The Washington times., 1895-06-19
Organization Of fho
School Sgot0m
FACTS AND FIGURES OF INTER-
EST TO THE PUBLIC.
System of Supervision, Sala-
ries Paid, Roster of Off
cials and Other Details.

lyon must discriminate, separate, classify;
you must 60 into detail: you must say, how did
this come and how did that come.
Joseph Parker
VI HE schools OF the District of Columbia
are supported by appropriations
made by Congress, one-half OF the
amount being taken from the United
States Treasury. while the other half is de
rived from taxation on the property Of the
inhabitants Of the District.
The schools are primarily under the con-
troll of the Commissioners of the District of
Columbia, but are under the immediate
control OF a Board of Trustees appointed
by the Commissioners for this purpose
The District is at present divided into eleven
districts, over each of which trustee IS
in control, therefore there are eleven mem
bers OF the Board OF Trustees, two OF whom
are women. The schools of the District
are managed by the Board Of Trustees as
unit.
Besides appointing the trustees the Com
missioners appoint two supeTlntcndents, one
who superintends the white schools OF the
city proper, and both the white aud Cciored
schools OF the District lying outside OF the
city, and another who sGperintends the col
ored schools of the city only
The white superintendent has eight super
vising principals assisting him, who are
practically assistant superintcntants, each
OF whom is i'll immediate charge or the
schools of a division. These divisions
average about scYenty-nine schools, being
nearly even in number Besides this super
vision there is n supervisor of primary IN
structicn for the first three grades OF
school, who has an assistant in the WORK.
The special teachers of music, ORA aElnS,
physical culture, are practically assistant
superintcndents in their special lines, as
the teachers OF the schools do nearly all
the teaching in these special branches.
Besides these there are directors OF manual
training cooking and sewing. who DO some
teaching, bat whose time is largely de
voted to supervision.
Beyond the supervision named above
there is no superintendent of schools, as
the principals of buildings teach fun schools
without assistance, having 10 response
biIity for the instruction for the other
schools taught in their respective DHlid-
inps In like manner the schools or the
other divisions, the coloTed schools, are
managed, there being three supervising
principals, who are, as said be fore,
practically assistant superintcGdents. In
addition to these there are the special
teachers and the directors of the special
studies corresponding to those III the
schools of the first eight divisions.
From the foregoing it VIII be seen that
since there is no supervision exercised
over instruction by the principals Of schools
there is relatively a small amount of super
vision compared with those cities in which
the principals of schools devote large
mart or most OF their time 10 superntend-
ING or directing the instruction IN their
respective schools. The supervision OF
schools in Washington, therefore, costs
much less relatively, than IN most cIlleS
of its size and larger cities, being IN the
neighborhood OF 81 per pupil.
The number OF grades below tie high
school is IiIne, two years being allowed IN
which to- accomplish the eighth grade
work, with the privilege being granted
for its accomplishment in one year More
than hall OF the pupils who enter lhe ele lI'H
grade accomplish the course in one year.
TIN. schools are taught in three dIVlslOhs
in the first grade, and in two DIVISIONS IN
ali other grades, the teachers above tne
first grade. being allowed TO divide their
schools into three or more sections II lheS
desire to do So Many teachers thus Oh J.
yirf. their schools The divisions are mace
on the basis of attainments ana ablll'y,
changing their membership at any ana an
times as pupils progress or ran TO 10 'ue
work assigned. The promOtionsfTom grade
to grade are nomnally as easy as from one
division To another within the grades.
P racticaly. because teachers are not
sufficiently acquainted with the grades
above ard below their own WORK, the pu-
nils do not pass as readily from grade 10
Grade as they do from divisions within the
grades. !,
Teachers are advised and urged to do
individual teaching rather than class teach-
ing. and the requirements of the course OF
instruction and the conditions for promotion
are such that the teachers are enabled TO
teach on broad lines, and thus give the IN
dividual opportunity to employ hls time
and talents to advantage within his di-
1-isior or Grade if be is not transferred at
once. There is little or no marking time by
the pupil.