The Washington herald., 1916-01-10
Calamity Threatens Schools.


fall the educational system of Washington should
triet Commissioners and give them absolute con-
troll of the public schools revealed by Dis
trict Commissioner Newman in his address before
the Federation of Citizens Associations on Satur-
day night Until Mr.. Newman spoke it might have
been inferred that some vestige of authority would
be delegated to board of education appointed by
the Commissioners, as they propose, but it ap-
pears that what the Commissioners contemplate is
board of puppets to move only when the Com
missioners pull the string. For the principal al
most the only reason advanced by Mr.. Newman
for the change he urges is that authority is now
divided between the Board of Education and the
Board of Commissioners. "The principal objec-
tion to the system" he said, "s not that the
schools are conducted by the Board Of Education
but that they are conducted by this as we'll as by
the Board of Commissioners" Obviously then
the plan is to have the schools conducted solely
by the busy Board of Commissioners, with the
weight of all the details of District government on
their shoulders. The members of the board OF
education they are to appoint to possess no
authority whatever.
The board as at present appointed and con-
stituted is administrative body to which public
spirited citizens of the highest qualifications gladly
give their services, with results thoroughly salts
factory to taxpayers and parents who, after ALL
most vitality interested. We do not believe that
even the Commissioners would contend that they
would be able to summon to board of their Gre
ation answerable to them for their every action, a
group of citizens so we'll qualified and equipped
as those constituting the present board. 1t might
be argued, of course that, possessing authority
to do anything their qualifications and capabilities
would be matters of no consequence. From that
point the question naturally arises why there
should be any board at all, and thus the situation
would seem to resolve itself into a question of
which would be the greater evil, schools conducted
by the Commissioners with the assistance of poorly
equipped subordinates denominated board, or
schools conducted without assistance by the Dis
trict Commissioners with no time to devote to the
important work. Under either condition the blight
of the school system would be complete.
The Washington Herald in combating the pro-
posed change has not regarded especially men
acing the possibility that under the proposed plan
the school system might be injuriously affected
by political influences. That, however is some
thing which many District residents believe might
happen in the future in spite of the excellent in
tentions of the present Commissioners 1t is a
danger to which the schools ought not to be ex-
posed unnecessarily. Commissioner Newmans
complaint that while the Commissioners expend
every cent of money used in the school system,
buy sites for the buildings and the equipment, pay
salaries and purchase all supplies, they have no
authority to satisfy themselves they are spending
this money properly, has no real foundation. The
certhcation by the Board of Education appointed
by the Supreme Court of the District safeguards
expenditures thoroughly as any made by the
District safcguarded and in the matter of the
recently furnished proof of their absolute control
Mr.. Newman contends that the plan of the Com
mssoners means progressive step, but the High
School Teachers Association shows rather con-
clusvely that it would be a backward step in
school administration. Mr. Newman was unhappy
in his criticism OF the action taken by the seven
teen associations of citizens of the District in op-
position to his plan, intimating that they viewed
only side Of the question. These associations
represent large portion of the population of the
District and the three present Commissioners have
senting the citizens.
1t is fortunate that on this important question
the opinion of the citizens, whose interests are
at stake, is practically unanimous. When it comes
before Congress for action there will for once be
no shadow of doubt about what the people want
nor is it to be believed that their wishes will be
unheeded.