The Washington times., 1906-04-13
No Second Swartzell Case.

Charges of an extremely serious ma
ture have been preferred against the
principal of one of the white high
schools of the District by a consider
able number of the teachers at work in
that school. The accusations are made
in all proper form, signed by responsible
subordinates. and treat of the most i'm
portant aspects of school administration,
as the following quotations will Indicate:
He has repeatedly violated rules of
the Board of Education TO wit: The rule
concerning tardiness of teachers, the
rule forbidding teachers to smoke inside
the school building, the rule providing
Tor substitute teachers the rule against
eXcusing pupils before the close OF
school in order to permit them 10 take
private lessons outside.
He has completely destroyed the dis
cipline in the school by failing TO sup
port teachers in their efforts to punish
violations OF the school rules; by gr-lt-
ing permanent excuses for hardness and
absence during school hours: by grant
ing excuses for absence upon slight
preteXt, and by a lack of supervision
over pupils while they are under the
care OF the school.
He has caused the standard of schol-
arShlp TO be greatly lowered by the ad-
mission Of unprepared pupils. either
without examination or by allowing
them to enter after failure to pass the
entrance examinations; by promoting
pupils who. according 10 the rules of
promotion which he himself had made
were not entitled to promotion; by Civ
ing an indefinite number of examina-
uons 10 pupils in order to enable them to
pass on conditions and by allowing can
talns TO drill their companies, although
SY StneY had deneleneies against them and
had oeen relieved Of their duties by the
military committee of the faculty pend
ing the removal Of their conditions.
These are general charges clearly
stated. They have moved the Board of
Education to act. The Superintendent
OF Schools has been directed to investi-
gate. TO examine all the teachers whose
knowledge has any bearing on the ad-
mlnlstration Of the school, and TO re-
port his conclusions With him the mat
ter rests for the time.
4he Times does not prejudge this
case 1t hopes the accused NAV be in
hocent OF conduct so fatal in the admin
Islratlve head of high school and
lhefhciency so costly. But it contends
mat the school authorities must NOT
preJudge II, either Their duty is IN nm
cover the facts and all the facts which
nave relation TO these Charges i'm
partially and thoroughly
NOT VIII II serve TO conduct tho in
quiry IN secret The record of Tho Roard
O. Education these past five --care is
proof enough of the need for ,hticit,
with open sessions Of the ho,rd ,,-it,,
lhe public looking on through tb. news
papers. 1t is inconceivable either thar
The board would have gotten ON three
SIDES OF the Swartzell case or found tho
principal of the NJ Street High school
guilty or gross insubordination and VET
continued her in office. The board tid
~ -ff
"ot sIt III open session; and disorder and
cIumbling discipline are the results.
MS matter is now of first Importance
both TO accused and accusers. Yet they
are not those whom the Board of Edu-
alton must consider first. Its duty is IN
the children in the school in DISPARITY of
every other consideration. The pupiIs
have a right TO good administration and
the community which sends them there
has right TO know whether that ad-
ministraiiOn has lie n good or bad. Half
way or secret inquiries do not lead tn
that administration or disclose that in
formation. They lead, as they have led
in the Swartzell and Cooper cases. to
loss of standing in the public mind for
every person and institution concerned.
and the thing they disclose is a greater
interest in the present form of organiza-
tion or in particular members of that
organization than in the pupils for whom
the organization is maintained
With all its vacilIation and misjudg-
ment. the Board OF Education has per-
formed good public service in behalf of
more pay for the teachers. Only one
thing suggests itself as at ali likely now
TO defeat that cause That is a pos
sible attempt 20 dipose Of these charges
IN the dark. If that is done. not these
teachers who have signed the charges
alone. or the principal whom they ac-
cuse, viii be the sufferers. but the whole
corps of teachers OF whom those imme-
diately concerned in this controversy are
only a fraction. That is not the only
reason why the inquiry should be open
and above board. but it is a good reason.
And the discredit for that consequence,
if 1t shall come to pass, will rest with
the school authorities who have had this
investigation in charge.