New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-30
VAR OF PRINCIPALS.
Women'S Grounds for Opposing
Consolidation of Schools.

The women principals Of NewYOrk and
Brooklyn have entered upon war to the death
against the policy Of the consolidation Of small
schools under one principal. which the Board Of
Education has been pursuing for some time
whenever prinCipalships fell vacant. The women
principals have opposed this from the begin
ming, but matters have now reached an acute
stage in consequence of the occurrence Of
large number Of vacancies at one time The
women have had two hearings before the ele-
mentary school committee. and have issued a
statement Of their case. which they are circu-
lating as widely possible. One Of their argu-
ments is that a large school makes it impossible
for a principal to perform his or her duties as
prescribed in the bylaws.
We must either change the bylaws or have
smaller schools" said Mics Aida S. Williams, Of
the executive committee of the Women Prin-
cipaIs' Association, of New-York. 1T Is mani
testify impossible that principal in one Of
these immense consolidated schools should plan
the work for the teachers, give model lessons,
hold conferences, conduct examinations and rate
teachers and pupils, besides attending to clerical
work. Board of Health requirements, the en-
forcement of the Compulsory Education law ana
the care Of the building. Yet all Of these things
the bylaws say he or she must do. In a con-
soIdated school all that the principal can 90 is
to delegate these duties to a head Of depart
ment. OF course there are other objections, but
this ought be sufficient to block consolidation
until the bylaws can be changed.
The argument Of economy does not carry
much weight with the women principals. Econ
Omy ought not to be considered where eduCa-
tional efficiency is at stake, and we have fore
seen from the beginning that a demand for an
increase Of salary for principals in charge or
these immense schools would be made. This
has already come to pass. The men principals
are demanding increase Of salary for princi-
pals Of the larger schools, demand which the
women principals will assuredly oppose. Inc
only principals for whom we would advocate
an increase Of salary are the women principals
of mixed schools, who now get $1,000 less than
the men who do precisely the same work"
Miss Hester A. Roberts, president Of the Wom-
en- Principals Association, said: Il am not op-
posed to consolidation within reason. There are
cases where it IS wise and economical, but when
a school gets so large that principal does not
know his own teachers by sight and passes them
without recognition in the street, II seems 10
me that il is time to call a halt This evidently
is not in accord with the intentions OF the by
laws prescribing the duties OF principals"
Some of the members Of the elementary school
committee agree with the women principals.
Francis p Cunnion always votes against con-
solidation whenever the question comes up, and
George FreifeId disapprOves of it whenever 1t
results in an unduly large school. Speaking Of
the matter yesterday. Mr.. Freifeld said:
When a school becomes large that the
principals whole term IS absorbed i'm admins
tratiOn details the principal ceases to be It's
pedagOgiC head and is a mere head clerk It is
a mistake to make the principal mere super
intendent and he can be nothing else in a school
of sixty or seventy classes.
consolidation is urged from the point of view
Of economy, but the priI cipal Of a large school
IS likely to require many clerks and assist
ants that ! doubt If there VIII be any economy
in the move. There viii also be, and there al
ready is. a demand for an increase Of pay for
the principal, hut I fancy that that argument
will lose its force when Il is realized that the
large salary is to go to a head clerk and not TO
an actual principal"
Mr. FTeifeld also agrees with the women prln-
pals in thinking that II is better for girls be-
low the high school to be under the responsible
supervision of a woman.
One of the centres around which the consoIi-
dalton fight is raging is the new Public School
No III in Brooklyn. The building is practi-
cally two schools, one fitted up for girls and one
for boys, but so lar only one principal a man.
has been appointed. 1t IS rumOred that this
man protested against the appointment Of an
other principal and ii IS also rumored that the
elementary schools committee has some inclina-
ton 70 compel the board Of superintendent to
appoint woman head of the girls department.
If the policy Of consolidation continues IL
means that many prinCipalships open to
women viii he abolished. They will become
heads Of departments at greatly reduced sal
aries, or. as one woman principal puts il:
The man viii draw the salary and the woman
will run the school"