Evening star., 1915-11-16
PLANS FOR ADULTS
IN SOCIAL CENTERS
Board of Education to Provide
Teachers if Night Schools
Are Formed.
PROGRAM is INDICATED
AT MONDAY EVENING CLUB
supt. Thurston and Henry P. Blair
Deliver Addresses on Edu-
cational Topics.

| Development of Washington's social
centers through the formation of night
schools for adults is in contemplation
by the board of education
The Monday Evening Clab, which was
| instrumental in bringing about enact
ment of the social center bill, was told
last night by Ernest l.. Thurston, su
perntendent of schools, that it is
planned to provide teachers for COM
munity groups of citizens who desire
to meet in the school buildings at night
for educa tional work.
| While not going into details of the
plan, which is in an embryonic state,
Mr.. Thurston suggested. that wh.sre cit
| izens desire instruction along special
! lines and organize themselves into
| classes effort would be made to pro-
vide teachers for them. so far The
school building auditoriums have been
| used almost exclusively by parents and
teachers associations and citizens as
| soc;ations Inauguration of night
| school work for the grown ups Of the
various school communities would, 1t is
suggested. carry the social center 1dea
| to its highest development.
Club Observes ''School Night
Last night was school night" on the
Monday Evening Clubs program. Su-
| pervising Principal w. 3. Patterson
| was chairman for the meeting, which
was held in the auditorium of the Y.
NJ c. A. and largely attended.
| "The Night Schools and Their l1imlta
tions," was the subject of Superintend-
ent Thurston's address. Henry +.
Blair, president OF the board of educa-
ton. who spoke in advance of the su-
1perintendent. discussed some Pressing
School Needs" enumerating as one OF
1.-THE most important teachers fetlfe-
| ment law.
| Mr. Thurston went into considerable
| detail in presenting the limitations OF
the night schools, from the standpoint
of both grade and high schools. lie
stated that $4,000 is spent annualS mn or 1n
the teaching alone; that 4,10l puplis
We're instructed last year at an average
! cost of S46 each, the school year exlend-
! ing over period of twenty weeks.
! In the grade schools it is getting to
| be more of an older pupil problem, he
said In the grades last year instruc-
tion was given 500 foreigners, but the
alien representation was reduced this
year on account of many of them being
called to Europe by the war.
Demand for Academic Glasses.
| There is a decided demand for aca-
demic classes in the night schools, con-
|
demand which cannot be supplied un-
der present conditions. Mr.. Thurston
outlined some of the courses which
should be added to the night school
curriculum, and urged an extension of
| the school year and an increased APP
preparation for carrying on the work
President Blair spoke at length on
the need of a retirement law for teach
ers and urged the club to help bring
about such legislation. Pointing out
that about thirtyfour states have such
a law, while lnnumerable communities
have workable retirement plans, Mr..
Blair stated that the fiscal relation
ship between the local and federal gov
ernments should not deter Washington
as municipality from making provi-
sion for it's faithful teachers who grow
old in the service.
/ IF we can't get retirement law
what is the solution of the problem pr
he asked. "Demotions must follow"
| Explaining this statement, Mr.. Blair
said consideration for the child must be
given preference over consideration for
the faithful teacher; that If it is neces-
sary to denote teachers who as re-
suit of long years of service are doing
work beyond their endurance and abil-
lity, this course will be followed, though
it would be a regrettab1e thing if con-
scientious service should have to be re-
Warded in this manner.
/
Mr.. Blair expressed the hope that
eventually Congress Will appropriate
for the school needs of the District in
a lump sum so that the board OF edu-
cation will be in q position to provide
certain needs which are neglected every
wear because of the impossibility to
foresee and provide for them in the an
nual estimates. He criticised the pres
ent method OF having to estimate for
the schools ten months before given
school year begins.
Members of the club showed much IN.
terest in the school subject and asked
questions which were answered py the
sneakers and Chairman Patterson. Supt.
Tburston in response to an inquiry.
gave a brief description of the opera :
tion Of the operHair schools IN the Dis
trict. President Blair stated that 1t is
mot the intention to establish normal
schools for the training of night school
teachers, but expressed the hope that
in the near future it will be possible
to extend the regular normal school
course from two to three years.
t cuneryising Principal Patterson out
lined the operation of the atypical
rchools this being a subject that pre-
viously has been under consideration
by the CLUB.
i New Members Enrolled.
lust before adjourning the club
elected the following new members:
DIR. and Mrs c. c. Barr. Miss Nettie b.
Browne Mr.. and Mrs. Edward b.
Clark, Rev W. l.. DeNries. Miss Ada
Tanner, Miss Antoinette Tanner. Miss
Eliza Tonks, Miss Charlotte A. Van
Doren. T. w. Walton. Miss +. p. Wilde,
Miss clare Gaffney, Miss Grace 3. Mead
Miss Anna Rochester. Sidney Roche.
Miss Margaret Thompson. Mrs. j. K.
Hunter. Miss Clara F.. Ross, DR.. Ben
iamin s. Warren and Edward Syden-
stricker.