Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-06

believed that a single member of the new
board had wide or intimate knowledge
Of the teaching force or of school condi-
tions. Several OF the members. however.
had. previous to their appointment. shown
some hostility to certain teachers and off,
GERS then in the service.
Third. The superintendent Of schools, who
was chosen about a month prior to the
opening of the schools. was at the time OF
his appointment total stranger to the
Washington school system and. therefore.
unacquainted with the great body of teach
ers upon whose official life he presumed to
pass immediate judgment.
The result Of this program of "reappoint-
ing all Of the teachers was that within less
than a month fourteen hundred were re
appointed for one year. at single meeting
two hundred who were not "reappointed."
These two hundred souls who were thus
held up by superintendent whom the most
of them had never seen had no means Of
knowing the cause Of the sudden turn Of
affairs. Many of them returned home i'm
mediately from their vacations they sought
interviews with members of the board Of
education and with the new superintendent;
some succeeded. others did not The super
intendent was too busy" to them.
Finally. by September IA. all were reap
pointed" except six or seven among the
best, the most highly esteemed, and the
most worthy teachers Of the system who
had given from twelve to forty years of
faithful and distinguished services to the
District schools. Prior to the meeting OF the
board of education on September IA. the
legal adviser of that body gave as his opin-
lon that the boards course In assuming to
'reappoint for one year. was contrary to
the law, as the law had automatically con-
tinued all the teachers in the service. Those
teachers who had not been 'reappointed"
were either dismissed or were held to have
resigned from the schools on the theory
that because they had declined to signify
their acceptance Of some fictitious position
irroouJarly rendered them. they had SeDa-
rated themselves from the service. Thus
on the 14th day of September the following
teachers were for the alleged good OF the
service dismissed outright without charges
and without a hearing: Mrs. Anna J. Coop
err, principal Of the M Street High School;
Mr. John L. Love. teacher in the M Street
High School,. and Mr. James B. Clark. SUI
pervising principal OF the tenth division.
They were dismissed on September IA. 1903.
to take effect from and after June 30. 1905.
Those who were adjudged to have separated
themselves from the service for the reason
above stated were Mr.. NJ. M. F. Swartzell.
principal Of Eastern High School, and Mr..
J. R. Keane. supervising principal.
In the matter of the dismissal or the fall
ure to continue these teachers In the serv-
ices Of the public schools OF the District Of
Columbia. we beg to submit for your con-
sfderation tho following:
First. These teachers were dropped from
the service without charges or hearing just
three days before the time for tho opening
Of the schools
Second. They had spent the most of the
summer vacation preparing and planning
their work for the school year and In per-
forming such duties as were assigned them
from time to time.
Third. They were dropped from the serv-
ice contrary to section and section 10 Of
Public School Act No. 254. In at least two
cases we are ready to show that this viola
ton of a federal statute was prompted by
malice and was premeditated.
Fourth. They were d: opped contrary to