Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-04
GIVE UP THEIR JOBS
designations at the Girls
Reform School.
FRICTION THE CAUSE
ALLEGED UNJUST CHARGES BY
INVESTIGATION COMMITTEE.
Claim That improvements Were Not
Allowed by Board = Condi-
tons Not Ideal

Owing to friction in several directions,
which has existed for some time, the super
intendent, probation officer and two teach
ers of the girls reform school of the Dis
trict OF Columbia have already sent in
| their designations to the board of directors.
and 1t is learned from the same source that
the other Information came from, that the
designations of two more of the teachers
will have been sent in before another
| month passes. Mrs. Winifred Burrows, who
| was appointed superintendent of the insti
tuition about the LIST of last November. has
sent in her resignation, to take effect on
July 1. Mrs. Bates, the probation officer Of
the school, who also came about the same
time, has taken a similar action The
names of the teachers could not be learned.
All of these designations have been sent to
Chaplin Brown. chairman of the hoard of
the school, 1t is expected that they will
be formally accepted at the next meeting
of the board.
This action on the part of these leading
officials at the girls reform school is
derstood to be directly attributable to
friction with the management and to what
they regard unjust accusations Of the in
vestgating committee, the report of which
| was made public through the columns of The
| Star some time ago That investigation was
ordered to be made on account of the out
break which occurred at the school on
November 4, 1904, which resulted in the re-
lease of several inmates of the institution.
| Since that time Miss Florence Russell. as
sistant superintendent and before NOvem-
Der 1, acting superintendent OF the school.
and Mrs. Mary O'Brien, matron of the
school,, and some of the teachers have been
dismissed by Mrs. Burrows, the superinten-
dent. In the report Of the investigating
committee, it was limited that these dis
missa1s had been made because these Off
oia1c had before
for other reason.
Accusations Resented.
This accusation, it is understood on ex-
cellent authority, has been thoroughly re-
scented by the present management, as be-
ing entirely wrong and placing them in
very compromising position before the pub
lic These officials still maintain that the
outbreak at the school, although occurring
four days after the arrival of the new
superintendent was due to the conditions
that existed in the school prior to her
coming and which she could not remedy in
the short time that elapsed between her ar
rival and the riot. This occurrence was
taken by the officials as an indication OF
incompetency on the part Of the acting
superintendent, and 1t is understood that
it was upon this ground that she was
later dismissed by the management.
Friction with the board also, it is I'M
derstood, was another consideration, which
has led to this action on the part of the
superintendent and the probation officer.
According to an authority, when these Off
Gals came to the school. they told the board
that the school was in bad shape on ac-
count of lack of discipline and other de-
moralizing conditions, which had not exist
ed in the schools where they had worked
before. And it is understood that the
new officials asked for certain action and
liberties from the board by which they
thought the condition of the school would
be helped The board considered that the
school had been running pretty well and
some of them did not wish to grant the
new officials what they desired in the way
of legislation from the board. Since that
time there has been. 1t is understood
constant fight between the experienced
officials in charge of the school and the
other desiring another 1t is said even
that the board has not been unanimous
on what was to be done and that there
has been friction there On account of
this lack of united effort, which always
prevents the accomplishment of the great
est good for the object concerned, 1t is UNI
derstood that the officials and teachers who
have resigned took this action, rather than
to continue the constant fight.
That conditions at the school for some
time past have not been ideal was illus
trated by The Stars informant by the fact
that in the past two years there have been
over thirty-five different teachers at the
school, one following the other. Nine
teachers employed in the school at one
time, and it is understood these have been
constantly changing. The teachers, it is
understood left because of what they re-
garded as the bad conditions existing in
the school management and discipline due
to the lack of unity between the board and
the officials In direct charge of the school.
1t was an uphill fight to cope with such
conditions among the teaching staff, and
this is another reason, 1t is understood for
the designations, now in the hands of Mr..
Brown. Since Mrs. Burrows has taken
charge it is said, this shifting among the
teachers has not been as noticeable as be-
fore; but the trouble is still prevalent.