New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-25
Should the Board of Superintendent
Be Abolished? Will Its Vacancy
Be Filled by Specialist
or Politician?
Public School Policies, Plans and Accom-
pIishments will be set forth here weekly.
or Politician?

portant and sincere. However, a grent
many innocent educators have guileless-
ly submitted their applications in the
fond. foolish belief that their homes
may end in fruition. and that the light
ming may strike them. Possibly II
may. but probably it will not. With so
much home talent in the field 1t might
sppear to some % be like waste and
ineficiency to hand out a $4,000 job
TO an out-of-town educator-and Elec-
ton Day is quite near at hand.
II is q question whether II Is either
necessary or advisable to fill the "a
cancy at all. II is a question whether
a board OF superintendent is neces.
sary at all The school inquiry, OF
which mis- honor the Mayor was once
chairman, reported in favor OF the alb
clifton of the Board of Superintendent
and emphasized the uselessness OF It's
existence.
IL is n question whether or not II
would not he better 10 refrain from
filing the vacancy, with the legislative
session so near at hand, and TO re-
constitute and replace che board OF
Superintendent in the educational
control Of the public school system by
employing specialists in the -Aost I'M,
portant branches Of education lnsteau
of by continuing the present cum
brous and inefficient form Of manage
ment.
The budget muddle, of which every
body is we'll aware, is due 70 the lack
of knowledge Of school conditions eX-
hibited BIZ certain of the associate su-
perintendents. That is the reason why
Mrs. NJ. {. Ford and one or two
other subordinstes of the Board
Of Estimate and Apportionment have
been able TO show that the recommen-
dations Of the superintendent as to
the teaching needs Of the school sys-
tenn have been faulty and overstated.
II was not because the subordinates
Of the Board Of Estimate and AppOr-
tioument were experienced educators
and educational administrators that
they were able to do this, but because
thew knew more about the needs OF
the schools than did the superintend-
euts themselves. They had traversed
the field. had visited every school IN
the system, and had formed their con-
clusions from actual inspection and
visitation. in which particular the as
sociate superintendent had utterly
failed. Where had these superintend-
cnts been? What were they dong
and where were they when there was
being made the examination that led
10 the exposure of their lack Of knowI-
edge Of school conditions?
II is we'll known that two euperin-
tendents were detailed to struggle
with the problem of vocational IN
struction in the schools. but they so
utterly failed, either to comprehend
-he needs of the schools in this par
ticular or to present anything Ike
plan, that il was found nee
essary to send for superintendent
Writ. Of Gary. Ind. and for Dean
Schneider. of Cincinnati, ONO. TO DO
the work.
Why should it be necessary for the
city Of New York to pay $4,000 each
TO Superintendent Writ and Superln-
tendent Schneider for sporadic services
# the Board Of Superintendent is eih-
cient?
What is needed at the seat of con
troll is not a Board Of Superintendent
that meets periodically for the per
Torrance Of minor matters Of admins
tration which can readily be performed
by clerks, but a group Of specialists IN
education, each individual of which
group shall be responsible for his par
ticular branch, branch in which he
shall be a recognized authority and in
connection with which he should be
leader.
Methods and processes in education
have kept pace with and, in fact, are
ahead Of public requirements elsewhere,
but the progressive movement has been
for several years retarded in the City Of
New York. II this we're not the case,
wbv send for Superintendent Writ, Of
Gary. and Dean Schneider, Of Cincin-
natl? II is apparent that the lock step
form of progression has been current
and that the school system has lost
some Of its momentum.
It is not permissible for the younger
and better educated and more progress
sive element in the school system to
jmpart instruction in the way that they