The record-union., 1899-07-11
TEACHERS THRONC
LOS ANGELES,
Continued from First Page.)

| Continued from First Page)
New York movement is being repeated
A wholly admirable plan of reform has
been outlined and formally proposed
and it has met with defeat at the
hands Of those who have most to gain
| from it's adoption. 1t will be brought
| forward again, and perhaps be again
defeated. 1t will be brought forward
third time, and then the fight will
be won. When the modern, scientifl-
cally ordered system is in operation,
those who are now resisting it so
stoutly will marvel at the strength of
the Illusion which influenced them in
SO doing In my judgment the report
OF the Educational Commission Of
the city of Chicago is the most ex-
haustive and the most authoritative
contribution that has been made to the
literature of city school administration,
and is the one quite indispensable book
of reference on the subject I regard
its conclusions and recommendations
as almost unassailable, whether viewed
from the standpoint of theory or from
that of practice. 1t is a model of
painstaking study and of scientific
method. That it bears. as the first
signature attached to it, that of Il
member of this council is a source of
pride to us all.
I'm this movement for the improve
ment Of the conditions attending mu-
nicipal school administration, it seems
to me that two serious departures have
been made from sound principles; and
I am bold enough to predict that, un-
less corrected, their practical working
will in time prove disastrous. One of
these departures is that contained in
the law governing the city of Milwau-
kee, by the provisions of which the ap-
pointment of members of the School
Board is intrusted to bipartisan COM
mission of four. who are in turn
named by the Mayor This is, on the
face, device for devolving the power
of designating members of the School
Board upon a semi-judicial body re-
moved one stage from the heated con-
troversies of party politics. In reality,
however, it interposes an authority be-
tween the School Board and the Mayor,
who alone can be held directly re-
sponsible by the voters for his School
Board appointments; and by attaching
the bipartisan principle to the consti-
Ol tnlS intermediate DOdrQ, [
suggests and rather emphasizes the
fact that party politics should be con-
sidered in making School Board ap-
pointments. The Milwaukee law has
other defects of detail, but this provis-
ion believe to be a serious departure
from sound principle, and one which
should nowhere be initiated.
1.-THE second instance which I have
in mind is contained in the new char
ter for San Francisco. soon to go into
operation. Here we find two thor
oughly bad principles combined in one
scheme, bipartisan School Board
and paid School Board, the members
of which are required by law to give
their entire time to the duties of their
Office. This is not only departure
sfrom uniform American practice, but
it is in fiat contradiction to the prin-
ciple which demands that the School
Board shall legislate< only, and that
all executive duties shall devolve upon
professional officers. The City Super
intendent is to sit in the San Francis
co School Board. as in that of New
York, without the right tc vote, but
his legitimate duties are apparently to
be divided with the paid School
Board. so that either confusion and in