Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-05
SUBMITS HIS REPORT
Superintendent's Findings in
Mckinley School Inquiry.
CASE OF PRINCIPAL GARDNER
Recommended That He Be Retired
From the Position.
HIS SUCCESSOR SUGGESTED
Charges Rejecting on the Morality
and Scholarship Of Pupils Were
Not Sustained.
HIS SUCCESSOR SUGGESTED

| THAT Mr.. A. I. Gardner be relieved OF the
principalship of the Mckinley Manual Train
| Ing School, is the recommendation OF Su-
perintendent Stuart. submitted to the ooaro
! of education at its meeting last night. AFTER
! submitting charges against Mr. Gardner the
twelve teachers have each been permitted
| 10 testify against the principal, and In addl-
| ton the other members of the faculty. These
| extra teachers were called: H B. WHITE
! lie Row Birch C. w. Hecox +. c. Daniel
| E. NJ. Ford. H. s. Whitbeck E. w. cross
| Marian White, Frances Sanders, l.. w.
Bruce, /. C. Doherty, E. M. Coihoun, Johli
W. Beall Amy Warn. l.. L. Muckenhoup''
| H. P IIlman, N. r. Woodward, L. W. MAJ
| tern j. w Adams, Isabelle Solomons' .. a.
| DaIton. Claire Burket, E. A. Miller and A.
| B. Piggott, together with II. Il. Scholfeio'
| F. c. baldwin. clerks and Hiland Maddox
! 4onitor. "A r Thompson, engineer. A. j.
Marsh F. H. Richardson and w, .. ortoH
were excused from the examination the
two former because OF their short service In
| the school. and Mr.. Orion pre1erlng 10 SUI
| NIT brief statement In writing.
Superintendent stuart's Report.
The result is apparently vindication OF
the teachers who made the charges.
THE testimony has proven states Mr.
Stuart in his report, 1.-The principal to nave
| been greatly derelict in important respects.
He has been frequently tardy; he has
| been guilty of smoking on two occasions at
| least in the school building, but denies DONG
| so during school hours; he has allowed cap
| tains to drill their companies when condi-
! toned, and contrary to the recommends
tons of the military committee; he has been
| dlatory in notifying teachers of matters
concerning suspension readmission of
their pupils: he has been vacllatng and
proerastinatinE In his policies of discipline
and general administrat ton,
The weight of evidence not only of the
petitioners but of other leading teachers in
the school shows conclusively that the prin-
cipal does not have the confidence of his
| faculty as an executive officer
"One teacher after another In answer To
ufect questions regarding competency of
the principal, either answered unhesitat-
ingly that he is not competent as an ad-
ministrative officer or qualified an affirm
alive reply in such terms as at best to
betray the absence of hearty approval OF
his educational methods
1t is also shown that Mr.. Gardner was
inclined too often to treat the offenses of
pupils too lightly. TO disregard the plea of
the teacher for support and sometimes to
put the teacher in a wrong light before the
pupil. MIR. Gardner also seems to have
failed to inspire his teachers with respect
for him an educational leader. He has
had a most difficult problem, but In my
Judgment has never regarded 1t seriously
enough to realize the vital Importance of
first securing the cooperation OF his facul-
ty as by demonstrating to them his power
of leadership
Tribute to Mr. Gardner.
Mr.. Stuart however, pays a tribute TO
Mr. Gardner as a teacher. He says.
las a teacher of manual training Mr..
Gardner has demonstrated his ability. He
is a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic In
stitute. and prior to his selection for the
principalship of the Mckinley School
taught for twelve years in our manual
training shops. He is capable of teaching
scientifically any Of the manual courses in
wood or iron. He is fitted by training, en-
( thusiasm and experience for this work. AS
he has not fully measured up to the re-
quirements which the principal of an I'M
portant school carrying both academic and
manual courses should possess, I respect
fully recommend that Mr. Gardner be re-
lieved of the principalship of the Mckinley
Manual Training School and placed in
charge of the instruction in iron work in
the same school,
What the effect of the recommendation,
should 1t be sustained by the board, may
be on the school is by no means certain.
There are teachers already In charge of
the departments OF work to which Mr..
Gardner may be assigned.
Charges Not Sustained.
Mr. Stuart said after the meeting, which
was attended by all the members of the
board and several of the faculty of the
| school, the imputations on the morality and
| the scholarship Of the pupils had been alb
solutely cleared up. His report stated:
The charges which touch the moral char
! acter OF pupils and which, if proved. would
| dtSCrCdit the entire faculty as well as the
| Prlncipal-those which give the impression
| that low moral standards prevail In the
| school-are not in my Judgment, sustained.
There is no evidence to show a preva
| lence of cigarette smoking or OF visiting
nDOl % RI %
! veal an epidemic of unrestrained stealing
| or of unchecked cheating IN examinations,
and had there been, It IS impossible to con-
ceive that such a relapse from the ideals
Of school life could have been wrought
alone by the fact that q weak or foolish
man held the reins
Least OF all is there substantial basis
for the sensational stories describing al
| legged occurrences at inadequately chap
eroned dances. Eleven teachers signed the
| charges. Thirty eight teachers were exam
med. Only TWO claimed to have seen i'm
proper conduct on the part of the boys and
girls on these occasions Mr.. Woolverton
explicitly states in his supplementary state
| ment: I did not actually the pupils
engaged In loving demonstrations
But Single Instance.
The only other eyewitness was Miss
Forbes. who speaks of a single couple in a
dark room. l am confident that a careful
reading OF the testimony of Miss Sanders
Miss SOlomons and Miss Dalton. the two
latter having charge OF girls exclusively
and coming in contact almost daily with
the entire body of female pupils, will set
at rest any fears that may have been
aroused in the minds of parents that due
vigilance has not been exercised over their
girls while under the care of the school.
IL such things were once known to have
taken place as described, 1t seems to me
that any right-thinking teacher, man or
woman, would have promptly made such
representations. first to the principal, then
to the director. then to the superintendent,
and failing of redress, finally to the board,
as to make Il impossible for them ever to
occur again.
Neither has 1t been shown by the tes-
| timony In this hearing that the stand
! ards of admission and promotion are as
| low as the language of the charges would
| imply. The few complaints that came TO
| me during the last few years in regard
| TO admissions and promotions were taken
/ up promptly with the principal and direct
| or and l was afterward assured by the
| complaining teachers that an improve
ma pf MA Fact to-