The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-06-20
Nil Town Facing Wholesale
Change in the Teach
ing Staff.
SCHOOLS STAND HIGH
Patrons are Afraid Boards
Policy Will Reduce
Standard.

ton schools, has resigned. Prof Broad
water, principal for five years, has &C
cepted a position at the Tyler county
high school at Middleboume and is to-
day packing his household goods pre-
parat0Ty TO going. In the opinion Of
Warrington people the school system
Of which they are all proud faces a
crisis.
Superintendent Ward was reluctant
10 give out information but stated that
his reasons for resigning were that he
could not conform with the policy Of
the Board OF Education in setting up
a condition in the school which he con
sldered would lower the standard OF
the schools
It was stated on good authority that
the new policy OF the board consisted
primarily in placing one man in the
position Of two; in combining principal
and superintendent work The in
tenticn OF the beard 10 do this is caus-
ing much discussion not only in Man
ninston which is affected the most,
but in neighboring cities. all more or
less Interested in educational matters
at the present time. School people in
Warrington feel that the combined po-
si.ion in the school Is an impossible
one and fear that a school oTganiza-
ton possessing one Of the highest
standards in the state is about to be
jeopardized
The Warrington public schools are
housed in one large building contain
ing sixteen grade rooms, two rooms to
a grade. There are four high school
rooms on the third floor, making TWEEN.
~ rooms to supervise. An auditorium
Is used for mechanical drawing AMI
commercial studies. Domestic science
Is taught in two rooms in the base,
nent Three grade classes meet in the
"a Baptist church, part Of which has
been used for seven years This build
irG was bought by the school authori-
ties three years ago and remode'ed.
The Wilson school has four teachers.
Prof. Eroadwater. principal OF the en-
tire school, taught history during the
morning hours besides his other du'
ties He is a specialist in history.
School people in Warrington say
that the board doesn't distinguish be-
tween business and professional du-
ties in the school and that the school
never faced so critical a situation.
That 1t is a question whether the
school advances or goes backward, ac'
cording to whether the board carries
ont or changes its present new policy.
That II has made such conditions with
reference to the administration for
next year mat no self respecting edu'
Gator could accept the double position
open That II a man should accept
such a double position he would risk
certain failure. That though a single
athoTity Is maintained in a number
Of schools throughout West Virginia,
the Warrington public schools is OF
necessity too big a field for It to be
attempted there.
The sentiment Of the town Is not
represented in the policy # the board.
One Of the citizens said today-"Due
credit must be given a minority OF the
board, not IN favor OF the present pol
icy" When asked why the board de-
sired q change, which according to re-
port was responsible for over half OF
the high school force leaving, and for
about six or eight vacancies in the
grades. the reply was: "The Board OF
Education thIl.K1 merely Of the money
SIDE Of Il Professor Broadwater want.
ed an increase in salary. The super
inteLdent would have wanted still
more. By cutting the two jobs into
one and reducing the high school
force. the twenty per cent. increase IN
grade teachers salaries and an in.
crease to $3.50 q month for some OF the
high school teachers, could be met sat
iStaetorily."
Warrington citizens fear their
schools will come to be reckoned sec.
ond class unless something can be
done. The high school inspector OF
Pittsburgh grades the Warrington
schools as Of the best in this part OF
the country. At a meeting Of high
school principals at Morgantown q few
months ago, the Warrington schools
g. q whole we're considered among the
best organized schools in the state.
A. Duncan Yocum, Of the University
Of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia,
speaks very highly Of the Warrington
public schools. The school as organ.
iTed the last seven years BY Superin.
tendent Ward and Principal Broad.
water has been run successfully on q
unit basis, q plan which has been
worked out BY the National Education.
a Association. Briefly, this plan AZ.
lords opportunity for pupils to select
the studies they have . special liking
and talent for. The plan restricts
them 70 certain fields; they must take
EngliGh and one other major and two
minors. In other words they can 80.
ioct one major and two minors and
can take the subjects which belong In
those. This forces . pupil 10 eoucsn.
tract his work, preventing . scatter.
Ing Of subjects. Il also allows free Op-
DoTtunity for q boy or girl to select his
own linO Of work.
There are seven high school teach.
eTl besides the special teachers ct
Warrington. Ont Of these Miss Edna