Evening star., 1920-03-09
IVAN SCHA|CK Says
| THURSTON ISPOOR
| SCHOOL EXECUTIVE
Tells Senate Investigating
Committee Superintendent
"Timid and DisIoyaI."
HOLDS TEACHERS PAY
INCREASE IS NECESSITY
Points to Need of More Instructors,
Additional and Improved
Buildings.

ouAlu1uSS.
Charges that Ernest l.. Thurston.
superintendent of public schools OF
the District. is a poor executive.
timid in the matter of assuming re-
sponsibility and disloyal to his onicial
chiefs were made by DR.. John Van
Ssnalck, or., president Of the board Of
education. at the opening session to-
day or the investigation Of the school
system by select committee of the
Senate.
DR.. Van schaick launched imme-
diate' into his reply to the recent
statement Of supt. Thurston, in which
the school board was criticised for
the manner in which it conducted the
business of the schools.
Points to school Needs.
Following his reply to Mr.. Thurs
toms statement. DR.. Van Schaick gave
the committee his ideas concerning
the needs of the schools. He laid
particular stress upon the necessity Of
increasing the salaries Of the teach
ers. Good teachers, he said, are Of
more Importance to the pupils than
fine buildings. DR.. Van Schaick point
ed out. however. that there is q real
| need here for additional and Inn
| proved school buildings.
Full Committee Present.
The entire senatorial committee Of
| five was present throughout the
morning hearing. four of them being
present when DR.. Van Schaick began
per. the fifth member. entering . few
moments later.
Immediately after the committee
had convened DR.. Van Schaick said
that he had prepared two Statements.
one dealing with the question Of the
superintendency of the schools and
the other with the needs Of the
schools. He asked which the COM
mittee desired to hear first. Senator
Sherman. chairman Of the committee.
suggested that as the Senate fesolu-
| tion mentioned the manner Of the Ap-
pointment of the superintendent hrst.
| that questio should be taken up i'm
M mediately. The witness then pro-
pared statement, which continued
with little interruption.
senator Makes In4uiry.
When DR.. Van Schaick read that
| one member of the board Of educa.
ton who had originally voted to
elect Mr.. Thurston to the supertn-,
tendency had later voted Against his
terrupted to ask who that member
was.
mrs. Gerry" replied the witness.
What was the vote of the board on
the first OCCASION. asked inc SeueeVE'
Five to four"
] DR.. Van Schaick then said that he
would like permission to place in the
record the statement made to the
board by Mr.. Thurston at its last
meeting. in which the superintendent
attacked the methods of the board.
When he had concluded his statement
relating to the differences between
the board and the superintendent
Senator Henderson referred 70 the
statute under which the school sys-
tenn is organized.
the work of superintendent
! could refuse to re-elect him without
giving any reason for its action
could it not?" asked the senator.
EXACTLY" said the witness.
Did Mr.. Thurston deny the fignI
of the board to take such acionE
"T don't see how he could have done
so and do not believe he did. said
DR. Van Schaick. But he denied the
propriety Of the boards acslon 4n1
| challenged what ne caiieo
of the board"
Asked n to His ExDerie1ee.
Mr.. Henderson then questioned the
witness at length as 10 ms sSa; eSaIcyn- ~ ~
marked with a smile that he did not
nrofess to be IAN expert. He toio
~ having had his first experience ~
a teacher in a school in the hills.
where was that?' asked tne soma
'c. c"c,obleskill, n. Y. That is a place I
on, nutting on the map In conneceioh
with another matter, remarked OI.
van Schaick, and broad smile went
rIuru mr Van Schaick then read a state
ment on the needs Of the school. sup
| nlemented by one on what mas osen
called "the boards reorganizntion
scheme" He then took up pine .ne Iil snr re- re-
crease in pay of the teachers in the
nuhlic schools, and continued to dis
cnss that question until noon. when
the committee adjourned un IL 1o:So
o'clock tomorrow morning
Senator Harrison to Inquire.
Senator Harrison said that he had
number of questions that he wanted
to ask the president OF the board OF
ranged for DIR. Van Schaick to resume
the witness chair when the hearing 10
The room. SO Senate ONCE building.
in which the hearings are being held.
is a small one. seats for not more
than seventy-five persons being pro-
yided, and before the hearings began
these were filled largely with persons
| interested in the Bruce case. Assistant
Supt. Bruce being among those pres
Supt. Thurston came in about 1880
O'clock. but remained standing with
| a group about the door. listening to
| the statement which was then being
read by DR.. Van Schaick.
Explnins n to Thufston.
Taking up the case Of Supt. Thurs
! ton, DR.. Van Schaick said to the COM
mittee:
leagues have done in relation to Mr..
Thurston is in the discharge of q duty
which devolves upon US under the
law of Congress.
.aThe law governing tho schools pro-
vides:
schools shall be in board Of educa-
80. THAT the board shall have the
right to determine all questions Of
general policy relating to the schools.
"3. That the board shall appoint .
superintendent for q term OF three
''"4. That the board shall have the
mower to remove the superintendent
for inefiiciency and other causeA
Gives Reasons for His Vote.
Congress has created q board. and
intrusted full power and responsible
ity to the board. Whether 1t is the
best system or not 1t Is the one under
which we are operating.
Now we are called up here by the
power that created US to tell our
S,,a aNtA