Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-26
School Probe Gets Call for More Money
10 Avert Staggering Relief Problem

COHthuue0 rum Flrbt rage
worth Of education for the dol
lars they spend"
Mrs. Lassalle stressed the
need. particularly Of many Of
the city's Negro children, for
more educational help.
Unprepared for Jobs
Colored children, she asserted,
cannot get jobs because they
aren't prepared. Employers don't
want them because they're not
prepared"
She told the legislators:
I'VE just have to do something
for them. to prepare them for
earning a living. Education to
me is the answer"
She also urged, in answer to
a question from Mr.. Williams.
that the schools be improved by
establishing classes for pupils on
their own level. so others on diff
ferent levels Of achievement
wouldn't be hampered. School
officials already are taking steps
in this direction, including the
establishment Of special remedial
classes.
Mr.. Williams asked whether
Mrs. Lassalle felt the present
compulsory schooling law, which
requires attendance until Is ex-
cept for children over IA who
are eligible for work permits,
should be made more flexible to
allow expulsion Of problem
pupils.
The attendance official noted
that only mentally retarded or
medically excused children can
be dropped now and said a re-
vision Of the law might be de-
|sirable.
Might Explain Point
81 think you have raised
point this committee might well
go into later the Congress
member declared.
Mrs. Lassalle pointed out that
truancy and bad behavior often
are associated, and she suggested
also that behavior problems also
tie closely with achievement
lags.
With reference to indignation
difficulties, she declared:
Il think some of the bad con-
duct came from the Illustration
|of being what they thought was
well educated and finding they
weren't
Miss Helen Mason. counselor
at Taft Junior High School.
Eighteenth and Perry streets
NE yesterday gave the COM
mittee the strongest testimony
to date that indignation has
worked out with few problems.
Miss Mason. who has been on
the faculty at Taft for 81 years,
testified that Indignation at Taft
has caused no unusual disciplin-
airy problems and that it has
brought the school "some very,
very desirable students"
nv Over so Pet. White
While white families are NOV
ing away, the school--which had
about S5 per cent colored pupils
last year-Still is more than SO
per cent white, she said.
She said the school has some
classes "a little bit below" the
schools customary scholastic
level but added she didn't know"
whether the average achieves
|ment had dropped significantly.
She said she thought it had be-
gun somewhat when the neigh
|borhood started to become COM
mercial.
1--WE all realized an adjustment
had to be made on both Sides"
she asserted. 1T was not easy"
Parents Cooperative
But she added she had found
colored parents very interested
in their children and receptive
to school policies.
II think this year we feel
things are going better than last
year. / think there's nothing
that can't be handled" she de-
|clared.
Miss Mason told the commit
tee positively, under inquiries,
that she was not concerned about
testifying freely. She complained
only about newspaper photog-
Iraphers, over whom Mr.. Williams
Informed her the committee had
no control.
Another witness, Mrs. Mary A.
Seath, temporary teacher at the
Emery Elementary School, Lin
coin road and S street Me-; reg
istered a protest against a state
ment by Wesley S. Williams,
Board Of Education member,
however. The board member has
publicly questioned the COM
Ipetence of some witnesses to
hold their jobs, and Mrs. Seath
said this concerned her, although
she did not state definitely that
she considered the matter a
threat.
Mrs. Seath testified that inte-
grafton is going better at Emery
this year than last. She said she
had 80 colored and II white pu-
pills in her fifth grade class last
year. Under the crowded con-
ditions. she said, you do the
best you can"
Some "Just Lazy"
She said some Of the pupils
were "just naturally lazy" how
lever. Asked whether she felt in
tegration was too fast. she said:
PUTTING STUDENTS
no WORK IS CHIEF