Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-03

nomic status and learning abil-
lily go hand in hand. Miss
Margaret Moore, principal of
one school, H. D. Cooke Ele-
mentary at Seventeenth and
Euclid streets NV, testified
there was no real difference be-
tween the scholastic perform
ance of her pupils when they
were all white the year before
Indignation and somewhat over
SO per cent Negro last year.
White achievement has been de-
Ginning with the neighborhood,
she said.
A substantial proportion of
the witnesSes-the count was a
dozen out of the 53-said they
felt the impact of indignation
would have been eased if it had
moved more slowly. The range
of opinions as to how much too
quickly it was carried out ranged
from "a little" suggested by
Principal Wilmer F. Bennett of
Hine Junior High School, to
very precipitate" by Miss Edith
Kelleher, who recently retired
because of age (70) and arthritis
from teaching at the Blair Ele-
mentary School, street near
Sixth Sc.
Preparation Lack Cited
/ Most of these witnesses said
they felt there should have been
more advance preparation. But
several volunteered that they
accepted the Supreme Courts
anti-segregation ruling as
right"
| DR.. Corning and other top Of
flcials, as we'll as several princi-
pals. testified they didn't know
how indignation could have been
STAYED off. because of crowding
/ in colored schools and relative
Iunder-enrollment in white, and
resulting community tensions.
DR.. Corning pointed out that 20
white schools had been trans
Iferred to colored children in the
period just prior to the Supreme
Court ruling, and that more
transfers would have had to &C.
cur except for indignation.
Several principals, although
not DR.. Corning, predicted it
might take five to 10 years to
get the school system back to
normal" DR.. Corning said it
wouldn't take that long, provided
the schools were given enough
money.
There was much testimony to
the effect that heavy indignation
and a white exodus from the
affected neighborhoods seem to
be going hand in hand. Some
witnesses indicated, under ques-
tioning, that they wouldn't be
surprised if this trend eventually
restored segregation to some
schools again.
Influx From South Blamed
Some witnesses blamed part of
the city's scholastic problems on
an influx of poorly prepared
youngsters from the South. Miss
Helen Mason, veteran counselor
at the recently integrated Taft
Junior High School, Eighteenth
and Perry streets NE, said this
was one of the few problems at
her smooth-running school. DR..
Corning and Miss Edith A. Lyons.
assistant superintendent in
charge of elementary schools and
former official of the colored
division. also cited this factor.
Under persistent questioning,
there was detailed testimony
about disciplinary difficulties.
ranging from petty classroom
and hallway misbehavior to seri-
Gus cases of emotional malad-
justment. Some principals said
colored pupils were more often
truant or tardy. There was testi-
mony about obscene language
and scribbling, Objectionable
touching of girls by boys in
corridors, petty thefts, and a few
instances of fights, including two
or three involving knives.
Mrs. Elva C. Wells, principal
OF Roosevelt High School, Thir-
tenth and Upshur streets NV.
told OF "antagonism" on the part
OF colored girls, who stepped on
the heels of white girls in the
corridor.
Calls Lapses "SmalI Things"
But Mrs. Wells. giving a list Of
such behavior lapses, labeled
them small things" and told
the interrogators that "as far
as the discipline and the other
things we have been talking
about. would like almost to
disregard it and would like to
dwell on the problem which to
me is important, and that is the
education Of the children of high
school age
There was also testimony from
Mr.. Bennett. the Hine Junior
High principal. and from Prin-
cipal Arthur Storey Of Macfar-
land Junior High School, next
TO Roosevelt, that some of the
disciplinary difficulty at Mac
farland and Hine was caused
not by students but by loiterers
Mr.. Storey testified that he
had called police some so times
last year. But he. and later Mrs.
Myrtle T. McKnew. the schools
counselor, stressed that the calls
were usually precautionary. In
most cases, Mrs. McKnew said,
nothing happened. and she
added that she felt things we're
improving this year.
The inquiry ELECTED voluminous
testimony regarding achievement
problems and the reasons for
them. Mr.. Gerber introduced test
scores showing many colored
pupils averaging three. four and
i've years below grade level.
Some teachers said they felt Gus