Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-27
PROBLEMS FOR
SCHOOL BOARD
Issues Which Give Concern to
the Teachers.
THEIR TENURE IN QUESTION
Should Teachers and Others Be Re-
appointed Under New Regimes
CONSIDERING THE QUESTION
Payment of Salaries Perplexing
Question Status Of Secretary
Power Of the Board.
THEIR TENURE IN QUESTION
CONSIDERING THE QUESTION

Is there g. local public school system con-
sisting OF anything besides a board of ed
ucation and its secretary
This is the question that Is puzzling the
brains Of many a school teacher-or, at
least, OF many person who was a school
teacher before the old regime was abolished
by act OF Congressman also the brains or
the District auditor, the District disbursIng
officer, the controller of the treasury and
others. On the heels of this question, in the
minds OF those who are considering it.
comes another:
"If all teachers as well as other officials
of the schools must be appointed by the
new board will they lose any salary for
the interval during which they are not
officially on the rolls: or. If the teachers
are regarded as holding their positions
straight through the reorganization period
when will they legally begin to draw the
Increase of salary provided for in the re-
cent congressional appropriation act?"
Whether the board Of education which
seems to be determined to prolong the Sc
lection of a new superintendent and other
higher officials of the new system until the
fall. has been able to snatch minute from
Its ardent task of examining local and out
and ali-imSortant matter is not known;
but 1t Is understood that very little earnest
thought has been given to 1t by the MEM
bers
Board Sole Judge.
Ii the board, which will have to be a
Judge of Its own appointing power for
the present, decides that it was the in
tent of Congress that all teachers for the
next term, as well as all other officials
must be specifically appointed this sum-
mer, then. OF course, these appointments
cannot be made until superintendent Is
secured, since the new law specifically
states that no such action may be taken
by the board except upon the written
recommendation Of the superintendent.
Some persons say 1t was manifestly not
the intent OF Congress in It's late reor-
ganizatiOn act to disturb the entire school
system OF the District, but merely to re-
organize the board of education and the
higher spheres" Others hold that
strict construction of the law must be
made, and that such construction points
to different conclusion
The question will ultimately have to be
answered by the controller of the treas
ury, before the payment of the government
funds will be made: but Judge Tracewell,
who fills that responsible position will be
open TO argument from all sides before he
hands down his final decision In the mat
ter.
Something of the kind has already arisen
in regard to the salary of Secretary Con-
nor OF the board of education. Mr.. Connor
was ihC SECRETARY OF the OIQ rOdfQ. The
time that elapsed between the expiration of
his old term and his reappointment was
f1ve days. The auditor of the District Mr.
J. r. Garrison. raised the question as TO
whether not Mr.. Conner should receive
payment for those five days
The problem has gone to the controller
LOT solution, with long argument by Mr..
Common, who endeavors to show that he
should receive such payment. Mr.. Com
nor. In his statement of the case quotes
provision OF the rules of the old board of
education. which were adopted by the
new board at its first meeting.
Provisions of the Rules.
This provision is as follows:
IAN appointments of officers, teachers
| and other employees heretofore or hereafter
mentioned shall continue during good be-
havior and efficiency. unless otherwise or
dered by the board OF education" ETC.
In adopting these rules, says Mr.. Con-
nor, the new board continued him In Office
through the reorganization period The
decision in this Ease, many believe will
carry with its a decision as to the case of
the teachers. janitors ct al. Others how
ever. say that Mr.. Connor is in class by
himself. These quote the second section
OF the new school law at the place where
| ii reads:
The board shall meet for organization
within thirty days after appointment. They
shall appoint secretary, who shall not be
| member of the board" etc
| BY those who take this view 1t Is con-
tended that this definite mention of the
secretary puts him in separate class from
| the teachers. who are merely referred to in
general manner In the law.
The Teachers Salaries.
| The payment of the teachers salaries
presents another pretty problem Hereto
| fore the practice has been to pay the teach
| ers In tenths; or, in other words, the con-
| troller of the treasury has ruled that as
! the majority of the teachers are out of the
| city during two of the vacation months they
| could not be paid in monthly installments-
! This has been the case in spite of the fact
| that law exists requiring government
| employees to be paid In twelfths of their all
/ nual salaries. 1t has been held by the
| controller that it was not the intent of Con-
| gress to work a hardship to the teachers
| There have been natural developments
| OF this system. For instance. when a new
| teacher was appointed just in time to COM
| mence her duties at the beginning of the
| fall term. she has received just as much
money, paid In tenths, as the teacher whose
tenure of office lasted throughout the sum-
mer from the previous school year. This
| method has never been seriously questioned.
/ This ruling would seem. of course. to
mean that IL the teachers are reappointed
this summer before the school term begins
/ they Will lose no part of their yearly salary.
| Yet the decision In the case of Secretary
Conner may affect the matter and cause
| the controller to think about 1t some more
Effect Of Payments.
| In any event. when will the new salaries
| the promotions-go into eject? 1t viii be
! necessary for the teachers to be sworn in
| again under the law. and. IL two months
have elapsed since the end of the last school
| year. will they thereby lose one-sixth OF
| the yearly increase on their salaries?
/ The whole matter narrows down to the
one ali-important query: Are the teachers
| drawing salaries at present and will they
| be paid their full first tenth on the first
| pay day in the fallf
The board OF education will decide wheth-
| er 1t is it's duty to reAppoint the teachers
\ and the controller will decide what Con-
| gress meant by the law anyhow; and both
/ of the decisions will go to settle the mat
ter. In the meantime the members Of the
| board OF education and the teachers. jan
| itors, secretary and other officials and pros.
i pective Observation-Disclosures they may be-
are doubtless wondering where they ore
| at