Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-07

|
out of the attempt TO apply series Of
efficiency rules TO the school system.
They have worked without friction In six
eases. IL the seventh the exception thnt
| proves they POOds
| FTNHE school system Is not likely to suffer on
Il account of the public controversy that has
arisen over the transfer of the principal Of
the enlarged Fitler School in Germantown to
a school of lower classification in another
part of the city.
The Filter School situation arises out OF
the adoption of a series Of rules intended to
increase the efficiency of the teaching force
The schools have been divided into three
classes. The first embraces those with from
10 to q classrooms the principal of which
may receive maximum salary of $4,000. The
second includes schools with from 20 to 80
classrooms The principal of such a school
may receive s270O The third class contains
all the schools with "a classrooms or over,
and the salary of principal in this group
is $31OO.
1t is apparent that when an addition is
made to school building which raises it to
the next higher group IL carries with it an
arrangement for higher salary as well as
increased responsibility for the principal.
The principals, as well as the schools, have
been arranged in classes. A man with a
eligible to the princpalshp of a school in the
first group. If his rating is s5, he is eligible
to n school in the second group, which carries
with it an increase of $500 year in salary.
The principals who rated at 80 or more
may be appointed to take charge of the
largest schools in the city and may receive
the maximum salary of s31OO
One might say that principal who is fitted
to administer a school of % classrooms is
also fitted to take charge of a school with
25 classrooms. Few would dispute such an
assertion. But if you should ask a member
of the Board of Public Education to explain
why a principal with rating of so was
transferred when six classrooms were added
to his school he would doubtless say that,
while a man might be equal to the RESPONSE
bilities of overseeing school a little larger
than the one for which his rating qualified
him, it was necessary for the board to insist
that he should also be qualified to supervise
the largest possible school in the next higher
classification before admitting him to it. He
might admit that some injustice would be
done to worthy principals, but he would
doubtless insist that the injustice would be
greater than under any other arbitrary
system of classification.
The classification of the principals is not
quite so arbitrary as the grouping of the
schools themselves, because it is based on the
general efficiency and equipment of the mer
and women ascertaned by the eighteen
associate superintendent. Reports made
upon the work done inside and outside of the
school building. The executive efficiency of
the principal is considered well his in
huence upon his teaching force and upon the
pupils. If he is alive and keeps his teachers
abreast of the times and anxious to improve
themselves in every possible way, he is rated
higher than if he is content with simply going
through the daily routine and drawing his
salary. If he attempts to interest the parents
in his work and persuades them to cooperate
with him in the education of the children, he
is credited with higher rating than if he
negects this part of his duties. If he shows
an interest in the general educational prob
lens and keeps himself abreast of the times
he is regarded as more efficient than if he is
content with the knowledge which he ac-
quired when he left college If he attends
meetings of educators, takes part in the dis
cussions, and if he pursues advanced courses
of study in the University and gives to his
teachers and his pupils the benefit of the
wider outlook which he thus acquires, he
stands higher than if he spends his spare time
reading detective stories. 1t must be ad-
mitted that theoretically this system of clas-
sificaton is good. AS it is administered by
men with falIible judgments it is likely that
mistakes are sometimes made.
Since the system was adopted six princi-
pals, who knew in advance that their schools
were to be enlarged out of one group into
the next higher, have qualified for the higher
rating and retained their post oEs and are
in the way of receiving the higher salaries
Six classrooms were added to the Fitler
School. The principal, however had not Sc
cured the higher rating, and if the rules of
the board were to be enforced he had to be
displaced. 1t may be admitted that no rules
are SO perfect that they ought not at times
to be disregarded. The friends of Mr.. Sowden
are so arguing now. 1t is not our purpose
at this time to discuss this phase of the
question. We simply setting forth the
facts in order that the public may be in
formed and qualified TO draw a conclusion
for itself.
,utc, N,aE A ~ Tf4n mr.