Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-21
Our Schools

CLle u1SClpLlne prOplem IN ~.
C. schools, / have yet to read
one word Of praise for the
very excellent Job DR.. Han
sen, his administrators and
teachers are doing despite
these difficulties. As the
mother of three children who
are receiving a superior edu-
cation in q District public
school, I should like to bring
out the following points:
/. In the five years since
DR.. Hansen became superin-
tendent, advances have been
made that have won ma
tional recognition for him
and the d. c. school system.
Examples: Foreign languages
In the elementary grades,
the track system, the Amidon
program. and the teaching of
reading by phonics.
2. The District schools are
filled with fine teachers,
many working under condi-
tons that have caused less
dedicated teachers to leave
long ago.
3. In this city of no rep
reSentation. with wholesale
fleeing from civic problems
and responsibility to the sub
urbs, the schools have fallen
heir. by default, to many
problems not rightfully
theirs.
4. Locally the District
schools have received poor
publicity. while overcrowded
county schools continue to
live on their past regulations.
In my daughters class are
two children from Montgom-
cry County whose parents pay
tuition to send them to a
Washington school: a num-
Der Of friends who have
moved beyond the District
line have expressed q desire
to do likewise.
While we parents who rec
ognize the fine quality of
our children's education do
not make headlines with our
praise. we should like to, but
unfortunately. only criticism
rates banners. A former
teacher, I set very high
standards for my children's
education, and their school
more than measures up to
those standards.
Lillian N. KrOnstadt.
With facts developed BY
the MacCarthy Committee.
under its various handicaps,
/ have no comment. How
ever, I take exception to a
few things In his letter Of
tranSmittal:
A. Failure to publicize how
long 1t took to get the In
crease In policemen which
was asked for. In fact, by
now, several more hundred
may be needed.
B. The relatively small
number OF policemen, espe-
cially in the higher levels,
which might help give the
colored community more of
a feeling that they have
much TO be personally proud
Of.
c. The time lag between
the request for more Juven-
lie Court judges and its full
fillment and the resultant
backlog OF cases and the
slowness Of bringing young
sters TO court.
d. DR.. Hansen's repeated
requests for more classrooms,
teachers In various catego-
ries, more clerical help, coun-
selors, psychologists, and
such. and their constant de-
mails. In part, by Congress.
e. Failure, through q num-
Der Of years, by Congress. TO
pay the District all the
money which II has agreed
TO pay for Its upkeep.
With regard 10 his feeling
that indignation is almost
impossible 10 achieve, I res
pectfully differ. The list OF
places and activities, even In
the South. which have eff
fected II. II listed, would sur
prise many. Thanks, in many
cases. 10 good. competent.
forceful and understanding
leadership.
As distasteful as II may
seem. the United States can
not lead the world without q
policy OF characterization"
Of all races. In all walks Of
life.
For him. the papers. and
the United States public, I
submit that the word "in-
tegration" Is. and has been
wrongly applied and used. /
claim that Webster's Die
tionary will sustain the word
characterization" in efforts
10 achieve democracy.
Nathaniel b. Hall,
Teacher, D. c. Public Schools.