Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-23

fort to revolutionize our scnoOi Sys
tenn without due knowledge of what
really is and how ii compares witt
those of the best American cities. l
is not the least surprising, therefore,
that as the Commissioners acqu1r
knowledge from the public discussion
of ina subject they want to chang
their recommendations to Congress al
most hourly.
Answers Charges Of Friction.
Can't. oyster discussed at length thu
charge m;,de by Commissioner Newman
that there had been friction between
the board of education and the Commits
sioners during the earlier years or ths
ooeration OIL. the law of 1906 He de
clared the friction to have been due Il
the fact that the Commissioners IN
termeddled" with the Internal man
agement of tive schools.
The board was so subservaent 70 tn.
heck and call of the Commissioners,
he said. that the authorities OF IN.
municipal hui sding were not prodoeo
10 proper action when. for eNafnpie
schoolhouse repair was nesIee,eo' -,
commissioners were not in the leas'
sensitive to the really disgraceiui con,
ditions into which years of neglect mao
thrown the buildings. They were mol
sensitive TO the needs OF thus growing
community for school facilities
"One need only glance at the text
the DRAWN as. the photographs when
are embodied in the memorable repot
which the schoolhouse commission OF
1ooS made to Congress II he desires a
commemorative and vivid but entireiy
conservative ;tnd trustworthy state
ment of the gi.aring imper1ectiohS' ene
gross inadequaries OF the scnool ac
oon,uodations which the 1906 board OF
.d,cstion inherited from the Commits
sioners. .. =,
Then. too. the superintendent on
schools had prior TO 1906 no STATUTORY
authority in respect to the teachins
ma supervIsory corps. Finally, the
commissioners were primarily re
snonsible for the fact that our salary
schedules for all departments had pc
come most shabby. as contraSted WIN
,hoss of other cities. For, while other
school systems had been advancing
steadily in this and a thousand otner
particulars, the Commissioners. as
tracted with too many aous nao hs
ours almost come to standstili. Inc
law of 1906 gave our schoois decent
salaries at last.
Says Commissioners Were Nettleo.
$50. after the most searching investi-
CATION by committees of Congress, that
BODY decided to apply the remedy OF
Withdrawing this appointing power
from, the Commissioners and placing 1t
In other hands. The Commissioners
,and do not wish to be construed as
making any personal criticism) were
evidently nettled at this change they
regarded il as drastic. And they oio
not even go through the motions OF "!
ing to cooperate Win the ne" ooai u
of education"
Mr., oyster agreed with the position
taken by the District heads that the
schools should have one master instead
of two. but thought that the best way
TO accomplish this change would De 10
shift the authority over the expenditure
of school appropriations from the Coh-
missioners to the board OF educatlon-
THE great outstanding lesson or our
actual experience with the law. ne
said, lis that the board of education
should be granted larger powers. Inc
board should have entire charge OF the
making of repairs to the Schoolhouses
1t should have charge of the purchase
of school sites and of the erection OF
school buildings.
The centering of these and other
functions of business management IN
the board of education would do away
with certain conflicts of authority ana
Jurisdiction that have proved injurious
to the schools. The centering of these
functions in the board would FIX the
responsibility once and for all. The
one master should be representative
board of education. and not an unrep-
resentative board of Commissioners.
Size of the Board.
Mr. Oyster then discussed the subject
with respect to whether the present
board, consisting of nine members. Is
too large, his conclusion being that the
board has proved to be large enough
to comprehend that reasonable DIVERSE
ty of opinion which prevents hasty and
ill-considered action. and Just small
enough to be effective"
H~~
the Commissioners emitting the present
requirement that one third Of the men,
bers OF the board shall be women. and
he also Endorsed the requirement of the
shall be bona flde residents of the Dis
trict for five years Immediately previ-
GUS to their appointments.
The advisory board proposed under
the Commissioners plan Mr.. Oyster
characterized as a sorry joke"
This pretended board" he continued,
is nothing more nor less than a piece
OF political strategy. The Commission
people the substance of power over
their own schools and leave them the
shadow. This impotent board reminds me
Of the baubules which the explorers used
10 trade with the Indians during Colo
NAL days for meat and corn. Can II
be, feliow-citizens, that the Commits
sioners take US for mere children of
the forest?"
Capt. Oyster paid tribute to the
efficiency of Washington's teaching
corps. declaring IL to be unexcelled in
character. In culture. in personality in
pedagogic skill. in inspiration power
and In enlightened devotion to children
and youth" This great blessing, he
said. the community owes primarily to
the fact that the merit system has dom .
mated the school system absolutely
since 1906. The Commissioners plan
he declared to be direct threat at
the merit system.
Danger Of Political Control.
Shall the school system be the sport
OF politicians he asked. Il would
have you remember that the present
Commissioners Of the District went all
the way to Texas to secure a super
visor for the municipal Fairgrounds,
over which, by the way. they reign.
They secured. mind you. man with
little or no professional training and
l!ttle or no specific experience won
der why tho Commit ssioners had to 20
far to get such a man. Was II
politics? And Is II that sort of thing
that they wish to introduce in our
public schools?
In summing UP his conclusions Capt
oyster said:
Il believe that the school leKislation
proposed by the Commissioners places
upon them a tremendous burden OF
proof which they cannot get away with
II believe that hitherto our school
= legislation has been on the whole ar
orderly evolution. seeking to keep pace
with the best practice of tho bes,