The Washington herald., 1907-11-14

Dr. William Chancellor. superintendent
of sSlools. and Prof Barton W. Ever
mann, vice president OF the board Of edu-
cation, 'are at loggerheads. Prof. Ever
mann is apparently backed by majority
Of the membership Of the board. and
there are rumors of a welI-established
movement 10 supDlant DIR. Chancellor as
superintendent Of schools.
Prof Evermann and DR.. Chancellor have
been at odds for months. ard their diff
ferences came to a climax at yesterday
afternoons meeting Of the board OF edu-
cation. when Prof. Evermann, in decisive
terms. accused the superintendent Of in
augurating revolutionary educational
scheme without the knowledge OF author
ity Of the board OF education.
He said this scheme was Of doubtful
legality. and was unauthorized either by
the board OF education OF by the Con-
gress Of the United States. and that DR..
/ Chancellor had put into operation a
merely tentative scheme. which the board
had authorized as an experiment only.
upon the superintend ent-s expressed pur-
pose Of outlining it TO the board OF ed
ucation, before putting into operation.
DR.. Chancellor made retort, saying Dr.
Evernann had made many misstate-
ments o. facts. and had made many i'm
portant omissions. that he had not been
previously consulted on the matter. and
that he could have shed considerable
light on the subject II he had had the
chance He said the tentative plans
authorized by the board had been placed
in the hands OF Mr Clark and Dr.
Montgomery. white and ceIored super
vising principals. for formulation and
that, II they had been put into opera
ton. 1t was without MS knowledge.
Every other member Of the board. with
the exception Of Dr. Cook. joined IN, ard
an exciting discussion followed.
Prof. Evermann has just returned To
the city from the west, and il IS said
that ore OF the objects Of his tour was
10 md a suitable successor for DR..
Chancellor II is rumOred that the
board has been looking for man for
some time, and that Prof. Evermann
. has found a likely candidate in the
West
All Members Present
, For the first time in several months.
every member OF the board was present
at the meeting. and. quite contrary TO
custom. there was but one spectator IN
the room. The meeting was dull and
routine until. under the head Of new
business. just before adjournment, Prof.
Evernann attacked Dr. Chancellor.
He recited the mistake OF TOO much
; higher education, or overeducauon. Civ
- ing the views Of prominent educational
jsts. as portrayed in the writing OF Presi-
dent Eliot. Of Harvard; Herbert Spencer.
and others. saying that the standard Of
English was so poor in the Washington
schools that graduates were not permit
, ted 10 enter the big universities without
an English examination. He then read
2 carefully prepared statement. which was.
{. in part. as follows:
: at a meeting OF the board September
> q. the superintendent submitted a request
/. for tentative authority 70 establish eight
iparatories IN the graded schools. He ex-
planned that Il was merely a tentative
plan 10 teach Latin and German in the
seventh and eighth grades OF these
schools. and that the plan would be sub
mitted 70 the board before being put into
effect. The formulation Of the plan. CT
the experiment was 70 be in charge Of
Supervising Principals Clark and Mont
gomery. The authority was granted by
the board.
The board. however. did not intend
that Il should be put into effect until il
had been fully explained to the board in
sH its branches. and that carte blanche
! should not be given in d matter so i'm
> portant and so revolutionary.
Expresses His Surprise.
1T was. therefore. with no little sur
prise. not 70 say CONSERVATION, that
learn that 'twenty-oue such classes have
already been established or arranged for.
and at least four more are contemplated
Fourteen different schools art. represented.
The putting OF the plan into effect
was placed by the superintendent in the
hands Of Mr.. clark and DR.. Montgomery.
and they have endeavored to carry out
the superintendent's instructions in good
faith.
To find time for this. IT was necessary
to cut the more essential subjects of the
grades. It IS proposed to cut geography
from the eighth grade. and physiology
from the seventh grade. and that the
time now given to such primary but es-
sential subjects as writing, history, arith-
metic. English and music. are to be
seriously shortened
Considering the necessity OF purchss-
ing text books and other considerations,
the difficulties and objections Sn the way
OF putting this fad into the grades at this
time seem insurmouHtsble, for the reason
that it is OF doubtful legality It has not
been authorized by the board or by
Congress"
Prof. Evermann then offered the follow
ing resolution:
Resolved, That it is the sense OF this
board that the establishment at this time