Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-04
Schools Plan
Gets Backing Of
PTA Groups
Adoption Urged
For $40 Million,
5-Yeur Project
By JAMES G. DEANE

Spirited support for School
Supt. Hobart M. Corning's $40
million school construction plan
has been registered by District
parents.
Spokesman for the city's PTAs
lined up solidly at a hearing last
night for the Corning proposed
five-year school expansion pro-
gram based on borrowing.
Witnesses repeatedly attacked
present District pay-as-you-go
school construction, complaining
1t is not remedying overcrowd-
ing. The session heard charges
that the District Commissioners.
and Congress. have been tight
listed and "pussyfooting" on
school financing.
There was also unfavorable
comment on a recent suggestion
by Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Lane,
Engineer Commissioner, report
eddy in the nature of a trial bal
loon-that the city hire teacher
aides to make classes larger and
avoid new construction.
Involves Larger Rooms
Russell N. Shoemaker, legis-
lative chairman of the District
Congress of Parents and Teach
ers, said the aide plan. would
require building larger class
rooms. Mrs. Henry Munroe, pres
ident Of the League of Women
Voters, said her organization
would vigorously oppose such a
plan.
Later, DR.. Ellis o. Haworth, a
representative of the Janney
IPTA and American University
Park Citizens Association and a
professor at District Teachers
College, was applauded when he
declared:
TITS the prerogative of the
Board of Education to determine
teaching procedures, class size
and SO on. and not to allow the
District Commissioners to as
sumo that prerogative."
The hearing was attended by
more than 100 persons repre-
senting various parent and civic
groups. The session was called
by the Board of Education.
which is slated to consider the
Corning plan December 10.
Pressure Demanded
Mr.. Shoemaker led the long
procession Of PTA leaders who
ATTACKED present financing and
demanded strong pressure on the
commissioners and Congress for
1.-THE new plan.
| The PTA legislative chairman
lcalled school construction under
the present city works program
tagging and grossly inadequate. /"
He opposed as ''unthinkable" a
IpropoSal-also made by Com
missioner Lane-that the Corn
ing plan be held up for a restudy
of the entire works program.
John B. Gillilland, PTA con-
gress president, also promised
IPTA support for the school pro-
Iposal. He said he disagreed with
assertions that it would put the
city ION a big spending spree. :"
Several projects in the Corning
plan also won special indorse-
Iment. Witnesses backed proposed
construction of a new teachers
college, a consolidated vocational
high school, and remodeling Of
Armstrong High School as a new
'occupational school.
Student Voices Plea
Among those urging replace
ment of the present two teach
ers' college buildings was
Thomas Held. 19-year-old
sophomore class chairman at
the college, who declared:
/ Remember, We are future
teachers and taxpayers. Many
students are taxpayers now"
Mr.. Gillilland Endorsed plan
to build a new central school
administration building.
Mrs. Max j. Fischer, a parent
from the Oyster Elementary
School. was the witnes; who
leveled the charge Of pussy
footing" on past school
financing.
She complained that the city's
children ARE growing up" as
serting:
IF We fool around too long.
they'll be gone and it'll be too
late to do anything about IT,"
Louis J. Perlstein Of the Keene
PTA declared that projects
needed several years ago hadn't
been taken care Of because of the
"tight-hsted policy" d the Com
missioners and Congress. Mrs.
Jack Gottsegen, representing the
National Council Of Jewish
Women, said growing children
cannot mark time and wait for
adequate classroom space"