Evening star., 1921-11-06
SCHOOL CONDITIONS
IN CONGRESS- HAND
Continued from First Page:l

teachers: reintroduction Of German
In the high schools: changes in re-
Quirements for graduation from high
school; physical examination for all
prospective teachers; creation of a
corps Of thirty-three administrative
principals; establishment of a board
of apportionment, of a policy regard
ing collections of money in the
schools. of new rules relating to fra
ternities and sorprities in the high
schools, OF standard classroom units,
and the setting of an age limit for
appointment of persons as teachers.
The establishment of basis for
Withholding the longevity pay. Of
school teachers, DR.. Ballou said, re-
suited in ten teachers having their
salary withheld. Several of these
were on the maximum salary of their
rank.
Referring to the establishment of a
five-hour day for. teachers In the
kindergartens. first and second grades.
the report says: "Since the minimum
salary of teachers in the elementary
schools Is now uniform for all, it
seemed logical to abandon a prac-
tice which required five hours Of
service Of certain teachers and re-
quired only three and one-half hours
Of certain other teachers because the
latter happened to be teaching in
grades l and 2 instead of teaching
In higher grade. The primary pur-
pose was not equal treatment of
teachers, however, but rather to
place more of their time at the dis
posal OF school children and the 9TH
er work of the schools incidental to
teaching"
Rigid Examinations Required.
The superintendent made it clear
that the rule relative to the physical
examination of all prospective teach
ers will be strictly enforced. During
the war, he said. when the supply Of
teachers was not as large as the de-
mand, it was impossible to enforce
this rule. 1t was explained that the
passage Of the teachers retirement
act and it's various provisions for
annuities for incapacitated teachers
also now makes the physical exami-
nation a necessity.
Particular emphasis was laid in the
report on the lack Of accommodations
in the school. I'm attempting to or
ganize the schools efficiently at the
beginning of the school year 1920"
said the report. lit became clearly
apparent at once that the most urgent
need of the school system was more
schoolhouses. Other needs were also
in evidence, but none of them seemed
as urgent as relief from the use Of
undesirable rooms never intended for
classroom use; from the use of
seventy-eight portable schoolrooms
which are not only not entirely satis-
factory as classrooms, but most Of
them occupy the ground sorely needed
for play space for children: from the
necessity f,renting so many buildings
for school purposes which are, as a
rule, wholly unadapted to proper
school use. and. perhaps most impor-
tant Of all, relief from the present
necessity Of forming classes in ele-
mentary schools with forty-five and
even fifty pupils per class.
"Starting with the slogan. "A seat
in suitable schoolhouse for every
public school pupil in the District of
Columbia the school authorities de-
voted constant attention to the
securing Of relief at the earliest pos
sible moment. On November 1 the
superintendent began an investnga-
ton Of the congested- conditions Of
the school buildings. The results of
that investigation were published by
the board of education on December
l, and formed the basis of the cam
increased appropriations for school
buildings In his many addresses DUR
ing the year before various civic
bodies the superintendent devoted
his attention almost exclusively to
this topic
Big Sums for school Needs.
"In the appropriation act for 1922
appropriations were made for con-
struction Of schoolhouses already
initiated amounting to $S25,000. The
same appropriations act provided
s155 900 for additional land and
'"The building needs as outlined in
the special report, however, were
recognized more fully under an
emergency heading in the second
deficiency act fiscal year 1921. where
Sl,o
ings and grounds and 100000 addi-
tional obligated"
On the subject Of the creation of
the staff Of administrative principals.
DR.. Ballou declared that one of the
developments Of the school system
during the past several years has
been the increase in size Of elemen-
tary school buildings and the union
Of adjoining buildings looking to-
ward the ultSAS ate displacement of
the present teaching principal in the
eight room school by free or ad-
ministrative principal OF a building
or a group Of buildings with sixteen
or more classrooms.
"There are in the District Of Colum-
bIa today thirty-three administrative
principals and additional administra :
tive principals will undoubtedly be
created when the opportunity presents
itself through the transfer. resigna-
pals. The creation of administrative
principals in our large elementary
school units contemplates also some
notifications Of the present duties of
supervising principals: 1t is expected
| that administrative principals will as.
aducation within the school which
has been formerly carried by super
vising principals"
touches ON Secret Societies.
The report contains a detailed re-
view Of the conditions leading up to
the promulgation, by the board OF ed
ucation @ Of the ruling designed to con-
troll secret societies in the hi gh. and
iunior high schools. The rule was
adopted June l Of this year.
Discussing the topic of the assign
ment Of teachers, in special depart
ments the report states, that the ''at-
tention Of the superintendent was
called to the fact that some teachers
4. 4Ia dona rtnent of music manual