Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-16
DR.. Chancellor's Southern Trip.

The propos ton that the superinten-
dent of the District public schools shall
after an incumbency OF less than three
months. covering only two months of school
work, absent himself for several weeks in
order thai he may study conditions in the
colored schools of the south. inevitably chai-
lenges the criticism of all Washingtonians
who are acquainted with the present con-
ditlons in the District. 1t is not too much
to say that this plan slvors of the proposal
of the housewife who, with her own esta5-
Iishrnent in sore need of personal care and
attention, wants to go visiting to see how
other domestic affairs are managed
There is unmistakabe evidence that the
present conditions in our own schools are
far from satisfactory. This may be due in
part to the decentralization of the past, and
in other part to the peculiar manner in
which the new statute has been interpreted
and administered by the board of education
and the superintendent. The fact remains
that today the teaching force is rent with
faction is beset with fears, and is COM
pletely out of touch with the educational
head of the system.
In proposing to go south to study colored
schools DIR. Chancellor indicates his belief
that all is well here with the white schools
ment of the other branch of the system.
1t is not agreed that all is well with the
white schools. but if the premise stated is
true it is exceedingly doubtful whether the
SUPERINTENDENT can find in the special in
situations of the former slave states educa-
tional conditions affecting the colored peo-
pie which will be of use TO him here in a
city like Washington, where the system is
nd yT6
OF management, past and present, in spite
of all the friction caused by personal bick-
erings. and in spite of all the foolish fac
tionaIism and the decentralization resulting
from school politics, the colored schools
have attained recognized degree of COM
parative efficiency for the education of the
colored populat ton of large city. to whom
access to the soil is denied by their envi-
ronment.
1t Is alleged that the superintendent has
not yet visited the Washington schools in
an educational capacity, but has thus far
confined his visits to the exercise of his
functions as a building inspector, in obedi-
ence TO the law which organizes him and
the Engineer Commissioner and the super
wishing architect into commission to re-
port upon certain schemes of consolidation.
Up to the present time the superintendent
has seemed to hold himself aioof from the
teachers and has planned the erection of
two walls encircling his position. the board
of supervision which, in large measure,
screens him from the board of education,
and the advisory council, which screens
him from the teachers. 1t may be that it
is Dr. Chancellors theory of school SUI
perintendence to deal exclusively with the
schools through such media of communi-
cation and direction.
Ii such is the settled policy of the school
superintendent, he may feel entirely justi
fed in absenting himself for consider
able period from his work in order to en-
large his general educational knowledge,
and study particular problems which may
or may not have bearing upon local con-
ditions. 1t is easy to conceive an extern
sion of this system of visiting, until the
superintendent of the District schools be-
comes a peripatetic investigator hunting
for hints in all parts of the country.
1t would seem to the untechnical observer
OF school affairs that there is plenty of
work and a wide field of research right
here in Washington for an earnest seei.er
after truth and a Jealous laborer in the
educational field, and the community is
correspondingly surprised to find the board
of education formally approving suddenly
preached plan which has no precedent in
the local school history and exceedingly
doubtful warrant in the law.