Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-06
Supt. Chancellor's Removal.


The causes underlying the school tur-
MOL, eliminating in its latest phase in
the dismissal of Supt. Chancellor. date
back to the separation of the school sys-
TEN from the municipal administration.
BY vesting the power of appointment in
the District Supreme Court Congress
laid the foundations for the house of
trouble which has since been erected.
For this disturbance of the normal and
logical arrangement there was not the
slightest reason. The judges disliked
the imposition upon them of these nom
judicial duties, some of them doubted
the constitutionality of this part of the
legislation, and, by their recent action
on DR.. Chancellor's petition they demon
strated that they hold themselves under
no responsibility in relation to the board
of education except that of original ap-
pointment.
The first act of the new board of educa-
ton, intrusted with the execution of the
new and complex system of promotions.
with other innovations in the educational
administration, was to go atield for a
superintendent. Against this The Star
protested. as an unnecessary and a dan
gerous enterprise, involving risk of ac-
centing the factional troubles from
which the schools had been suffering for
several seasons. The board. however,
persisted. and after some difficulty found
a man of its choice in Paterson, N. j., a
man with some reputation as writer on
educational subjects. but of limited ex-
perience as an administrator. The Star
was disappointed at the outside selection,
but was willing to be persuaded by the
appointee's performances that he was
worthy of the trust reposed in him by
the board. He gave it and the local
community, however. no chance to re-
ceive favorable impressions, for his first
official actions, so prompt as to create
the impression that his judgment had been
formed for him by others, were so start
ling as to raise prejudice against him
at the outset. He read the new law in
terms absolutely opposed to those under
stood by the citizens as its main inspira-
ton. He violated the fundamental prin-
ciple of the automatic promotion system
by holding that all teachers were out of
o06ce and required reappointment. He
recommended disnissals right and left
without investigation, and revived old
fractional troubles in all their former
bitterness.
Inside of month after DR.. Chancellor
had taken charge of the school system of
the District it was in a state bordering
upon chaos. With his Innovations has
tily adopted without regard to their local
fitness, his slap-dash method of disposing
of affairs, his absolute failure to acquaint
himself with the actual school conditions
and his apparent obedience to domi-
nant faction in the board which was ap-
parently bent upon working its own ends
regardless OF the welfare of the schools
the new Superintendent rendered himself
obnoxious I'd the majority of the people
e, Washington before the Christmas holi-
dNsN, His eaustic and ill-founded COM
m&ts) upon the District Commissioners,
his Yontemptuous criticisms of the Su-
pfeme Court of the District and later the
SeneAi public belief that he was the
authot of. or at least was largely respon-
~s1bfe for, libelous article which ap-
peared in the Educational Review, Sc
verely Scoring not only the schools. but
the NeOple of Washington, all tended to
carry deeper the conviction that he was
impossible as a successful superintendent.
| Now the end has come. and after a
painfuI proceeding lasting nearly two
nonths the Imported superintendent. who
was doomed TO failure before his arrival
by his now confessed acceptance of dis
creditable conditions, at the behest of a
. faction of the board. is dismissed. The
hope of the community is that the board
OF educefion. in making its fresh start,
w1fsaHDid the fractional domination which
has wrecked DIR. Chahcellor's admins
tration: and in undoing the mistakes and
in remedying the injustices which have
been done through DR.. Chancellor will
perform it's work thoroughly; and that
Supt. Stuart will be supported heartily
by the board, the teachers and all
Washington in effecting that cessa-
tion of fractional bitterness and that har.
monious cooperation which are essential
TO the welfare OF the schools and school
children of Washington. The Stars great
est regret in this situation is that its ad-
vice against importing superintendent
was not followed at the outset, and that
when the importation was effected and
the mistakes inherent in the policy be-
came apparent, they were not immedi-
ately cured.
For Dr. Chancellor in his present plight
there will be more of pity than of anger
Temperamentally unsuited to such a
charge. weak enough to tie his own
hands by accepting the conditions upon
which the appointment was rendered him,
he has from the beginning of his career
in Washington been foredoomed to fail
ure. Whether he has received fair treat
ment now in his last official emergency
must be left to the judgment of the pub
lie. That his usefulness as head of the
school system ended long ago, however.
has been painfully apparent for months.
Let us have peace in the schools.
Arguments which threaten hero i'm