Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-01-05
TEXT OF CORNING COMMENTS
Superintendent Replies
To Suggested Changes

Fo|ioWino is The tcrt OF com
rl'Rts bp School Supt. Hobart
u, Corning on specific pro-
p0&G}S made bg the DGuiS sub
committee tuh;ch Investigated
District school Indignation.
The report of the committee
records several recommendation.
which are as follows:
Liberalization of present
student transfer policies in order
to permit children to be moved
from one school to another II
accordance With the needs of The
child and the desires of the
parents"
IS has been previously re.
ported. many individual pupil;
have been transferred to school,
outside the areas in which they
live when their best interests
have been involved. A more lib.
eral boundary policy would. Of
course. apply to the enrolment.
of both colored and white stu
dents and would leave the admin.
istration without adequate con.
troll of total enrolment in any
school.
,. The creation of separate
continuation. and trade school:
for pupils OF low mental ability
incapable Of achieving at the
hiqh school level.
Plans have been formulated tC
establish a city-"ide scnool fol
boys who need snoD-centere6
type Of program and conSidera.
ton is being given to the estab-
lisllment of similar school fol-
girls.
3. The establishment Of
separate schools. with adequate
ly trained personnel, for the
housing and teaching of atypi.
cal students. J."
Presently children designated
as atypical are assigned to spe-
cial classes within their owr
schools. 1t would not be to The
best interest of the children Il
concentrate all such classes ir
separate buildings. These chill
dren should not be deprived o.
the opportunity of association
with more able children.
School for DslinquentS
4. The establishment OF 6
separate training school for the
housing and teaching of chron-
ic delinouents and incorrigible
students"
The establishment of such an
institution would involve the
Welfare Department and the
court rather than the schools.
5. Modification of the pres
ent school-attendance laws. SC
as to confer upon school officials
greater latitude in their author
ity to deal with individual prob
lem cases"
While it NAV be desirablc that
the schools have authority 10
exclude students, it nevertheless
must be borne in mind that such
exclusions result in students
being turned loose on the streets
with the greater likelihood that
they will become serious burdens
on society.
6. THE maintenance OF rec
ords. statistical data, and other
official information relating to
the operation Of the District OF
Columbia Schools by sex and
race"
Under existing beard policy, a
racial count is taken in October
of each year The superintend-
ent questions the need for any
further racial records. 1t is be-
lieved that practices in other
cities where schools are inte-
grated do not include the keep
ing of racial. religious, or polit-
ical statistics.
I. The creation Of a high
standard, city-wide. technical
high school"
AS one Of the first steps in the
desegregation program. the
Board OF Education began the
merger of the Armstrong and
Mckinley Technical High
Schools and announced its in
tention Of seeking appropriation
to remodel the Mckinley build
ing. That appropriation he
been secured and the work II