Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-27
ITS FINAL MEETING
District Board Of School Trustees
Adjourns Sine Die.
SUPERINTENDENT POWELL'S DEFENSE
Explanation of the Methods En-
ployed During His Term.
INDORSED BY THE BOARD

The board of trustees of the Washington
public schools. as at present organized, held
its last meeting at tie Franklin building
last evening, and adjourned sine die. In
accordance with legislation enacted at the
last session of Congress the public school
system of the District will be reorganized
on an entirely new basis the LIST instant.
with q new board of management and prin-
cipal executive officers in charge. If Gus
tom had been followed the appointment of
school officers. including superintendent,
supervising principals. teachers and jani-
tors to serve during the next school year,
would have been selected and announced
a. the meeting of the trustees held last
ev. ming.
The two civilian Commissioners Of the
District were consulted by several of the
school trustees as to the proper course OF
action with regard 20 these appointments.
Commissioner Ross favored an adherence TO
the custom of making the appointments at
the last meeting in June. Commissioner
Mcfarland held that it would he better to
leave the question of appointments 10 the
iii, onlins board of education In view of
their anomalous position. and the fact that
Commissioner Macfarland has special juris-
d;ction over the public schools the trustees
concluded to follow his advice and leave
q
of their SUCCESSORS.
The meeting, was attended by Messrs.
Barnard. Wilson. Harries. Hazen. Brown.
Wright and Richardson, Mrs. Tulloch and
Mrs Francis The absentccs were Messrs.
WEelpley and Spear. In the absence of
the president of the board, Mr.. Wilson act
ed as chairman.
Medical SOciety's Avo~al.
The secretary read a communication from
DR.. F. d. Morgan. secretary of the Medical
Society of the District. inclcsing a copy of
resolutions recently adopted by that soci-
ETY. assuming full responsibility for the
physical examination of public school chill
dren to determine the effect of school life
on health. and expressing regret that the
authorities had terminated the investiga-
ton before its completion These reSOu-
tions have been already published in The
Star.
The resignation of Miss Emily Devlin,
teacher of sixth grade III the sixth divi-
sion. was received and accepted.
a communication was received from the
District Commissioners referring to the
board for action the report OF the police
authorities in the case of Frank Marden.
janitor of the johnson School. 1t appears
that Mardea was arrested for being drunk
and for insulting a citizen. and that as a
consequence his commission a special
policeman had been revoked.
Mr.. Barnard said that in view of the &C
ton of the police authorities. he thought
'ldTti'U SHOULD Ut. IlS'illSStu from his posi-
ton janitor. He made motion TO that
effect and ii was adopted
Mr.. Wilson said that. as trustee. he had
made partial investigation of complaints
recently made about dis rrderly boys at the
Grant School. and would make repor; TO
the Commissioners the subject in few
days. Mr.. Ryder. principal OF the school,
had Informed him that he had been unabl.
50 far to identify any "f Inc hoy, reapan-
sib!e for the alleged disorders.
superintendent POweII's Statement.
Under the cal for reports from supern-
tendents Mr.. Powell read, to the board a
statement of the system of teaching follow
ed during his administration as supern-
tendent during the past fifteen years.
MIR. Powell said:
IN view of the charges that have been
recently made against the attainments of
the pupils in the graded schools of Wash
il gtor and also against the course of in
struction pursued in those schools laid
out by the superintendent and adopted by
the board of school trustees. brief state
ment of the character, purpose and working
Of the course seems to be appropriate at
this time.
"A written examination shows but small
fraction of what the school has done for
the child. This remark has peculiar sig
niticarce in the present case because the
pupils of our schools have not for fourteen
years been examined by the authorities to
determine their fitness for promotion. They
were never especially prepared in their
school lives for an examination. They have,
ii is true, been examined by their teachers.
some of them may have been examined by
their supervisors. Examinations, however,
were to determine the value of the super
vision or the teaching rather than to deter
mine the fitness Of the children for promo
ton.
I'VE have believed in Washington that an
examination does not show the fitness of
child for promotion. We believe that the
teacher who has taught a child for a num-
Der of months or a year knows better than
can be shown by an examination whether or
not child is prepared for promotion, or
whether or not he should remain where he
is be sent to a lower grade. Every
teacher knows that he who passes the poor
est examination may be the one who is best
fitted to proceed to a higher grade For
fourteen years the teacher has been told
that in promoting his children he must con-
slider the welfare of the child rather than
the standing of the teacher or the school.
If in the Judgment of the teacher the inter
ests Of the child would be better promoted
in another grade he should be sent there
albeit he may not be able TO pass good
an entrance examination for that grade as
others might pass Your test. we nave
said to the teachers is to be determined b.
your judgment your good sense and your
conscience. If the boy Will be able to sub
serve his interests better in an upper grade
of schoo for the time he Is to remain in
school ii is your duty to send him there
Parents Given n Voice.
in grades for some of the studies of which
they may no, be SO thoroughly equipped as
to stand the test of rigid examination.
Furthermore parents have been allowed
voice in this matter: their judgment has
been takep: they know the possibilities OF
the child as well his ambitions: their
knowledge of the disadvantages that the
child has laboreI under, OF sickness OF
other causes of privation of school adj
| 1xSt aOh
in determining the welfare of the child.
In hundreds of cases the children have
been sent forward trial The schools
have been conducted on the theory that
they were for the children and that they
should be made to subserve the best inter-
ests of all the children, individually, that
offer themselves for instruction. To deter
mine these best interests in a difficult case
the parent has been consulted. the child has
| been studied and the supervisor and teacher
have consulted freely about 1t. Thus have