Evening star., 1919-04-09

ltained in long reply sent to the
today, in which the board states
case is closed.
F, the names Of six pupils as the source
1 OF their information.
Considers Course Of Action.
When the board was informed of
| these complaints it considered that
! 'nere were two courses OF procedure
la formal board investigation, which
mlgnt result in trial. or an informal
inquiry to establish whether the con-
ditions were such as to warrant. in
the discretionary power OF the board
ana without formal investigation. the
| application Of suitable discipline.
The latter course was decided
! upon. certainly as a preliminary one,
ooth on Miss Woods account and on
account OF the system. the board real
! izin& ehAk public investigation and
! trial xtr ~ d be most carefully entered
upose snd. II tossible. avoided, be-
cause OF the 4neaSon in the system
that Is alway8 aIAEendered by such
action. and sisa because of possible
injustice to the party complained
| against Accordingly it determined to
i through DR.. Newton the PRINCIPAL Af
the school. and THUS afford her an op-
portunity for answer and exDAana-
tion.
Communication was accordingly
made to Miss Wood. through DR.. New
ton. and on February IA MisA Wood
made reply. which reply was trans
mitted by DR.. Newton to the board
Miss Woods answer was neithsr sat-
isfaetory nor full in explanation or
denial. and in connection Herewith
Dr. Newton wrote to Supt. Thurston
says:
"'She Miss Wood feels that while
! ner answers taken separately and
without reference to the question
asked may seem unpatriotic and Of
| ienslve, she had no such ntent and
Is quite convinced that she may be
| trusted to steer away from such dan
gerous topics in the future
Reply Not Satisfactory.
LAS stated, the board was not salts
fed with Miss Woods answer but
still desired full information from her,
and accordingly requested the SUPER
| lntendent and two members of the
board to see Miss Wood in person. and
by personal communication inform
themselves. il possible, more fully as
to Miss Woods discussion of the top
les referred to and her attitude re-
garding the same, and whether there
was any real ground for the COM
plant contained in the letters re-
| ceived.
| This was accordingly done, and at
the interview DR.. Newton. on the re-
quest of Miss Wood, was present.
The questions asked Miss Wood
were based on the written statement
from one of the complaining parents.
After the interview the board was
/ informed that. while Miss Wood was
an excellent teacher in English. she
| was not trained to teach economic.
social or industrial problems, and in
attempting to discuss these showed
poor judgment and indiscretion; that
her viewpoint was that of pro-
nounced nationalist, disinclined to
take into account the harm that She
might accomplish by not taking into
/ the reckoning her position as teach
: er of children of very varying equip
ment: that she made slight effort at
defense and exhibited little or no
regret.
! zone member of the committee was
I not present when the majority mem
bers gave the foregoing result OF
their interview with Miss Wood.
Decides Against Formal Trial.
! ION Miss Woods written state
ments. as submitted by DR.. Newton.
and on the report just above referred
to of her verbal communication. the
board concluded that conditions did
not call for formal investigation or
trial but were such as to be amply
met by the application or dlscipiine or
short-time suspension. which is vested
in the board by law and is neces-
sary incidentl to the exercise OF the
control and direction expressed In the
organic act
the usual two weeks suspension-that
is a suspension by the president or
the board which lasts from one reg
ular meeting to the following regular
meeting-and at the regular pubic
meeting following the conference at
which the conclusion was reached.
entered, without dissenting vote,
the order:
!; THAT Miss Alice Wood be sus-
pended without pay. for a period of
one week commencing March 20
The inquiry of the board was con-
fined absolutely to the written ana
verbal communication with Miss
Wood and considered by the board in
conference, a course invariably adopt
ed in the matter of all complaints
against teachers until conditions re-
Quire formal board investigation.
The conclusion of the board was
based on this inquiry. and was deem
ed sufficient only to meet the condi-
tions disclosed.
Conferences Deemed Necessary.
The board is fully aware of the
provision of law requiring all board
meetings to be open to the public
and will state that all board meet
ings are open to the public. but all
meetings are, or may be, preceded
by conferences of board members.
and this is essential for useful and
sound board direction. Citizens and
committees ask to come before the
board informally and there are COM
plants against officers, teachers and
conditions, which. upon inquiry, are
found to be absolutely groundless.
but which, il discussed or even men
toned in open meeting. would be
detrimental to persons and destruc-
tive to the good order of the system.
To inquire informally, into such con-
ditions preliminary to board in
vaetigation. IL board inve3tiga-
-. should he required. an