Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-20
WOULD END BOARD
Plan of Commissioners for
Educational System.
BILL SENT TO. CONGRESS
Provides for Director of Schools at
Annual Salary Of $1,000.
REASONS GIVEN FOR CHANGE
Not Necessary to Have Board Of
Education to Avoid Politics
in Administration.
BILL SENT TO. CONGRESS
REASONS GIVEN FOR CHANGE

Charging that there is more politics in
the school administration OF Washington.
under a board Of education, then there
would be under the Commissioners, and
that 1t Is more difficult here than else
where to secure the services of the best
men Of the community for the board OF
education. the Commissioners of the Dis
trict today sent to Congress a bill author
king the adjustment of the board of
education July next.
The bill IL recommended as q substitute
for the measure introduced by Repre-
sentative Bingham February IL. 1912.
giving the Commissioners supervision and
control Of the public schools In the Dis
trict With the exception of few minor
amendments. 1t Is identical with the bill
introduced last May by Representative
Peters, providing for q director of educa-
ton and q director OF charities OF the
District. In 50 Tar as the latter deals with
the subject Of education. The Commits
sioners. at the time. reported favorably
on the Peters BILL
1t Is provided In the Commissioner
bill that. with the abolition Of the board
Of education. all the duties and powers
exercised by the board shall be transfer
red to a director Of education, who shall
receive salary Of $1,000 per annum. The
director Of education, 1t Is stipulated.
shall be under the control and direction
of the Commissioners.
Opposed to Present System.
In their report accompanying the bill.
which was forwarded to Chairman John
son OF the House District committee
the Commissioners do not enter into as
an extended discussion Of the subject as
they did at the time Of reporting on the
Peters bill. but they make clear the fact
that they are opposed to the present
system Of control of the public schools by
q board Of education.
The report. in full, IL as follows:
1.-THE Commissioners of the District of
Columbia have the honor to submit the
following on H. r. 204S5, Sixty-second
Congress-, second session, to establish
the direction and control OF public educa-
ton in the District Of Columbia which
you referred to them for examination
and report.
March 80. 1910. the Commissioners sub
mitted voluminous report upon q bill.
H.. r. 22922, Sixty-frst Congress. second
session. known as the Peters bill, to
the District Of Columbia and for a d.
rector Of charities for the District Of
Columbia. and for other purposes To
this report the Commissioners respect
fully invite your attention. Lest the files
Of your committee may not be complete
Enclosed herewith.
1.-The Commissioners have had prepared
q bill. which Is inclosed herewith, identi-
cal with the Peters bill In so far as the
in the District Of Columbia. The Com
missioners now have the honor to recon-
mend that this bill. incl0eed herewith
be substituted for the bill HI. r. 20485,
Sixty-second Congress. second session,
upon which they are now reporting.
Methods Discussed.
1.-THE Commissioners are quite ready to
believe that in the average American city
educational matters can best be handled
by a board Of education. AS the result
of such a system the administration of
the schools can. in such cities. be remov-
ed, in whole or in part, from local politics
and IL the funds expended by the board
of education are provided. as Is usually
the case, by a special levy. the board IL
induced to pursue it's course with due
economy, inasmuch as the eyes OF all
taxpayers will be upon its expenditures.
I'm the District of Columbia conditions
are entirely different. 1t is not neces-
SaTy TO nave T. OOdFu u CuuSoliOu ~
divorce the administration of educational
matters from politics. On the contrary,
there is more politics in the school ad-
ministration here under board OF edu-
cation than there would be under the
Commissioners. Again, board OF educa-
ton in Washington Is not controlled As
to its expenditures by any public sentf-
ment, inasmuch as the tax rate In the
District Of Columbia is fixed and it sim
Div remains for the board to secure such
q proportion of said taxes as 1t can In
sentiment in Washington, therefore, to
control a board which might be extrava-
gantly inclined. Furthermore, whereas In
other cities 1t Is a very great honor to
serve upon a board Of education, In
Washington, due to the presence Of SO
many feCeral officials Of high rank. MEM
bership on the board Is without signih-
canoe corresponding with the honor OF
such service in other cities. 1t is more
difncult in Washington than elsewhere to
procure the service OF the best men In
the community for the board Of educa-
ton. :.
But One Change.
.'The bill which the Commissioners
herein indorse does not attempt to re-
organize the educational system, except
to change its head. Doubtless many re-
forms can be accomplished throughout
the organization. but 1t Is believed that
the expert who would be selected for
the dictatorship would. after study.
recommend these reforms more wisely
than could the Commissioners at this
time.
'.The Commissioners earnestly recon-