
mitted to board members.
Authority Questioned.
Mr.. Faulkner also asserted
LllS COlIllll1tOCC ltdO 1lO duIANOiloJ
to consider the question. Mrs.
Butcher backed Mr.. Williams to
the extent of stating that the
board should have been given a
copy of the plan last week.
Mrs. Henry A. Bartlett. presi-
dent of the Federation of
Citizens Associations. in a brief
talk before the board questioned
the boards authority to proceed
with reorganization before Con-
gress eliminates several provi-
sions in the law providing for
dual white and Negro functions.
A bill making such changes
was sent to Congress last sum-
mer but was not acted on and
has not been reintroduced as
yet. she pointed out.
DR.. Corning's plan, as so far