The sun., 1909-06-14
SCHOOL BOARD UNDER FIRE
PETORTS on DIR. ALLEN. MI
NICIPAL RESEARCHER.
lie says Its Reports Don't Tell the Truth
and II Has Diverted Funds Contrary
10 Its Pledges Reply Intimates That
Muckraker Amuck II . Danger.


10 Its PiedEes-Reply Intimates That
+. Nuckraker Amuck IL . Danger.
pr William H, Allen, director Of the
p,,reau OF Municipal Research. made pub
lie Yesterday detailed criticism OF the
methods Of William II Maxwell. Super
intendent Of Schools. in giving out in
formation concerning the public schools
NJ Greater New York. He declares that
the educational and business heads Of
The Department Of Education have
Jumped without looking have talked
without knowing. have understated. over
stated. misstated and concealed the
truth
DR.. Aliens statement is In response to
an article just published in the Educa-
fiondl Rerieu as an answer to one by DR..
Allen in the same publication last Feb
ruary in which DR.. Allen asserted that
reports Of the New York schools are not
es full and frank as elsewhere and are
occasionally jugged to establish ap-
pearances that are not justified by the
facts The answer is written by DR..
5ohn l.. Tidsley. principal OF De Witt
Clinton High School.
DR.. Tildsley's article starts out with
the charge that DR.. Allen and the Bureau
of Municipal Research are responsible for
tmalevolent criticism Of the management
Of the public school system Of New York
city declares that the bureau Is to blame
for reduction of IS 500, 900 in the school
budget OF 1909. and charges DR.. Allen and
the bureau with endangering the cause Of
education by shaking the publio's faith
in those who administer our schools"
The Bureau Of Municipal Research Is
now circulating both the Tildsley pamph-
Let and DR.. Aliens reply to it. In giving
out the two articles DR.. Allen said:
We ars taking DR.. Tildsley's article
seriously because We know 1t is an in
spired document. approved and circulated
by the City Superintendent OF Schools.
and because administrative officers Of
the Board OF Education have not yet
repudated it's scores OF errors and it's
attempt to condone broken pledges and
misleading official statements"
Dr.. Allen remarks that this is the sec
ond recent attempt to make it appear
that he is led to discuss school questions
hy some other motive than the desire
10 know the truth. The other was a
reply to questions by President Win
throp of the Board Of Education regard
ing the cost Of repairs to school buildings
in Queens after DR.. Allen had raised the
point that the cost was all out OF proper
ton to that in other boroughs. In this
case the responsible authorities Furnished
President Winthrop with data that arc by
Dr. Allen declared to have been entirely
misleading. whereupon nothing further
was done about the matter.
The character of these two state
rents. involving the bushes, reputation
and administrative methods Of the
Board of Education. Is such that in pri-
vate business they would have led i'm
nediately to apologies. designations or
dismissal upon charges said Dr. Allen.
Detailed attention is called to these
statements because the taxpayers OF New
York have reached the limit Of ability
70 vote. millions to education without
,hsy hsEs hN2.;s been ;s abb, able
i1ore important, conditions have reached
the point where the welfare Of our school
children and their progress in school re-
uure that pertinent questions should be
answered by facts, not abuse or evasion
Or. 4i!dsley asks. is there not grave
tanger in these days that the fact hunt
ing reformer. as he runs amuck among
the departmental OF the government OF a
great city may make the better cause
eppear the worse? Is there not ground
70 fear, as he attempts 70 show all depart
ments to be badly managed. all officers
inefficient and many OF them dishonest,
that the confidence OF the people may be
So shaken in the possibility OF efficient
government that two disastrous results
viii ensue, the first one that our best
Ineu may be unwilling to take office,
The second that citizens may seek to con-
tract rather than expand the activities
uf our city government Il
} Dr. Allen had criticised the report for
1875 as misleading. deficient and erroneous
in satisfies. DR.. Tildsley says
May we not well question DR.. Aliens
aictun that the greatest need in educa
ton ia the reporting OF such educational
tActs. is nota greater need the presence
IL our edlcationa system of men OF large
vision, n keen insi ight. of sound judg-
nent whose every utterance is a fact to
lie reckoned with, and worthy to form
the basis pr a large movement and a
resulting expendtnr, OF funds?- To
this Dr.. Allen replies:
Tor over fifty years lea ding educators have
fll!p0dl lCdIlN NeCtareO tnHt tne every utter
htcf oirnen OF large vision is not asafe re-
lance 10 form the basis for new movement
and resulting expenditure OF funds" can
'or Give Of no doctrine that will do 40 much
~ shake the faith OF citizens in both the hon.
s'ty and efficiency OF schools as to try to
enforce the theory that the unsupported
w'erance Of a superintendent Of Schools
enough 10 justify expenditure Of funds.
Suppose he next superintendent utters the
reverse? Who knows what the "utterance"
means. What II every utterance" changes
over night, as is often he case where school
ofgas Try TO get results from an unin-
!o'ned public?
Dr.. Tldsley critici ses DR.. Allen for
declaring as a fact that il would have
'cst s?5 eco 600 to carry out recent sug-
Re-s,lors Of Supt. Maxwell in his report
without submitting the figures upon
Lr Allen replies that the fact is that II
would have cost sI2o ,OOO,O 900 and says
'tat II the educational authorities had
thown 10 per cent OF the anxiety to learn
u" trih that they have shown to make
80 cage in this article they would
iNe Gisccvered that il would have cost
'.'iCDttD 10 carry out the recommended
neus alter several had been omitted
10 r"pIj 10 a charge in DR.. Aliens Feb
diverted funds contrary TO written and
verbal pledges DR. Tildsley says that the
l'afd # lducGtion OF this city IL a COR
i''a'" rcd" Of trustees and had no legal
- fh"idl right TO bind itself as TO the dis
lC-ltion Of it, general fund nor has any
't'i a. the right 10 make such demand