Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-24
WOMEN ON SCHOOL BOARDS.
Good They May Do if.Common Sense
is Their Watchword.

From the North American Review.
The success of woman on school
board depends Chiefly upon how far she Is
willing at first to subordinate lierself. un-
til she has understood her new environment
school legislation. present fads and pros
pective ideals. says Mrs. Wells. II she
begins her official duties with the tacit as
sumption, even II only to herself. that she
knows il all, and that 1t Is incumbent upon
her to reform methods and measures In
stantly. she soon finds her sphere of use
fulneSs narrowed.
If, on the other hand she observes care
fully questions cireumspectly, keeps her in
ference to herself, does not generaliZe in
ductfyely until she has wide acquaintance
with facts and persons. iS neither eloquent
nor personal in discussion and votes with
out aggressiyeness, she Is sure to grow IN
favor with boards, committees. teachers,
parents and pupils.
She should no more ignore her sex than
she should obtrude it. When o woman
proudly states that she has been treated by
her masculine c0workerS as If she were
man her declaration is no compliment to
them and Is a condemnation of herself.
Having been elected because she is a wom-
an. she should never give away her dignity
by beiittling her point of view az a woman.
And yet she should be competent tG regard
all questions from an impersonal stand
point and as related TO presidents and
possibilities. The more she is of a woman,
using that word IN its noblest sense the
greater will be the good she can effect.
AS proof of the good that an individual
woman can effect the success Is recalled
of one who was a member of the Boston
school committee for fifteen years, intruSted
by It with irnportant positions as chairman
and counsellor; who was honored by the
masters, beloved by the women teachers,
adored by the children who never dev'ated
from rectitude in all her official acts, and
who adorned her pedasogtc knowledge with
grace of heart and manner.
Perhaps Boston, more than any other
city, Owes much to the women. who on or
Off her school committee have benefited her
public schools, for widely known are the
advantages conferred upon her school sys-
TEN through the wise generosity brought
to bear upon 1t by two women, who yet
never held any official relation to II. To
the initiative of Mrs Quincy A. Shaw Is
due the Introduction of the kindergarten
and much OF manual training. To Mrs
Mary a. Hemenway was due the establish
melt of sewing, cooking and Swedish gym
nasucs as branches of school work
Never before. declares Mrs. Wells, was
there time when SO many live questions
of intense interest to women were rising In
connection with the schools. Our schools
are undergoing great changes; forthe old
values of the church and home which
supplemented limited school forces, are far
less existent today than they were thirty
years ago, schools now forming the chief
means of assimilating the interests OF boys
and girls with the best issues of national
life
For many decades there has not been a
time when increased legislation on behalf
of schools IS more sure to come than now,
Not alone are means for increasing ex-
pendbures, if only on account of numbers
to be considered. but the very extent of
free public education is being freshly de-
termined. Is it in the east to include, as
in the west, state universities? Is 1t TO
furnish technical trade schools? Is 1T TO
assure the health and pleasure of each
pupil by parks ard spray baths? Is 1t to
open school yards as Fairgrounds all
through the year? In the answers to such
questions women have vital interests and
school board women much responsibility