Evening star., 1908-01-29
The Dolliver Bill.

on schools. notwithstanding the local rep
reservations which have been made TO it,
has convinced itself that Washington
school conditions can be cured only by
Immediate legislation. il becomes neces-
sary in the public interest to examine
very carefully the changes which are pro-
posed
Ii has been recognized that the present
law is faulty in not giving to the judges
in specific and unmistakable terms the
power of removing as we'll of appoint
ing board of education. Their recent de-
cision constituting their powers or absence
Of powers under the law disclosed that the
board of education. once appointed, was
rremovable except by act Of Congress and
responsible 10 nobody. The DolIiver bill.
which transfers the power Of appointment
from the local judges to the federal COM
missioner of education. does not give 10
that official any other function in this
connection than that Of original appoint
ment Whoever appoints the board or the
superintendent or the director of educa-
tion should have the power and duty of
supervision and removal
Nothing but evil will result from any
legislative change which separates the
public schools still further from the mu-
nicipal government. Much mischief was
worked by the departure embraced in the
act of June 20. 1896 the present law
which revoutionized the system by trans
ferring the power of appointing the board
of education from the Commissioners to
the judges of the Supreme Court If there
was necessity for any reorganizing change
the remedy required was not in the de-
struction of all higher responsibility for
the schools and the creation of a board
Of education answera BILE to no persons or
authority for its conduct.
The turmoil of eighteen months. marked
al the climax by the forcible removal of
the superintendent chosen by the board
or TO speak with precision. chosen by
faction of the board bent upon securing
agency to accomplish certain partisan
results-may be attributed in chief to the
separation of the SCHOOLS from the organic
system of District government, of which
they are naturally an integral part.
Now it is proposed by the Dolliver bill.
idst favorably reported 10 the full Dis
trict committee of the Senate by the
school suocommittee. still further to re-
move the schools from the municipal ad
ministration and from the people by not
only eliminating the board Of education
but by vesting the power of appointing
the director of schools in the federal
commissioner of education. In other
words. il Is proposed to organize the
District schools as branch of this fed
eral bureau, which has heretofore exer-
cised only an academic authority over
the educational systems of the country.
and has had no direct and real authority
save over the scattered feeble schools of
Alaska
A school superintendent chosen under
the Dollfver bill would be answerable
TO nobody in Washington save the COM
missioner of education, and unless the
bill is amended would not be responsible
even to him. He would be susceptible
in not the slightest degree to public SEN
timent. He would be immune and iso-
lated from all the currents of local
thought. He could run the schools as
foolishly as he desired. as freakishly,
. with as ruthless disregard for home rule
and local sources of teachers supply as
he deemed fit with no voice to check him
save that of his creator. the commits
sioner of education, upon whom public
opinion might surge fiercely without pro-
ducing change of heart.
The proposition is wholly unaccept-
able. The school control should be local,
not national 1t should be responsible
not irresponsible. The logical solution
of the problems that exist today is to
reinveSt the District Commits sioners with
the power of appointment either of the
intermediary board of education or, if
that mechanism is deemed unnecessary,
of the superintendent or director.
There may be legitimate differences of
opinion as to the need of a board of
school administration. 1t is possible that
inasmuch as the Commissioners have a
well-organized business establishment
they could with entire success and with
out friction. manage the financial and
routine affairs of the schools. while rele-
eating to a single expert superintendent
or director the work of educational di-
rection. But. in any case. they should
bc burdened with the ultimate respousi-
biiity for the welfare of the school sys-
tenn just as they are intrusted with the
other departments of municipal admin
istration. The wise tendency to concen-
trate in the municipality all municipal
functions is exemplitied by. the recent
action of the Senate in, voting to sub
Stitute the District Commissioners for
the President of the United States as the
appointing power of the local board Of
charities
quent Mr.. Bryan and the silent Mr..