New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-25
SCHOOL TRUSTEE PROBLEM.
THE TWO PROPOSED BILLS BEFORE A
JOINT COMMITTEE AT ALBANY TO-DAY.
THEY DIFFER WIDELY IN TIErE PROVISIONS
COMMISSIONERS PRENTIss AND PEAsLEE

No he fun mr.
p,yey- Austin bnl-are TO come before the 'o'''
tees on cities OF both the House and Senate AT Al
hany at q Joint sitting to-day and there j. Ne'.
bc n lively discussion as the provisions o. 'he '"o
hills diro- widely especially with respect 10 ''e 00"-
tnuancc o. the present trustee system
In spcakng OF the relative merits or the pfoPo"
bills School Commissioner Nathan'ei a. -
said Yesterday In considering school reform ieE'S
Iiton 1t Is best to first. what reforms are
I'm tho present system. and. second whe'"e' IN
proposed bills effect those reforms Inc P'''- P
evils OF the present system are;
..First-The cumbersome method OF making repa'i9
70 the schools with the concomitant delay IN paying
contractors and workmon for their WORK
'sccond-Thc appointment OF principals anu
teachers by many different bodies of trustees "no
rs a rule are not by training the best coirie'o'' ~
fudge OF the qualifications OF teachers vi "'' '
Of systems OF instruction, ana -,
'sThird-The large opportunities anoTGed LOT TIC
distribution Of contracts and appointments do 20"
tronage for political purposes.
REPAIRS INITIATED BY THE TRUSIEho'
"Flrst-In regard to repairs and supplies; All re,
poirs above a certain small amount must be lhi'id'eu
by a Board of Trustees who petition the l'oaru oi
Education for leave make the contract they 'ie"
make the contract and the contract Is thereafter
approved by the Board. necessitatlng oi'en'ii"e9
weeks and months of delay. ana inns uelaE y i'
heated when it comes to the matter OF payment 10Y
the work through similar process OF Inspection
md approyal the bill of the contractor being sent
from the trustees to the Board and back BECAUSE
OF this red tape delay in making the payment
almost unavoidable. even with the best intentions
md diligence of the trustees and of the Schoo! board
''SecOnd-As TO ttle appointment OF principals anu
,e,chers. Roth classes of appointments are pracu-
c,uv under the control Of the Boards Of Trustees
the appointment OF teachers being soieiy III me-
charge and that of principals. although hohinA',s
mace by the Board OF Education can only pe 'naue
after nomination by the trustees. so that no 'ha,
l,ia ma
Roard Of Education or the City Superintendent MA!
wish to appoint him as principal ne caliio DC "p
pointed unless the Board OF Trustees OF the ""iu
first send in his for the position. ne MUS
that can be said is that the Board OF Ecuo'.'o'
can prevent the appointment Of a notorousiy ID"
,rincIpal but cannot under ordinary circumstances
secure the appointment Of a man OF pronounced eN
oellence unless the Board of Trustees consent:
'Thlrd-What opportunities there are 10 maze use
for political purposes of these appointments anu
,bese contracts for repairs and supplies is apparent
nj q glance But the magnitude of the danger ap-
pears more fully when 1t is considered that last year
The number OF new appointments OF teachers VI
principals exclusive OF promotions amounted 10
about Sio and involved payment OF salaries
amounting 10 over slG2.o0o The money value oi
contracts entered into by various Boards OF Irus-
tees for work. repairs, supplies etc. aHou''eu ~
nearly 1925 OOO OF which about $'V'WV ma! pe ga
,,endel by the trustees without first obtaining 'He
sanction OF the Beard of Education The promise
Of an appointment of some female relative 10 d
teachers position with salary OF S0V or sVoo
year or more. the awarding of prohtaoe con-
tract 10 a political adheront may be maze the heds
O: political advancement by a trustee III case any
unworthy man should happen TO occupy that oAice
NOT REMEDIED BY THE STRAUSS BILL"
"Al the above defects seem to centre around the
ward trustee system, and none Of them are remeded
by the so-called Strauss bill. which leaves the trus
tees with powers substantially as at present. whie
81 ne ,ry doubles the number. But Few important
changes proposed by this bill. and each one OF
those is OF doubtful advantage. For example 'his
bill seeks 10 redistrict the city, thereby equa-zhs'
20 far as possible. the number OF schools IN chase
OF the different Boards OF Trustees While this
proposed equalization is distinct advantage 'pfo-
yided the trustees 10 reman) II is more IMAM o
set by the fact that the bill proposes 10 increase
the number Of trustees from l20 TO at least 2 with
out in any way diminishing their present powers
Again the Strauss bill enables the Board of Educa-
ton TO initiate repairs but still leaves the Ike power
! concurrent In the hands of the trustees VINO mus
could, and It is fair perhaps to assume that tiey
would. anticipate any action of the Board OF ECU
cation in that behalf thus still retaining controi
sf the contracts for this branch OF the work.
Again the Strauss bill proposes to establish
eligible lists of principals and teachers; but TINS
system has already been inaugurated and TO some
extent carried under the present law IL Is
claimed by some that the establishment OF eligible
lists under the present school laws is not author-
ICED but a very cursory examination CT the law VIII
convince any that the general power OF the
Board TO conduct the educational work ana pre-
scribe by laws therefor is broad enough TO cover
this point Ii may be well 10 say here. however,
that even an eligible list will not necessarily take
away from the boards of trustees power TO appoint
teachers or principals inasmuch as there is nothing
10 prevent their appointing any one on the ehgiDie
list no matter how recently his or her name mas
been added thereto In case for any reason they
do not wish to appoint any one on the llst they
teen added TO IT, in the mean time holding open
the vacancy for such appointment by means OF
substitutes.
again the proposed BIZ takes away from in
spec,ors the power 10 audit bills for certain work
While this TO extent makes the system Oh
auditing and paying bills less cumbersome, II is
claimed by some that while the power TO contract
for the work is left to the trustees. the existence
of an independent body of inspectors TO examine
such work and audit the bills may in some IN
stances be healthy countercheck
OBJECTIONS TO PAvEY BILL ANSWERED.
THAT most II not all. OF the above evils could
ba removed by abolishing boards Of trustees as
proposed by the other BILL introduced in the Legs-
lature under the auspices OF the CITY CUB there IS
no doubt The two objections most strongly urged
against this latter bill, first. that by aDohshhg 'he
hoaras of trustees all the political and other power
would be out into the hands or the Board OF Euu-
ca,,on thus changing the location Of political IN
orouce without removing it. and. second. that the
existence OF trustees is useful element IN keep
,u,, tho neople in touch with the schools VII!
hardly bear serious examination. ... $50.
.Isor in case OF the abolition OF the trustee s!s-
,o,a a. ia not proposed to put the powers OF i.e
's,ees solely in the hands OF the Board OF hnn,
Gallon bu; 10 ntrust the charge Oh tne ma ,
srairs NJ the schools-e g.. repairs supphes, e|'
W. The Superintendent OF Buildings ana corps o'
70 tsv 70 be increased necessity REQUIRES
~ -, in r,is the pedagogical part or the system
a. the city Superintendent and IKE corps Oh ats
.ts,an.s with the power OF revision Oh thc a.
~ these superntendents vested In the boatu ,, oi
Tancafion in the nature of an appellate )Hrsuic'
~ a Slight increase in he number OF these
snncr,ntendents and by such increase IN tne.,
.aiaries as would command the services OF thh.u
sd,cators In the one branch and trained archiec,s
in he of he