Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-13
NORMAL AND HIGH
TEACHERS OPPOSE
CIVIL SERVICE IDEA
Brief to CIassifiers States
Belief System Would Be
Detriment.

Normal and high school teachers of
the District today presented brief
to the joint congressional commission
their conviction that it would be to
the detriment of the school system II
the schools were placed under the
Civil Service Commission"
The executive committee OF the Craze
Teachers Union also has adopted reso-
buttons disappearing plans to put the
District teachers under civil service.
Reasons Presented.
The normal and high school teach
ers. in support of their convictions,
gave the reclassification commission
the three following reasons:
"A board composed of highly trained
experts in education. which is cor
porate part of the school system, is
necessary factor in the selection OF
teachers.
THE teachers work should be
standardized along lines of similar
educational systems and not in terms
Of the service. which is essentially
different in nature and operation.
Local autonomy in school govern
throughout the history of education,
For those reasons. the br1ei
stated. 1.-The normal and high school
teachers of the District of Columbia
wish to register their convictions that
it would be highly inadvisable to
place the school system under the
Civil Service Commission"
The brief was signed by all normal
and high school teachers, both In the
white and coiored schools, in the
city. it was declared.
Refers to ExamininE Board.
The brief stated that there exists
within the school system an examin-
ing board created by Congress in
1906, and that it is necessary that
the board of examiners should De able
to get into immediate daily commu-
nication with the school administra-
ton. This need, the brief says, has
been demonstrated not only during
the war and postwar period. but ever
since the creation of the board. 1t
is evident, according to the brief. that
important tests can be given by a
board within the system far more sat
isfactorily than by an outside 1ederai
board.
should be standardized along lines OF
similar educational systems, the brief
declares that the nature of the teach
ers' position is essentially d1nerent
from that of all other positions. both
clerical and professional. c!asslned
under federal service.
The teacher must be carefully
trained in the psychology OF the chiid
it is stated. Because Of the dual ma
ture of the teachers JOB and because
of the strain on the nervous system
and the drain on the teachers vitality
it is difficult if not impossible to inter.
nret the teachers duty in terms OF
service essentially different" says the
brief. :.
In stating that local autonomy IN
school government has been JealouSIy
guarded, the brief declares that the
teaching body of the District OF co,
lumbia is part OF the eoucatiohal
system of the municipality.
.aThe Congress of the United States
in making laws for the District is
functioning as a de facto city council
of the District and not as the federal
government" says the brief. ITO re-
move the teaching force from the con
troll of a local board of examiners
subject to the board of education and
to place them under federal control
would have the effect of making the
system less flexible and less readily
adaptable to the immediate educational
needs"