Evening star., 1919-11-13

in connection with the colored CEN
ters and one for organising the use
Of the Central High School plant) to
aid the residents Of the local neigh
borhoods in starting and carrying for
ward this development; to act as
agent of the board OF education in d1-
recting the service of the local COM
munity secretaries in their duty as
custodians of the public school prop
erty responsible to the board of edu-
cation for assuring the observance of
its regulations, designed to make pos
sible the rightful and prevent the i'm
proper use Of this public property; and
to organize and develop the extended
use Of the Central High School plant
and the Dunbar High School plant as
general civic centers, respectively, for
the white and colored residents of the
District. Thus far. in addition to the
beginning of the use Of the two high
school buildings as general civic cen
have been established as local CEN
ters.
'"The proper compensation for the
local community secretary and for the
general secretary of community organi-
zation may readily be arrived at when it
is seen that community center develop
ment is the completing Of the use of the
neighborhood building which has been
used only as the gathering place for
children. In considering the proper
compensation for the position of COM
munity secretary. it is highly necessary
that the salary be such as will make it
possible for the school principal to be
available for this important work, should
the community elect the school principal
to the position of community secretary.
As to Compensation.
'In order to make this possible the
minimum compensation for the service
of local community secretary must be
the same as that of the maximum COM
pensation Of an eighth-grade teacher.
so that the salary of principal elected
to serve as secretary may not be there
by reduced. Should the recommendation
of the board of education that all prin-
cfpals be relieved of teaching be indorsed
by the reclaSsiflcation commission, the
situation remains essentially the same.
If the principal is already fully en-
ployed he cannot undertake the duties
of community secretary, without being
relieved of part of the routine work
for which otherwise he would be re-
sponsible. An assistant must be en-
ployed to take over this part of the
work of the principal that he may be
available for service as community sec
retary. The compensation for an as
sistant principal is normally that of the
Similarly, the salary of the gen.
eral secretary of community centers
should be the amount which would
be required to employ an assistant to
the superintendent of schools. who
would be needed to take over a part
of his present duties SO as to enable
him to discharge the duties of the Of
fee of general secretary of commu-
nifty organization.
The compensation of the assist
ants to the general secretary of COM
munity centers should be in the same
ratio to the salary of that official that
the compensation of the assistants to
the superintendent bears to the salary
of the superintendent.
The compensation of assistants for
general work to the local secretaries
may be arranged upon a per dunn
basis. Assistants for direction of spe-
cial activities for which technical
training is required, as, for example,
musical organization, dramatics and
pageantry, must be paid at a rate
measured by the trinng needed for
the rendering of the special service
The executive secretary of the gen.
eral civic center mentioned above has
been appointed by the board of edu-
cation since the first reclassification
cards were sent out. He is RESPONSE
BILE. under the direction of the general
secretary, for the making available of
the facilities of this plant for activi-
ties of general nature and for arrang-
ing for special programs. He is the
supervisor of the use of this building
by outside organizations