The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-22
DIR. ELIOT ATTACKS
CITY SCHOOL BOARD
Unwicldy and Incompetent, tho
Opinion of Harvard
Honorary Head.
BODY OF SEVEN IDEAL
DR.. Howe Of Peoples Institute
Also Tells Of Evils II
Present system.
BODY OF SEVEN IDEAL

Or. Charles ". Eliot, pr.g''co. o-,,o,
titus of Harvard. and Dr Frcdcr.. e.
Howe. director OF tne Peoples ,r>tltu..
attacked the Board of Education ls,
night, at the meeting of the ruhl!. Ia.
cation Association at The Hotel TLt.
as an unwieldy. incompetent body 90 su,.
vival of old political ideas and an inst.
tuition wholly untitled to carry on M.
huge. complicated public school sys,on, q,
New York city.
The meeting was called 20 arouse tub
lie interest In such charter revision ne
would give the city a small school board
DIR. Eliot and DIR. Howe were enthusias-
tically applauded when they suggested a
board of five or seven members and
pointed out the evils OF a board so large
as the present one.
Sound theory and recent successful
experience" said Or Eliot, indicate tina,
a small board is much more effective than
a large board such as New York employs
A small board. the members of which
are replaced gradually, and never many
at once, can sit around n small table and
talk together In conversational tone.
without excitement or occasion for ora
tory; and a majority of It's members will
always have had some experience
large board, like the present board in
New York, cannot enjoy those advantages
Much experience has already been nc
quired by educational and business cor
porations In favor OF small boards OF
directors. which give no room for dun.
mics, or for separate representation OF
small geographical areas. or of insignia
cant local Interests.
Seven Better Than Nine.
Greater New York, two large boz
oughs and three smaller, might appro-
priately create a board of seven members
or nine IL it was thought important to
represent proportionately the diiiercn;
masses of population: but for business
efficiency seven would be better than nine
In either case no more than two III, IN
bers should be replaced in any year so
that the length of first term service
should be four years in a board of seven
or five years in a board of nine, members
being eligible for reelection.
This small board should exercise 10
executive functions whatever. The pres
ent board of forty-six members undo,
takes to exercise executive functions ~.
great variety through its committee.
There Is hardly person on the ples,ri
board who could properly be called IN
educational expert 1t was never IN.
tended or expected that the Boari uf
Education should I've composed of e,p.,l..
yet II tries to do in some fashion or 10, 90.
an immense amnint of expert WORK. u OIL,
executive functions exercised hy ..,
present board are inappropriate g."
cheney il not TO be expected of a nuI..
which works on such a plan.
Any competent railroad bank ur i.c
tory manager who examined thc adm
istratiNe structure of the New York ~
lie school system would be sure To- a-..
How has 1t been possible to maiu' r
even the present inadequate system ...
der such board" The answer is, r't.
the city has had the benefit of IN. U,.
voted services of n remarkable superb
tendent and OF thousands Of teachers urt
We're faithful to their calling and tn,
pupils In spite Of many trials and d.-.
couragements