Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-06
ANNOUNCEMENT AT MEETING
Board of Education Transacts Routine
Business.
FOR THE TEACHERS
Counsel Renders opinions-Approval
of Recommendations in
List of Salary Assignments.

lie schools, the maintenance of teachers
advisory council, will no longer figure in
his administration, according to an an
nouncement made at the meeting of the
board of education yesterday afternoon by
Capt. James F. Oyster, who has lately been
acting as the superintendent spokesman
in many matters. The council was termed
clique by the citizens association of
Northeast Washington and has been looked
upon with disfavor by teachers throughout
the system. 1t was claimed by many that
the superintendent had surrounded himself
with body of teachers which would make
access to the head of the system practi-
cally an impossibility. The superintendent
several weeks ago defended his course
strongly, answering the citizens argument
that it was an anti-democratic organlZa-
ton with the statement that 1t was repre-
sentative of the various classes of teachers
in the schools. 1t was subsequently point
ed out, however, by persons acquainted
with the method employed In its OrganZa-
ton that the council was in reality anything
but democratic because of the fact that Dr.
Chancellor himself had appointed the first
member and the others had been selected
by the existing members, acting in con-
junction with him 1t was also made clear
that the meetings of teachers called for
the purpose of suggesting number of can
didates were very poorly attended and that
in all cases the will of the teachers was not
followed.
After the publication of these facts in
The Star the contention of the superin-
tendent that his teachers council was
purely democratic body. representing the
will of the teaching body, was ridiculed.
Statemela lat by Capt. Oyster.
Calling up the matter yesterday at the
Franklin building before the board Of edu-
cation, Capt. Oyster began by saying he
had been informed by the superintendent
that the teachers advisory council had
not yet organized and chosen committees
and therefore had not yet interfered In any
way with the administration of school az
fairs. He declared that the superintendent
denied that a textbook committee of the
council had brought about confusion in the
matter of selecting textbooks for next
year.
Then Capt. Oyster said no advisory
council actually existed and all meetings
would be suspended. He had been told
such would be the case, he said, by Dr.
Chancellor.
The members Of the board made no COM
ment but it Is understood that they were
all pleased to hear Of the change in faith'n
their influence with him to secure the
abolition Of the council. That the council
will ever be revived by Supt. Chancellor,
while the present board is in power, Is be-
lieved to be extremely unlikely.
Hearings for Teachers.
Mrs. Ellen Spencer Mussey, chairman OF
the special committee Of the board to sug-
gest amendments to the present school
law, announced that the committee had ar
ranged to hold hearings for the teachers
on the question of salaries. The other
members of the committee are Messrs. w.
V. Cox and John F. Cook. The hearings
will be held at the Franklin building, as
follows:
Monday, June 10, at $50 p.m.-Kinder-
garten assistants Model teachers of the
! first and second grades and kindergartens
and teachers of the first and second
grades. Tuesday. June II, at $50 pm
Representatives of the third, fourth fifth,
sixth. seventh and eighth grades and kin
dergarten principals. Wednesday, June IL.
at p.m.-Representatives Of the high.
manual training and normal school teach
ers and principals, all special teachers,
directors and supervising principals.
If any teachers who attend the hearing
wish to suggest amendments to the pres
ent law, the committee will require that
they be in writing. Later on the committee
expects to hold public hearings on other
phases Of the law.
Arrival of New Secretary.
1t was announced that the new secretary
Of the board, James l.. Farmer, will come
to this city from the jamestown exposition
the latter part of this week. 1t is not eX-
pected, however that he will enter upon his
new duties at once but will take short
rest
Assistant United States Attorney Stuart
Mcnamara, special counsel for the board.
was present at the meeting. and rendered
several opinions on questions previously
submitted to him. He held that the board
has the power to promote teacher from
one class to another, as the classes are de-
fined in the new law, regardless of the in
termediate grades of promotion coming be-
tween just as the board has the power to
appoint a teacher to any position from the
outside. OF course, he stated, the proper
- sod A
| thus promoted, he held, should be given the
| salary of the new class next above the sal
| airy she received before her promotion He
| held further that. within class, promo
| lions automatic, as provided by the
| law.
| The clerks to the director of intermediate
instruction the director of manual training,
| and the assistant superintendent in charge
| of the colored schools will be placed on the
| twelve installment rolls on and after July
| 1 next. The same action was taken with
regard to the engineers and assistant eng-
| neers at the Mckinley and Armstrong
| manual training schools
Approval Of Recommendations.
The following recommendations by the
| superintendent were approved: That Miss
V. G. Murphy, teacher of the ungraded
| school, be rated as an eighth grade teacher
and assigned to class 5 at a salary Of $3.50
per annum to take effect on and after
! September /: the dismissal of Margaret
| Summerville. caretaker of the cooking and
| sewing rooms at the Armstrong Manual
| Training School, to take effect from and
after June 80.
| The following changes in the list of sal
| airy assignments for the fiscal year ending
| June 80, 1908, which was presented to the
board of education at it's meeting May 20,
| We're approved:
Nina Goetz. $3.50; H. E. Brooks, $3.50;
| NJ. E. Himon, $3.50; NJ. NJ. Morton, $3.50;
| E V. George, $675; X. E. Tayleur, 1915;
NJ. A. Thomas. $675; B. ]. Rdgley, 1915;
L. p Hill. s67o; NJ. A. Brawner. $G75: G. E.
| Tibbs. 1878; NJ R. Richards, 1913; E. R.
| Clarke, $3.50; M r. Lyddane $1,31O; j. E.
Humphrey. S675; Adelaide Kelton, 5000 F.
| T. Underwood, 5000: Lorena Garrison $500;
| A C. Wright $3.50: Blanche Street S6o5.