New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-12
OPPOSE GAYNOR CHARTER
Prominent Educators Protest
Against Paid Education Board.
"IM POWER OF THE MAYOR"
DR.. Charles w. Eliot Declares
Chapter Contains Too Many
Gripping Restrictions.

Prominent educators throughout the
country have voiced their disapproval OF
the educational chapter OF the proposed
new charter. and in letters written to
Charles p. Rowland, president OF the Pub
H.; Education Association, have given
their reasons for their stand against this
section of the so-caled Gaynor charter.
Charles W. Eliot, former president OF
Harvard University. In a letter to Mr..
Rowland, sets forth three reasons why the
proposed chapter should not become law
His first reason is that the proposal to pay
large salaries to the seven members or the
Board OF Education seems to imply that
these men are to devote all their time to
the service Of the public schools.
DR.. Eliot says this has never been the
case with school boards I'm American cities,
maintaining that the members or the
boards have always been regarded as rep
resentatives Of the citizens, selected TO
direct the schools. The success OF the
small unpaid boards has been proved by
experience, according to DR. Eliot, and he
suggests such a plan for this city. DR..
Eliot says:
notice that the educational chapter OF
OF the superintendent OF schools i'm several
important respects. These curtailments
seem to me wholly undesirable. The Board
OF Education should be left entirely free
TO pres 'ribe the rights and powers Of the
superintendent. and, indeed. OF all the
officials appointed by the board.
The most remarkable things, however,
proposed in this chapter are the reductions
I'm the powers OF the Board OF Education
itself The board is to be compelled TO APP
point no superintendents or directors of
experience In the city schools. This will
prove TO be very Gripping restriction
Again, the board is TO have no independent
income, but is to be completely In the
power Of the Mayor and the Board of Esti-
mate and Apportonment. so far as its
receipts. and therefore its expenditures
are concerned.
II would be a grave misfortune for all
the city school systems in the country IL
the State Legislature should force on the
great city Of New York the educational
structure proposed in the new charter.
Alex. c. Humphreys. president of Stevens
Institute OF Technology, in letter to Mr..
Rowland. says:
AS a former member OF the Board OF
Education, as an engineer and a busi-
ness man engaged I'm Industrial pursuits;
as the president Of a college of engineering,
has always been deeply interested in the eff
cient education OF the masses for self-sup-
port. ] am Of the opinion that the provi-
sions in the proposed charter for the ad-
mlnistration OF the public schools are faulty
In the extreme, and II put into operation
would work great injury TO the schools.
President Humphreys says he is con-
WINGED that many OF the difficulties which
| have beset the teachers and superinten-
dents OF the public schools OF the United
States have been due to political sugges-
o,J gran at ha
it has been essening but it should not be
allowed TO renew its strength In the school
system OF New York.
President Humphreys suggests that the
technical direction of the public schools
should be in the hands Of men trained in
the profession OF teaching. and paid ac-
cordingly. but that the control OF finances
and the general direction can be Entrusted
more safely to outsiders. He further be
leves that there should be no difficulty in
securing such body OF men who will
serve without pay.
Professor Charles W. Judd. Of the Uni
versity Of Chicago, points out that chief
among the defects Of the proposed educa
tional chapter is the method Of appointing
and examining teachers. The present plan
IN New York city. he says. is one Of the
best and most successful In the country.
and n Il 10 this that must be attributed
the enormous advance which has been
made In the last fifteen years To break
up the present plan is 10 GO back TO the
Middle Ages. in the opinion Of Professor
Judd
A r. virship. editor IT the journal Of
Education" In a letter 70 MI Rowland.
says:
know at first hand and from many visits
every city system in the United States
and most Of those IN the provinces. and
nowhere else is there ANYTHING SO unpro-
fessional SO I'M American, so educationallv
reoellent as the New York system would
he under such q charter. At every point II
degrades the public schools and magnifies
politics as they have never been ragnihed
L. e.