Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-05

DR.. Corning yesterday reject
airy rules and set up separate
dren. He also ruled out a retur
illegal and asserting it would
cause chaotic upheaval' in the
schools.
The school superintendent
also accused the Davis group of
ignoring his testimony at its
public hearings. He pointed to
his plea at the hearings for more
teachers. supervisors and other
school improvements. and for
more generous financial support
In general.
DR.. Corning made his COM
ments in an eight-page report to
the board Of education. Most
board members already have
voiced public opposition to the
Davis proposals.
The Davis recommendations
were made by Representatives
Davis of Georgia, Williams OF
Mississippi and Jones of North
Carolina, Democrats, and Broy-
hill of Virginia, Republican
Representatives Miller of Me-
braska and Hyde of Maryland
dissented.
Denies Move TOO Rapid"
The school chief fatty denied
an assertion by the Davis unit
that District Indignation has
been too rapid. He said there
are still many unsolved prob
lems." but he declared that
progress is being made in the
solution of these problems.
He also said. in effect, that
the city schools had no prac-
tical alternative but to integrate
in the fashion they did soon
after the Supreme Courts anti
segregation ruling in 1854.
School officials, DR.. Corning
said, worked on indignation plans
for two years before the court
ruling. consulting the experience
Of other school systems and
bringing in nationally recognized
experts.
He also noted that teachers
and other school personnel at
tended series of workshops and
carried on other studies by way
of preparation. The views OF
civic groups also were obtained
he added.
DR.. Corning characterized the
Districts indignation program
as a "middle-of- the road" plan
which he said was actually
somewhat gradual"
Procedures Cited
Instead Of reassigning all stu
dents, his report noted, the plan
allowed them to stay in schools
they were attending in 1854 until
promotion or graduation.
A special hardship committee
also has functioned continuously
since indignation to hear paren-
tai requests for special transfers
and under this procedure many
children have been allowed to
attend schools outside the bound
aries within which they live, he
said. The report did not give any
number.
DR.. Corning pointed out that
the school system. just prior tc
Indignation, had been subjected
to controversy. dissatisfaction
and unrest" because of pressure
| to transfer "half-filled" white
schools to colored pupils housed
in overcrowded ones.
Twenty-one schools were
transferred in the last severa
years before the courts ruling
and several more would have hac
to be similarly transferred il
segregation had not been aban-
doned, he said. He also asserted
That it would have been necessary
to take many teacher salaries
away from the city's white
schools.
Eight lawsuits were pending
against the school board. ano
more could have been expected
| If action had not been taken
the superintendent said.
DR.. Corning also said no one
proposed a more gradual inte-
grafton program which would
be practical"
A plan to integrate only q
grade at a time. which would
have taken Is years. would
have resulted in prolonged. con.