New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-24
TBE CHlRrER AND THE SCHOOLS.

THE en- iRTER iAD THE SCHOOLS.
Important protests and arguments
have been made against various feat
urcS of the proposed new charter for
this city but none of them are stronger
or more convincing than those which
relate 10 the educational feature and
which are embodied i'm the brief pre-
pared 10y the Public Education AssOcia-
ZION. Logic i'm theory. example in prac-
tjcc. and an overwhelming weight Of
unbiased and authoritative expert opin-
ion are all incXorably opposed 10 the
establishment OF a salaricd Board Of
Education. TO the coordination of the
I Department of Education with the other
departments of municipal government.
to tho reduction of authority of the
supervising STAFF and To other cduca-
/ tioual provisions Of the charter.
/ ON these points the uneQuivOcal and
particularly earnest and emphatic iudg-
ment of eminent and successful educa-
4 tors should surely have much weight.
Among those who thus express them
selves against the proposed charter are
/ the headS-in some cases also distin-
gUiShed former headS-Of Harvard. Yale.
! Columbia. Johns Hopkins. New York
, University. Williams. Stevens Institute,
1.-The University of Michigan and many
other colleges and normal schools, the
! head Of the Carnegie Foundation. the
former United States Commissioner OF
/ Education. state and city commissioners
of education. city superintendent of
schools. school principals, educational
writer's. and indeed. such an array Of
cXrert authorities as we have very sell
dom seen aligned on any issue. MI
these condemn the charter provisions IN
/ tie strongest manner. as practically GER
/ tain to Subyert the best interests OF the
public school system.
Nor are these all On one point. the
proposal 10 make the Board of Educa-
/ lion i'm all respects like the other de-
partments of the city government, jul
d;cial as well rs academic authorities
are cited one Of the foremost of these
ARGUES that the Board Of Education IS
mot a part of the municipal corporation,
nut l. IlStIl a lOfdl ~NIiV'l WI l'i ''''''i-'
like every board of school district truS-
tees throughout the state, land Is. like
every such board. an integral part OF
the general school system of the state.
/ 1T is a state and not city agency,
doing state and not city work ana
functions. Education is not city. vii
"iaee. county or town business. 1t rs
"a matter belonging TO the state GOV
"enment. From its comprehensive
Foundation down 10 the recent codlii-
cation of our school laws our state
system of education has remained a
F consistent whole
/ We cite the foregoing opinion n pc
culiarly pertinent 10 the present con-
/ juncture of affairs for the reason that
/ fl was uttered by William J. Gaynor a
/ Justice of the Supreme Court of this
state i'm the course Of a Judgment rem
dcrcd in that court in the city of Brook
IIvn. We should scarcely expect 10 see
/ William j. Gaynor. Mayor of the City Of
/ New York. advocate or even coUntcnance
- reversal Of that sane and convincing
opinion 10y violently Wrestling the New
/ York Board of Education from lis place
/ i'm The consistent whole of the state
school system and making il not state
! hut city agency.