Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-01
SCHOOLS.

SCHOOLS.
The year 1910 will long be remembered
by those who follow the history of the
public schools. as in the twelve months
just elapsed the board of education has
experienced all the sensations of a sue
cesSful body. as we'll as having it's cor
porate existence threatened by proposed
legislation. it's membership has changed,
IT has had two presidents and has elected
a superintendent for a term of three
years.
w. V. Cox resigned from the board in
December. He was at that time president
of the board. having been elected to that
office July I, few days after James
F. Oyster completed two terms as presi-
dent and refused reelection. Capt.
Oyster still remained as a member of the
board. When Mr.. Cox resigned the board
selected it's former president, and Capt.
Oyster now yields the gavel at it's meet
ings. Henry P. Blair was chosen to
succeed Barton w. Evermann. whose
term as member of the board expired in
May. Ernest II. Daniel was selected by
"A. T: Stuart, superintendent of public
schools, was reelected unanimously by
the beard December Z. His term runs
for three years from January s, 1911.
Mrs. Elizabeth Hoeke and r. r. Horn
er, whose terms expired in May, were
reappOlnted as board members by the
court. The one big feature of the year
In the school situation is the criticism
OF the board of education by Commission
err Judson, who charges that the schools
are managed extravagantly.
Abolition of Board Proposed.
In order to bring the control of the
schools back under the District Com
missioners. a bill was introduced in the
House of Representatives by Representa-
tive Peters. and a full explanation of
why 1t was introduced was furnished by
the Commissioners in the shape of a
report on the needs for a change. The
Peters bill Is now famous point Of con-
troversy. 1t is framed so that IL it be-
comes a law the board of education will
be wiped out and the schools will be put
under director Of education, who will
have the same place in the District gov
eminent as the health officer. the superin-
tendent or police or any other depart
ment head. Following the publication of
the Peters bill and the subsequent con-
troversy came the section of the Presi-
dents message devoted to the schools,
ana the recommendation for some change.
Answers Of the criticisms have been fur
nished by the board.
Vocational training in the schools has
received especial attention this year.
Supt. Stuart has outlined a new policy of
training school boys and girls along lines
which are laid so that public school edu-
cation will be of greater value than ever
to the graduates of the schools plan
for industrial and vocational education in
the cOlOred schools has been outlined by
Assistant Supt. Bruce and will be worked
out in part or in full. IL Congress ap-
propriates money for the needed teachers.
New Buildings Are in Use.
Several new school buildings have been
added to the Districts collection of pub
lie buildings in the year. The Western
High School has received a forty-thou-
sanddollar addition. the Henry D.. Cooke
School, opened during the year. is pointed
out as one Of the models for schoohouse
architecture. The Eaton School at Cleve-
land Park is pointed out as model for
eight-room buildings. Plans for a splen-
did building to house the white normal
school are being prepared, and within
eight months a splendid addition to Nc
kinley Manual Training School will be
finished, the plans having been drawn and
bids opened during the past year. Normal
School No. has been planned. Its To-
cation has been the cause of lengthy
controversy during the past year, but
the Commissioners and the board have
agreed to place 1t just west Of Howard
University.
School repairs have been the source of
much study on the part of the board of
education during the year, and at the
time school opened in September the re-
pair situation was found to be in better
shape than ever before. School enroll
ments for the year showed nearly 1850
pupils in September. with every indica-
ton pointing to an enrolment Of nearly
$1,000 when the total figures for the
school year were compiled.
Urge Pensions for Teachers.
Passage Of the teachers pension bill
which has been before Congress for sew
eraI years was urged during the year by
teachers, public and press. In the resig-
nation statement of Mr.. Cox he stated
that he believed no other feature of
school affairs was of such vital impor-
lance as the need for quick passage of
the bill.
the board Of education was involved deep
ly during the year were those involving
Irene Wall and young Castle. These
were individual cases, but attracted wide
Of great importance as affecting the flu
ture. Irene Wall, the daughter of
white woman and a cOlored man, and to
all appearances a perfect type of Cauca-
and her father protested. He claimed
her white child. The white members of
the board called her a colored child. the
colored members called her a white child.
Between the three sides of the argument
there was no school for the child. The
matter was presented to the board by an
attorney and the board voted Irene Wall
a colored child. This decision was aft
erward upheld in the District Supreme
Court.
The Castle vaccination case was
brought by Charles w. Castle to test the
compulsory vaccination law. The Anti
Compulsory Vaccination Society took the
matter up. The board decided that. re-
CARELESS Of individual opinions as to
whether or not the law was just or con-
stitutional, it must enforce the law until
changed. The matter has been taken to
the courts.
| IN THE CHURCHES.