Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-16
PROPOSED SCHOOL
CHANGE EXPLAINED
BY DR.. VAN setback
Asserts Board Will Not Sub
Stitute Fads for Basic
Education.

When Dr. John Van Schaick. jr.
president of the board of education,
explained the proposed reorganization
of the school system to a mass meet
ing of teachers at Central High School
TINS afternoon he assured them that it
Is not the boards intention to allow
fads or fancies to take the place of
'readin', 'ritin' and 'rithmetic'' in the
claSSroomS.
Address Summarized.
IN summary of his address given
out by DIR. Van Schaick he said:
men we come to draft a bill for
congress we will have a different task
man stating some of our principles.
we 90 not dare go up on the hill with
Things undigested. We don't intend to
do so. We have no idea of asking
teachers to take a denomination to
stay In the system. We have no in
tehtlon OF putting teachers in lower
class salaries than they now occupy
We don't intend to let any fads or
tancies take the place of the old
fundamental three RS in education.
we want our children to add, spell,
multiply, talk and write correctly.
whether they can bound Belgium or
not. And we want them to believe
In their country, love their country
and. If need be. go out and die for
their country like Washington boys
have in the past.
we want our teachers to teach
school. whether they become doctors
of philosophy or not. And if they
only put over the job-if they only
inspire boys to be men, and girls to
be noble women if they generate
human power, they will have every
reward we can give them, whatever
their degree
Raising standards does not mean
setting up false standards. Getting
better teaching does not mean sub
shutting pedagogues for warm hu-
man personalities"
Brief to Reclnssffers Dfscussed.
Discussing the brief submitted to
the Redistribution commission by the
school board, recommending changes
in the school organization. the pres
ident of the board said in his sum-
mary:
ut is called reorganization
scheme. 1t is not that fundamental
ly. 1t is request for just pay for
faithful public servants. But we must
play fair with Congress. We must
not pretend We are perfect when we
are not. To keep the faith we must
as well as create an Office. We must
play fair with the taxpayer. We
must save money where it can be
saved
ION one thing everybody agrees
board, teachers, officers, citizens. Con-
gress-that it is wrong to put the
lowest paid teachers in primary
grades; make the first year of school
life generally the first year of a
teachers life. We agree that it il
stupid to compel a teacher to leave
the grade for which she is best fitted
to get an increase in salary? Then
why not say so? If we say so-why
not act on it? Why go on year after
year doing anything but the best we
can do?
'fWar experience shows weaknesse.
in our school life. Patriotism demand.
that we educate physically as well al
mentally. If an automobile company
made perfect machines in every way
but found they would not go. it would
not be much of motor company. II
a school system makes perfect chill
dren in every way except ability te
go and do their share of the worlds
work. it would not be much of a
school system We want as strong
bows and girls as any other country
can raise. We don't want a picked
few strong. We want all strong
Physical education is more thar
watching out for measles. We have
made a good start here. In our briei
there are undoubtedly some things
which will be changed.
Meeting Creates Interest.
When the meeting was called last
week it was intended merely to be al
informal discussion of school prob
lens with the teachers. Subsequent
nomination of DIR. Van Schaick to bt
Commissioner of the District, how
ever. added new interest to the meet
ing and every teacher who could pos
sibly do so was present.