Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1956-06-14
Indignation . .
CONTINUED from Page u

was ito anticipate problems that
might occur and keep the prob.
ability of an integrated school be
lore the community"
In the year before indignation
the PTA regular meetings includ
ed panel Of inter-group experts
and the principal of the nearby
Negro school
A tour of that school by white
parents was also arranged by the
PTA to let the parents see for
themselves the conditions under
which the Negro. school was con
Quoted.
Teachers Admired
Although materials of instruc
ton were found to DE equivalent,
what the parents saw in the way
of outdoor equipment, inadequate
physical plant and crowded, null
ti-grade elassrooms gave them
respect for the way in which the
Negro teachers had worked to
overcome these physical disad-
vantages and for the obviously
good relationship they had built
up between themselves and the
children"
AS a result, after full discus.
sion of the problem with all points
of view expressed, the PTA mem.
bership went on record with an
overwhelming majority voting
for early desegregation in Mont
gomery County.
The forbearance of the parents
whose views did not coincide with
the Supreme Courts decision has
been recognized with praise that
"by subordinating their views in
the interest of their children's
welfare, these parents have made
a very special contribution to the
smooth working of this years
school program"
In School B, the parents against
migration have not shown any
open opposition since the school
year began. However their CON
tinued interest as to whether Ne.
fro children will be assigned here
next year seems to indicate an un-
changing attitude.
Negro Children Welcomed
The parents in favor of inte-
grafton have gone out of their
way to cooperate with the prin-
cipal and to welcome the Negro
children and their parents.
School A asked and was grant
ed transfer OF the Negro prin-
cipal and one of her teachers
after the Negro school closed to
ease the transplanting of the Ne
gro children to the white school
This the PTA feels has been
one of the important factors in
Tho. successful conduct of an in
tegrated program whereas School
b was assigned no Negro teach
ers.
Another big difference in the
two chools is that School AS
population before indignation al
ready represented a wide VARIETY
of cultural and economic back.
grounds.
Good Homes Here
A number of the Negro chill
dren in this area live in decent
homes in a federal housing devel.
opment and their fathers have
steady Jobs at a nearby govern
ment installation.
On the other hand, the eco.
nomic contrast of home condi-
tions at School B s unfortunate:
the white children in the major
ity coming from upper middle
class homes and the Negro chill
dren from one of the worst Stun
areas in the county.
Both schools report that there
is room for Improvement in the
area of cooperation by the NEGRO
parents. School A feels that this
may be caused by the number OF
working parents and noints out
that there IS little difference be
tween this years attendance al
PTA MEETINGS and previous ones
However the socio-economic diff
ferences may be RESPONSIBLE for
theg reater participation in School
AS PTA by the Negro parents
than at School B.
Negroes in PTA
At School A. out of eight PTA
committees, four each have one
Negro parent serving and in a
fifth case the representation is
two parents.
At School B. none are on com
mittees; all attended the first
PTA meeting, one came to the
second and none to the last meet
ing. Although the Negro par
ents bought tickets to the one so
cial function, none of them at
tended.
One point Of similarity is tina