New-York tribune., 1918-12-02
The Spoizs System
huading the Schools
7 he
By John Martin

.rs. xrhcci system of this city is
.,.a straight for destruction and
~, ,urely run on The rocks unless an
s.,,shtnned public opinion intervenes
.,snge tire course that Is being set
majority Of the Board of Educa-
s.,s This Is the declaration Of an
1.~,dsts superintendent, ono of the
~.,srsl staff that Is responsible under
-. law for the supreme guidance of
~. campaign Of education for our
Anasco children.
number of Incidents affecting diff
a.,rt parts Of the school work have
A.n.sd the dlstrcssful forebodings on
n. part Of this superintendent and a
,unher Of his follow officials. This
u,esk the storm signal is flying, because
ros. Of the members of the Board of
rducation, by their action with regard
To the appointment of school princi-
nails. show determination to foist
back upon the schools 3 part of that
spojls system which parents and edu-
Gators had thought was banished for
ever.
After decades of struggle the rule
has been written in the law for New
York and for all progressive communi-
ties that nominations of school teach
ers shall be made by the professional
advisers, the City Superintendent or
the Board Of Superintendent. In New
York the nine men composing the
BoarA of Super;ntendents have won
their spurs in the educational field;
they know thc teachers through dec
AIDES OF acquaintance; it has been
their duty to inspect and appraise the
teachers work. Their professional rep
utation is at stake when they make
nominations 20 the chief principal
ships of elementary and high schools.
If any one of them tries to play a
personal favorite the others will detect
ard expose the maneuvre. They have
never been accused of log rolling
Say Members Know
Very Few Teachers
On the other hand, the lay members
OF the Board Of Education, all business
men freshly drawn from their private
careers, except the two women who,
equally, we're without experience in
professional school work, cannot posi-
bly, know more than handful of the 49,
600 teachers. They cannot-possibly have
the ability to pick out school princi
pals, even if the law allowed them to
make the choice. Their duty as rep
resentatives Of the parents is to see
that the Board of Superintendents ex-
ercises its powers in the matter with
zeal and discretion.
or the parents have most at stake.
AS is the principal so is the school.
Once appointed the principal is fixt-
ure for life To appoint as principal
any but the best person who can be
procured is treason to the children.
The difference between the best and
the second rate may make years diff
ference in the time which child must
take TO pass through the grades; it
nay turn the scale so that Tommy and
Mary hate instead of like the school.
A conscientious school administrator
Will consider no duty moro sacred than
the appointment of school principals
no part OF the work which must be
kept more scrupulously free from the
base faint Of the ward heeler's lust to
distribute jobs.
In February last the Board of Su-
perinrendents nominated Joseph 7. P
Callahan for the principalship of Pub
lie School l6, Queens. George J. Ryan
the member from Queens, asked that
the nomination be not confirmed BY
the Board Of Education, as he wanted
q lady of his acquaintance, Miss Cord
ing, to be placed in the position. II
was pointed out to him and TO other
board members that the appointment
must be made from an eligible list
and that Miss Cording, being tenth or
the woman's list, could not be nomi-
mated, even If the Board Of Superin-
tendents reversed its well-considerec
judgment that a man principal was