Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-23
TEACHERS OFFENSE'
RATED NOT SERIOUS.
Supt. Thurston Explains Re-
gardIng Alleged Criticism Of
Congress Members.

or who WAS charged ON the door Of
the House with daily fidiculin6 mem.
bers Of Congress bsfers her pupils
was not necessary. according to .
statement submitted yesterday 70 the
Senate school Investigating committee
superintendent said. has scknowi-
edged the unwisdom Of the personal
crfticism referred to, una has been
strongly cautioned to use the utmost
caro- In future.
Investigation Of the charges, Mr..
Thu se,.,I pointed out showed that that
made In one class. only and In . gen
eral way. Pupils In another class. he
said. referred to one personal critt-
ctsm Of an individual senator, to the
eject that he was q partisan In his
acts. In another case, Mr.. Thurston
Dor that was entirely friendly in char.
acter. The only other criticism that
developed, he said, was in substance
to the effect that the statesmen OF
today were not the equal TO the
statesmen such as Webster and Cali
generations ago.
Mf. Thursten's Statement.
Referring to the investigation. Supt.
81
out conference with me, MIR. Maurer de-
cided to 60 into the matter with all the
classes Of the teacher in modern Euro.
psan and American history. four in all.
This time he discussed the matter with
the pupils and also obtained from them
signed Statements. He read the criticism
- given on the floor Of the House and
requested the pupils to state whether Or
not 1t was true. The criticism az given
was declared untrue In all classes. Fur
Their investigation and questioning
showed that such criticism. - had been
class only and in a general way and on
few occasions.
This class was then asked the
question, whit basis, II any. may
there be for the suEgestion that
there has eyer r., been s,a any criticism
Of pupils in reply stated that there
was no basis. Tho other pupils re-
ferred to one personal criticism of
an individual senator, one to the
effect that he was . partisan In his
acts, and the other simply . reference
Of 1t. There was third statement
with reference to some Individual that
was entirely friendly In character.
This third Statement referred to some
occasion when the name Seems to have
come up through student discussion.
AAe teAcheI recalls that tne name
came up. and that she suggested that
the pupils could look up his Official
record. She did not recall any spe-
cine criticism on her part.
Makes . CeaDaHfs0n.
Tho only criticism that has developed
was in substance to the effect that the
DtAtesmen Of today Wero not the equal
% the statesmen, such n Webster and
Calhoun. who represented the country
generations aSD. There 10 discrepancy
n testimony ~ to whether this was
rated on ons o. several occasions. It
W1s certainly not said on many COCA
Dions and the testimony Of many pupils
ID to the eject that 1t was not given in .
critical way, but in comparison. and in |
IN Instructive and historical way.
Beyond these statements no further dafi.
mite criticisms are disCoverAble in these
Ilensd staesmsnts or in interviews which
The principal. or have had with in
dividual- pupils.
'On the contrary there IL clear evi.
dence that the teacher has on many
occasion stopped crtticism Of Con-
gress or 0k-EoYerpmental oh1cials
when II has Arisen In class. It should
- understood that the class involved
ii - fourth year American history
cla4s, consisting Of the most mature
hieA school students: that It IL taught |
American history under the modern
topical method. and that general dis
cuoolon - part Of the regular work
81 the GLASS. Many matters are nat
nfAlly brought mp for discussion by
the pupils themselves ana the teacher
has constantly TO use Judgment and
taot In handling the questions which
arise. She has acknowledged the un-
wisdom Of the personal criticism re-
ferred to and 10 deeply disturbed by
the fact that any complaint should
have arisen In one Of her clauses. She
has been strongly cautioned, how
ever, to use the utmost care in the
future. The matter did not take on
the form where general disciplinary
action seemed neceseAry."