Evening star., 1905-09-07
SUBJECT OF INQUIRY
Board of Education to Inves-
tigate Eastern High School.
CHANGES AUTHORIZED
STEPHEN E. KRAMER APPOINTED
SUPERVISING PRINCIPAL.
W. B. Burche Made Director Of Night
Schools-other Business Under
Consideration.
CHANGES AUTHORIZED

The board of education met promptly at
8 o'clock last night for the first annual
meeting. all the members being present
The session was n long one. the announce
ments by the secretary not being made
until after II o'clock. After considerable
routine business the Eastern High School
matter was discussed, the board constitut-
ing itself committee of the whole to In
vestigate the charges; two new supervising
principals and several teachers were ap-
pointed, a few designations accepted and
a statement issued respecting the services
Of the late supervisor, John T. Trueman.
When the Eastern High School matter
was taken up by the board the reports of
the Northeast Washington Citizens Asso-
ciation, the East Washington Citizens As
sociation and the Business Mems Associa-
ton, with numerous letters from prominent
citizens and associations, were read, and
onmotion the board constituted itself a
committee OF the whole to consider them
The first meeting will be held tonight, and
meetings will be continued until the entire
matter Is disposed Of
1t said no application had been received
from Mr. M. F. F. swartzell for the posi-.
ton Of supervising principal, made vacant
by the resignation Of Mr. John 7. Free.
man, and the matter of promoting Mt.
Swartzell to that position was not consid-
cred. Unless the investigation OF the COM
mdttee Of the whole results In new findings
against Mr.. Swartzell his status will re-
main as determined by the special meeting.
of August, when he was reinstated in the
Eastern High School.
Appointment Of Mr.. Kramer.
1t is understood the board was practi-
oally unanimous in the appointment Of
Stephen Elliott Kramer as supervising prin-
cpal Of the second division and DR.. Henry
l.. Bailey supervising principal OF the
tenth division.
Mr. Kramer was appointed teacher In
the Eastern High School in $780, just after
school. Mr.. c. M. Lacy Sites and Mr..
Kramer were the only men in the school
as then organized. From that position. in
order to make a study Of grade school
of principal of the Smallwood School in
South Washington. Transferred to the
Force School In 1898 and to the Franklin
in 1901. Mr.. Kramer has had a wide ex-
perience In the management of boys and
girls In different sections Of the city.
native of Atlanta, Ca. Mr.. Kramer
has been educated entirely in Washington,
passing through the grade. high and nor.
NAL schools. He has taken a course Of
law at the George Washington University,
and has also, from that institution, gradua-
ton certificates in mathematics, science
and letters. For fourteen years he has
been teacher in the night schools and
for four years has been their director
Mr.. Kramer has resigned from this di-
rectorship, but says there Is no other work
which he is leaving with such regret He
was instrumental In increasing the appro
priation for night school work from $1,000
to $11 600, and his friends are said to re-
gret his resignation from position which
particularly requires the special experience
nf nj Mr.
says he will probably take up night school
work again as a teacher.
Mr.. w. B. Murch, principal of the Force
school, who was also a candidate for the
supervisorship, was elected to succeed Mr..
Kramer as director of night schools.
DR.. Bailey, as supervising principal Of the
tenth division, takes the place made vacant
by the death of E. w. Brown. DR.. Bailey is a
graduate of Harvard ard ot tho medical 90
partment of Howard University. : He has
taught in the Tuskegee Institute, ALABAMA.
For fifteen years he has been teaching
Greek in the NJ Street High School.
Compliment to Mr.. Freeman.
In connection with the resignation of Mr.
Freeman the board issued the following
statement:
I'm accepting the resignation of Mr John
T. Freeman, supervising principal of the
second division. who leaves the service of
the public schools of the District of Column
bia to accept the superintendency of the
public schools of Schenectady N. Y, the
board Of education desires to record its ap-
probation of his excellent work as a teach
er, principal and supervising principal in
this city during the past twenty-five years.
while regretting Mr.. Freeman's depar
ture the board expresses its qualification at
the promotion which he has earned, and ex-
tends cordial wishes for his success in the
important educational field which he has
entered"
Mr. Freeman, in his letter Of resignation,
said in part:
Permit me to assure you that this step
Is for numerous reasons reluctantly taken.
The ties OF many years; social. of church,
of school, must to a large extent be severed
The places where we have achieved at least
some degree of success and where we have
received some measure of praise must be
left behind for unknown and untried fields.
Some men leave Washington who could be
held with but little more Of substantial en-
couragement. Permit me. with the very
best interests Of the children at heart, to
suggest that the ratio OF men in the schools
is getting dangerously low, only about haif
of what 1t should be-
Letter Causes Discussion.
The letter is said to have caused much
discussion among officials and teachers, and
is believed to have had weight in reafirm-
ing the boards policy to appoint men to
the positions of supervising principals and
principals. The clause. "men leave Wash
ington who could be held with but little
more Of substantial encouragement" is ver-
flied, it is said, in the record, which shows
that in three years twenty seven or more
men teachers have left the schools.
Along that line, 1t is intimated that Mr..
Kramers successor at the Franklin School,
at 18th and X streets, will necessarily be a
man. Throughout the period of recess the
principal must be on the street to look
after the children at the Franklin and its
branch, the Thompson. especially because
the school has no playground. Mr.. Charles
r. Finckel of the Brookland School and Mr..
c. N. Thompson of the Jefferson School
are said to be the principal competitors for
the place. although 1t is limited that Nj. NJ.
F. F. Swartzell may be brought to con-
slider the position.
Examination Announced.
Announcement was made that an examf-