Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-10
LaneProposes
Downgradingo Of
Tagging Pupils
100 New Teachers
Won't Solve Problem,
Official Declares
BY TOM BURKE

Wholesale demotion of tagging
students was recommended today
by District Engineer Commits
sioner Thomas A. Lane as the
cure for the educational lags in
Washington's public schools.
Gen. Lane brushed aside the
demand by school officials and
PTA spokesman for an increase
of 100 teachers in the next school
year as an effort to treat the
symptoms rather than the cause
of educational lags here.
He told an audience Of more
than 100 at the District Build
ing that Negro children have
been the victims Of a segregated
system in which equal stand
ards were not maintained"
He added, 1T would appear,
therefore, that if we started the
next school year all children
placed in grades according to
the level of work which they are
prepared to pursue. more colored
children than white children
would be set back a grade OF
two"
Gen. Lane was speaker at an
education conference sponsored
by the Washington Central
Labor Union and the D. c. In
dustrial Union Council. c. Mel
win Sharpe, District Board OF
Education president, was in the
audience.
New Teachers at Issue
The District Commissioners
have remained steadfast in OPP
posing the school boards budget
request for 1870 new teachers in
the next year. The issue has
taken on major proportions in
the District budget now being
reviewed by Congress.
Gen. Lane referred to recent
news stories which he said re-
vealed that the educational lags
in the school system are at least
as great as they were in 1949.
I'VE know further that these
lags existed principally in our
Division II (Negro) school sys-
tenn" he declared. I'm the seq
regated school system, the edu-
cational lag was also segregated
and we had some uniformity of
student ability to which teach
er could address himself.
However, as consequence OF
indignation we have united in
one class students of widely vary
Ing educational standing"
Not Cruxef, Problem
Referring to the demand for
an increase Of 1870 teachers. which
he said would increase teacher
strength by five per cent, Gen.
Lane said:
"1t is my own fear that this
is only applying a poultice to a
cancerous condition; that we are
1ulling our parents into the de-
fusion that this will correct our
Ills when in fact it is not even
addressed to the heart of the
problem"
He said parents and school Of
ficials must recognized that I'VE
cannot advance so per cent OF
our school children by one OF
two years ahead of the normal
rate of progress through special
classes and other devices"
Gen. Lane said schoolteachers
should have the opportunity to
begin the school year with a
class capable of undertaking the
work of the particular class level
True, these rules of the game
are tough on students and tough
on parents" he said. IF Johnny
is not learning from a good ano
competent teacher, it is time the
parent work on Johnny and not
on the teacher. If the parent
cannot jack Johnny up to the
point where he, can make the
grade. Johnny should stay back
and try again the next year"
Gen. Lane admitted that there
could be clamor against such
an adjustment fulfill the mo-
tions) unless colored citizens
understand that this is the only
way to correct the disease which
See SCHOOLS Pare Al