Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-17
The Intent of Congress.

Superintendent Chancellor in the course
of his letter printed in Saturdays star e4-
presses the opinion that Congress INTENDED
the new board of education to make raol-
cal changes in the school system, incIud-
ing the appointment of a nonresident su-
perintendent. He says:
"If Congress had intended that there
should be no changes of any importance
in the personnel or policy of the school
system of the District, in the opinion OF
many 1t would not have removed from
office the former board. Doing so lmpileo
distinctly all the results, Tor II is iiieae e
elementary principle of human nature tndt
two entirely different boards OF educatioh
would hold different views or school COIL
dittons and would act accordingly. IL was
the logical and natural result OF tniS pio,,
cedure that the board of education shouia
select school superintendent not at tnae
time employed in the District IT congress
had intended the contrary, II seeineu s'' a.,
II would have continued the Ola poaio III
Office"
Ia DIR Chancellor's reasoning sound!
While It may be a safe inference that some
congressional dissatisfaction with the ola
hoard of education is indicated by the iegis-
lation reorganizing the board, it Is fmpossi-
ble to know. except as indicated by the law
itself, who were the persons and what were
the specific acts and policies of which Con-
Rress as body disapproved. Congress even
left il possible in the discretion OF the
Judges to reappoint any 9or, all of the old
board on the new and larger board winch
1t created Congress doubtless intended that
the judges should exercise their judgment
in this matter and that the board appointed
by the Judges should also exercise Its Judg-
ment except in those respects wherein II
was limited by the law itself Concerning
the teaching force Congress gave only
few indications of it's intent 1t omitted the
director of high schools, it enlarged The iu-
ties of assistant superintendent, 1t created
some new positions, and it continued in Of
flee until removed after flir hearing ny
the school authorities the whole teaching
force There was absolutely no indication,
expressed or implied of congressional m
tent concerning the SUPPLEMENTARY.
There was not even disapproval by i'm
plication of the reappointment OF the old
Superintendent: and surely there is no war
rant for any one to assert that congressional
disapproval of the old superintendent II 1t
existed, extended to everybody else In the
District, and forbade consideration OF any
local candidate. 1t Is just as logicaf to as
sumo that Congress intended that the school
board should appoint new men. non-resi-
dents. to all the responsible positions In the
schools, and should select them al, let us
say from New Jersey. as to assume that
there was an implied mandate to choose
nonresident superintendent. III DR.. Chancel-
lors theory Is followed to its logical conclu-
sion 1t might follow that Congress Intended
the board to import a man from the west Tor
Principal Keane's place and man from
the south for Principal Clarks place. and
without charges or hearing to remove or
rather to treat as non-existent these teach
i,, I'd 70 lcp the necessary
cies The community will protest against
the slur upon Congress that it ever contem-
plated either the brutal and humiliating
method which was employed of eliminating
these useful public servants, or their re-
moval in any fashion to make places Tor
outsiders In the low maneuyers OF school
politics.
1t is impossible to believe that Congress
intended to declare that all acts and poncles
of the old board were bad. so that the new
hoard could congratulate itself upon carry
ing out the congressional intent merely by
differing in every particular from the old
board and by undoing without independent
investigation and judgment everything that
Ii had done Congress did not suggest TO
the new board either to make or not to
make radical changes in personnel or policy.
1t did not intend either to direct or to for
bid the employment of a local man as super
tntendent 1t indicated its desire to increase
the pay and to give stability to the tenure
of office of the existing teaching force. But
outside of the suggestions of intent pre-
viously recited Congress evidently left 1t to
the independent judgment of the board It
self whether after full and careful and
fair consideration 1t would be radical or
conservative in changes of policy and per-
sonnet. and whather it would undo much or
little of what the old board had done. The
proper restraint upon the boards actions is
found in the fact that the new board like
the old, is responsible to the community and
to Congress for the manner in which it ex-
ercises the powers entrusted to it.