National Republican., 1886-03-12
SCHOOL BOARD CHANGES.
Gen. Birney's Resignation and the Per-
tinent Suggestions Accompanying it.

NNhs AAh''J hkhttbhNh "AN 'sAS NA
tinent Suggestions Accompanying It.
The following is the letter Of School
Trustee Birney to the commissioners ten
dering his resignation, which was yesterday
accepted;
wAsHrGrRoN, March 10, lssG-To THE DIS.
TRtCT COMMIssIONERS-GC Gentlemen! In common
with some,of my. colleagues on the board of
ganizaton Of that body in the interest of har.
mony not only desirable but necessary. Any
doubts may have had on this point were re.
moved by an unpleasant episode in last even
join them, therefore, in reslgnIng office.
Lest this step may be misinterpreted into
condemnation of your recently submitted sug'
gestions for the future operations Of the board,
allow me to compare them briefly with the
provisions OF the bill, which is now, pressed
scns the only other plan besides yours.
The leading features Of the latter are:
q The b6nrd to appoint and remove super.
intendents, teachers, and employees at pleas
ure;" to prescribe all books; to control loca-
tions and plans of buildings and the contracts
for their efection to approve or disapprove all
bills and accounts; In effect, to manage all
temporalites of the school system.
3. The trustees to serve without salary; to
give no bonds and to furnish no suretics.
The twenty-four men would have coDllded
TO them the management of real estate worth
worth between 100000 and 100000 and the
control of contracts aggregating about 100000.
They would have the power to appoint aud
G6s Soq Sst T %sS eo9d O bc
found to devote their time and attention with
out compensation TO this. extensive, and COM
plicated real estate and financial business.
Whether they would understand thoroughly
educational MS well as business methods Is not
so clear. And y Is not likely that teachers
would fancy being without contracts and being
subject TO dismissal "at pleasure even by
board of twenty.iour.
The scheme appears to me to be based on no
preperprinciple eofadminstration. Before trying
Il on our school system, should preferseeing Its
working In one ofthc government departments.
Let Congress put the control OF all contracts
for army or navy supplies for five years into
the hands OF twenty.iour unbonded and IRE.
RpOnsible civilians, serving "without cOmpen.
sation." If that experiment on human prob.
ioconsider It's application to our schools
iourplan strikes me eas founded OH principles
recognized as sound.
Its leading features are:
!. The application of the civil service prn-
ciple In the selection of all teachers and en-
2. Strict accountability for property, with
bonded and salaried.onicer in charge to inspect
buildings, &C., supervise janitors, issue sup.
plies, and keep accounts and inventories.
3. The commissioners to control fiscal affairs
and keep expenses within appropriations.
The faithful carrying out of this plan makes
impracticablo the exercise of patronage,
whether by commissioners or trustees II
offers the best guarantees for the employment
Of professionally trained and competent
teachers. II allows OF contracts which places
the danger of removal "St pleasure by arbi.
trary orders. II relieves trustees from the
annoyance of petty details of business relating
ceipts for articles they never received; and it
permits them to give their attention to the
care and management of schools. II protects
fciai bonds for excesses t Of contacts over up.
propriations; and the teachers from forced re-