The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-08
The Washington Board of Educntion
The District appropriation bill as re-
ported to the Senate provides for Wash
ington Board of Education. as follows:

ington Board of Education, as follows:
The President OF the United States Is hereby
authorized nominate and by and with the ad-
vice and consent OF the Senate 10 appoint seven
persons bona fide residents and taxpayers OF the
District Of Columbia, and who have been such
for five years Immediately preceding their ap-
pointment who shall constitute Board OF Edu-
Iecation and whose term OF Office shall be seven
years except that the terms Of the persons first
Z appointed snail terminate follows: One each
wear to be determined by lot among the seven
members Of the board first appointed
This, as will be easily seen, provides
that those who are responsible for the
management of the public schools shall be
persons to some extent Identified with
Washington. In almost any other place it
would be a foregone conclusion that the
members OF the school board should lie
voters, taxpayers, and permanent resi-
dents. In this city it has been by no means
a matter of course. large proportion Of
the wealthy and influential people Of the
District are not identified with the in
terests of Washington 5ut look upon some
other place as thei. ZONE, and take COM
paratively little interest in the develop
ment of the Capila. This lack of inter
est is natural but it is not well for the
municipal governm mt particularly for the
schools which can nly be made thorough
~ good and effective educational agents
By continued and determined effort on the
part Of those responsible for the appoint
ment Of teachers and the arrangement of
courses OF study.
By the provisions OF this bill, mont tax
payers. people who vote in ether States.
and office holders whose residence here is
temporary in the nature OF things, are
barred from appointment. The school
board will thus be made up of profess
sional men, merchants. or others who rep
resent the permanent residents of the city
people who expect TO spend their lives
here and educate their children in the pub
lie schools. This change cannot fail to be
beneficial.
II may also be noted that one new ap-
pointment will be made each year, 20
that the board may be entirely changed
every seven years; and this. also, is god,
since it will prevent one person or faction
securing such a hold on the schools that
they will become a private preserve for
special hobbies, or a plum orchard for the
friends of those in power This latter
danger is one OF the most serious which
can be feared for the public schools of any
city 1t may be said without exaggeratiou
that in three-fourths of the cities OF the
United States political pull governs, more
or less. the appointments OF teachers. and
that even where this evil is escaped. the
adoption OF educational fads. at the in
stance of persons in power, results in
overworked instructors and half taught
children.
Such mistakes have been made in Wash
ington, and have been allowed to 60 IN
noticed, partly through indifference and
partly because those interested in the mat
ter bad not the power to make any change.