Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-02

fights IN the past. upsets In control.
/ there is q great fear OF change
The curriculum Is overloaded and
| in some ways inelastic. The machinery
of administration on both educational
and business sides must be overhauled.
The Teaching Body.
with all we have q teaching body
which, in my opinion. is above the aver
age and full Of promise. 1 think we have
many teachers whom we can place by the
side Of the best Of our most progressive
cities. Many Of the changes which are
important can be made by the superin-
tendent and board without legislation.
Many others involve action by Congress.
Delegations of teachers have come to
see me representing various teachers or
CARNATIONS. Some natly indorse him.
Some think we could do better. All fear
that We may do worse and ask what
propose.
Has No Candidate.
ut is not necessary to reply to various
wild rumors. 1 simply say that have no
candidate. do not favor any local man.
I do not want any wild reformer. am
not after any one Of the people named as
my candidate. 1 am not working secretly
or openly to grab salary for myself.
| II have been in touch with the officers
of the National Education Association.
have made some trips and have met doz-
| en- active fellows in various parts OF the
country who are succeeding in their re-
spective fields. They are not candida ties.
but any one Of them | believe could be
secured. because of their conviction that
a right handling of the situation in Wash
| ington would be recognized as a great
educational advance all over the coun-
try. They are in my mind simply as
coming men in the profession, and not In
any sense as yet candidates.
eff the board agree / propose to take
the time, move carefully, seek the, counsel
tof real educators in other boards and
frankly invite two or three men to come
here and meet our people.
(Signed) John VAN SCHAICK, Jr
March %, 1917
Supt. Thurston's Record.
Promptly upon the production of this
document statement was prepared in
behalf of the superintendent sum-
marking his achievements and his rec
ord during the first six months of his
completion of the unexpired term Of DR..
Davidson. former superintendent. and
the two years and half of his present
term running UP to the time of the pres
ent movement for his displacement.
That memorandum is as follows:
Condensed memorandum OF features
of the administration OF Supt. Ernest
l.. Thurston.
I'm 1912 the board of education placed
the entire direction of the business de-
partment of the public school system
under the control of the superintendent
of schools. The then superintendent.
DR.. William NJ Davidson, imm ediately
began a reorganization of the business
system. giving practically his entire
time to it, outside Of other routine
duties. When he left the superintend-
har
only partially introduced. and the whole
organization was seriously upset and
in the stress of adjustment.
Business Administration Improved.
"Supt Thurston's first act was to
carry through the preliminary inyen-
tories required by law. These entailed
serious hardship on the teaching force.
and it is to the credit of the superin-
tendent that this work, not originally
planned by him, was accomplished at
the very start of his administration,
and, in spite of stress, the confidence
and support of the school organization
was retained and developed. Under his
administration the property accounting
system is being adjusted over to much
simpler plan than originally outlined.
"Supt. Thurston carried to compile
ton the full business plan provided for
the system at the time he took office
This plan has been steadily improved
upon under his administration. Step by
step methods and processes have been
simplified while keeping worthwhile
records
Some specific illustrations of admin
istrative efficiency worked out, with
and through the business office. by spe-
cial committees of his appointment,
etc. are the following:
Supplies and Allotments.
quotas for all routine building and Of
fee supplies and text books; the print
ing of these quotas and their use in the
system in preparing acquisitions. This
systematized the use of supplies. cut
down waste and made checks possible.
The result was far more efficiency in
the use of supply appropriations.
"A requirement with the business Of
flee that exceptional expenditures in
any building for fuel or electricity
should be reported and investigations
made. This resulted in saving and in
the stoppage of leaks.
The allotment of contingent and
supply funds at the beginning of the
school year to officers, principals and
heads of departments, SO that each per-
son responsible for supplies could
work out his plans with knowledge of
the funds available. Previous to the
present administration this had not
been done. the first requests received
obtained the money. and serious short
ages and inconvenience resulted. The
present allotments are based on pupil
allotments or other proper factors.
There is question but that funds are
spent to far better advantage and far
more uniformly than ever before Every
increase of allotment must be defended
before being granted. The administra-
tive efficiency of every individual re-
sponsible for supply orders is made
evident.
Other Changes.
"Supt. Thurston authorized and di-
rected changes in character of fuel
used, which have resulted in marked
saving.
I'm previous administrations there
was little systematic handling of requi-
sitions. Now these are classified and
regular times set for their preparation.
"A committee, appointed by the super
intendent, examined all printed forms used
in the schools, consolidated them, elm
mated unnecessary Implications and
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