Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-13
Endorsed by the District Board
of Education.
REPORT GOES TO CONGRESS
Superintendent Stuart's Views Re-
garding Midterm Promotions.
THE MEETING OF EDUCATORS
Program for the Entertainment OF
Delegates-List of Changes
in Public Schools.

The plan for penSlOnlnS veteran ledch-
ers of the District public schools, as pre-
pared by a special committee and out
lined in The Star previously, was adopted
bv the board of education yesterday at its
regular meeting in the Franklin School
building. 1t will now be submitted to the
counsel of the board. Mr.. Stuart McNa-
mara. and to the District auditor and the
controller of the Treasury Department
to be nut into the proper legal shape for
presentation to Congress. This, it was de-
cIared. will be one of the most beneficial
laws for the local school system ever
adopted.
The need for larger buildings, especially
for the enlargement of the Business and
the Mckinley High School buildings, was
also emphasized in reports made to the
board yesterday afternoon. Many routine
matters Were considered.
One of the surprises of the board meet
ing was the presentation of petition
signed by thirteen citizens OF the District
asking that F. l.. Cardozo, the dismissed
supervising principal. be reinstated in the
schools The petition was sent by the
sirners to Capt. James F. Oyster, presi-
dent of the board. and he presented it to
the board 1t was referred to Attorney
Stuart Mcnamara for decision as to the
power of the board to put Mr.. Cardozo
back into the schools.
Thirty-five minutes after the scheduled
time President James +. Oyster called the
meeting to order and the transaction or
business was begun. DR. B. w. Everman
and Ms. Mary Church Terrell were ap-
sent, and Mrs. j. r. Hill. who was pres
ent when the board met, left soon after
ward
Report of Superintendent.
The report of the superintendent was
the first communication presented to the
board. He pointed out that many of the
school buildings in the District are so
small that double grades cannot be main
tanned in them, and therefore midyear
promotions necessitate transfers from
building to building in some cases. In the
course of the report Supt. Stuart said:
Under the operation of the plan of
semi-annual promotions in effect Feb
ruary 10. 19cs, the high school enrolment
has been increased follows:
Business High School, 173; Central High
School, 53; Eastern High School. %; Nc
High School, 80; Armstrong Manual Train
ing, 81: NJ Street High School. q.
These increases have necessitated the
employment of two additional teachers in
the Business High School and three in the
Mckinley Manual Training School. The
problem of organization at the Mckinley
Manual Training School and the Business
High School Is especially difficult. owing
to lack Of room. but the principals are
handling the matter with excellent judg
ment
Under date of February I addressed
letter to each member Of your board
calling attention to some of the difficult
ties encountered by the supervising prin-
cipals in organizing the graded schools
under the plan of semi-annual promotions
of pupils.
Advantages Pointed Out.
The advantages of this plan are obvi-
Gus. Pupils who are not promoted are
held back for only half year instead of
for a whole year as heretofore. This is
an important advantage educationally.
But the midyear movement of pupils
is not an unmixed blessing in Washing
ton. owing to the number of small build
ings which can accommodate only one
class OF a grade rather than two This
leads to what seems to the parent to be an
unnecessary shifting of pupils from
building to building. and gives rise to
some complaint. directed the supervising
principals to study carefully each local
situation and 10 make no unnecessary
changes of pupils Or teachers. advising
that wherever possible the pupils finish
out the year under their Eresent teachers
thus advancing the teachers with the pu-
pills This was generally done.
MANY cases occurred. however wnere
transfers of groups Of pupils must inev-
itably be made to other buildings in order
to place them in the A or grade for
which they were qualified. 1t is fortu-
nate. however, that our school buildings
are so placed that the city child travels
no great distance in any particular case
in going from one school to the next
Where there is a group of building on
the same lot. or two buildings lying with
In three or four squares OF each other
the supervisor has had to consider them
as practically one for purposes of organi-
Zation. and this has proved no hardship
az these buildings are on a parity in
points of sanitation. equipment and ability
OF the teaching force.
Il am sure II can be safely said that
the utmost care has been and will be ex-
ercised in assigning pupils to their re-
spective grades"
Prize for Best Work.
An offer of prize of a five-dollar gold
piece for the best work done by pupils m
the District schools along the line of