New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-29
THE GARY PLAN SEPARATES
SCHOOL AND CHURCH
Opponent of Gary Plan Fails to Sub.
NIT Speech for REPUTATION.

nit speech Tor Kefutatlon.
Nearly two weeks ago the school
editor OF 1.-THE Globe" made a speech
SO full of inaccuracies and misrep-
reservations about the Gary plan that
we challenged him 10 send US the
speech in full for refutation. We
added that IL the speech were not sent,
It would be evidence Of the fact that
its author feared TO submit 1t 70 the
test of refutation. The speech has not
been received. In it's place Mr.. Met
calfe made the statement on November
% in "The Globe" that "all the quota
tions and most Of the statistics (of his
address, were taken from Superin-
tendent Wirt's own report"
We acknowledge the receipt Of this
interesting piece of information. As
Il happens, however, we did not ask
merely for the quotations and stalls
tics from Mr.. Metcafe's speech. We
asked for the speech in full because
Il was Mr.. Metcalfe's method Of dis
torting quotations and statistics, and
his innuendoes and attacks on the
Gary plan based upon half quotations
and statistics taken out Of their con-
text, which we wished to get into the
open. But getting things out into the
open 10 evidently not relished by the
opponents of the Gary plan.
Fortunately, however, the educa-
tional page Of THE Globe" has given
two Illustrations during the last week
of how It misrepresents facts about
the Gary plan. And these two particu-
lar points are used constantly by Mr..
Netcalfe In his speeches on the Gary
plan.
disappearing the Facts.
The first point consists Of the ac-
cusation that Mr.. Writ "creates school
organizations of enormous size. On
November % "The Globe" stated that
parents, principals and teachers need
to give immediate serious consldera-
ton to that feature of the Gary plan
cations Of enormous size in this city.
apparently there isn't any limit -, 70
which Superintendent Writ is unwill-
ing 20 go in increasing the capacity OF
schools" As proof Of this tendency
Ia create schools with large numbers
Of classes under the Gary plan, great
stress was laid upon the fact that
Superintendent Writ proposes and
has definitely recommended for TINS
city policy of concentration OF pupiis
in a contracted school plant even if It
be necessary 10 have schools OF 81, co.
90 and even 1913 classes"
Sounds appalling, doesn't it? 1t was
anpalling to the audiences TO which
Mr.. Metcalfe made this unvarnlshed
statement. They gasped with horror
at the thought that New York City
should have a school with 12S classes,
or 90. or So, or 81. And forthwith
thew passed resolutions condemning
the Gary plan, an action which the
manner OF presentation of those
figures was nicely calculated to
produce.
Now what are the facts? During the
last wear Mr.. Writ has submitted re-
ports for the possible reorganization
Of four school districts in this city
and one individual school, Public
School 50. in Brooklyn. In all, fifty
one schools are involved. Four are 70
be torn down. OF the remaining
forty-seven, twelve are TO have more
than seventy-two classes. These are
the ones that furnish material for
scare headlines.
The l2S-Class School.
The school that is featured most as
an example of what the Gary plan WILL
bring US to is the one with l26 classes.
Here is the picture that Mr.. Meteaiie
draws of it, ut means that practically
1000 children would be herded INTO one
building. Three thousand would De re,
citing in the regular claSsrooms, l'OOO
would be in the shops music studios'
etc and 1000 would be in the audlto-
rum while 200 would be playing IN
the street or indoor playground"
Now that school is Public School 81,
Rrooklvn. a school building Of enon-
nous size. which as matter OF fact
contains at the present time nlnety-one
classrooms and ninety-seven classes,
exclusive of kindergartens. Public
School 81, however, is not one school,
but two schools, one for boys and one
for girls. And there is a principal for
each school. So that instead Of having
a school OF 1913 classes you would have
under the Writ reorganization two
schools of sixty-four classes each.
Moreover. under this reorganization me
size of classes is reduced TO forty chill
dren TO a class. The total number OF
children in The building would there
fore be 5.l2O, not 5000. But as the
school building contains two schools,
we should have under the Writ plan
two separate schools OF 1850 children
each. This means that there would be
! $50 children, or thirty-two classes, IN
each school reciting In the regular
classrooms, while ten classes, or Az
children. were in the auditorium. ten
classes at play and ten classes distrib-
uted in the various shops, laboratories,
music and drawing studios, etc.
Writ Not Responsible for Large
Schools.
T. is true that both these schools are
under one roof, but that is hardly Mr..
Wirt's fault. Il is the fault Of New
York City for erecting huge caravan
saries of over ninety classrooms. They
would never have been guilty Of a
thing like that in erecting a Gary
school. Under the circumstances, how
ever. Mr.. Writ has done the best thing
in limiting the number OF
children 10 forty 10 a class. This is
easily done In this Brooklyn district !