The Washington herald., 1921-12-05

control. The one thing definitely settled in recent
years to the administration of all political and
public units is that there must be centralized au-
thority with consequent centralized responsibility
to develop efficiency
This has brought such radical changes in NUM-
cpal government. that from being the worst of our
political units, cities have become the efficient
and on the whole the most economically managed.
The commission form Of city government and the
city manager plan with notifications and adapta-
tions, have revolutionized city affairs in the past
twenty years. This commission control, believe
could with like results, be applied to city school
systems, but it would be an experiment.
- But the system of school management in Wash
ington, though of outwardy conventional form,
10 neither fish, flesh, fowl or good red herring
Under it there cannot be good schools because
under it it is not possible get away anywhere or
do anything 1t is weighted, suffocated, hamstrung
and manacled. 1t can't its head to look
back while looking ahead is hopeless, as it has no
means of progress. If we had other language OF
hopelessness, would use it.
Normally, authority is placed in a board of
education Actually this board has about much
authority of the subcommittee of the coun-
Gil Of national defense organized by this
to scare Germany back home without the need of
our sending army to France. Like all such
bodies which seem to have big job, but find they
have no powers except to a rather ponderous
title and look wise, the board has organized itself
for ineffciency Even if it could it has so arranged
its affairs that it couldn't
We cannot blame it, for all the fun it has and
all the for existence is in subdividing
sembances of authority and battledore and shuttle
cooking back and forth matters referred it. but
to which it has authority except to reject. Out
side of refusal, the board can only recommend
Then the subject matter moves on to a silent tomb
at the District Building in Congress. The board
is OF and is much more bother than
clerical force to record and handle the superntend
ents wishes, and in any event these will remain
wishes-nothing more-unti the change comes as
it must to get good schools for this city and
District.
The change must be a complete and absolute
divorce of the schools from the District govern
ment, and far the educational functions are
concerned complete separation from Congress.
The board of education, whether of nine members
now, or less, must be appointed by the President
and confirmed by the Senate, just are the Dis
trct Commissioners They must then be given en-
tire authority operate, manage, control and ad-
minister the schools, with the consequent response
bility for results. Appointment by the District
Commissioners has been tried and failed. The best
now said for that way of naming the board to
manage the schools, is that it better than the
present method of court appointment
Both ways have the common fault They tend
to beitte and subordinate the board and so the
schools for which it stands and which it represents
The schools of the city, the system of education, is
surely of equal importance with the municipal gov
ernment. They entitled to rank on the same
plane in dignity, importance, public regard, and
consequence. Until they do they will get what is
left and have to take it. They will play the role of
the founding.
the srhools and nal
ment have nothing whatever in common; there is
not a single element of the one which coordinates
with a single element of the other. Municipal gov
crnment is confined to what known as police
powers" and police powers have nothing to do with
education. Whenever city any function
which properly falls under education public play
grounds or social centers, they never succeed until
! transferred to their right ,lodgment.
1t is inevitable and quite proper, that the
commissioners are each more interested in his
department than in the schools. They will struggle
to be fair, generous; they will be chuck full
of good intentions and patriotic American interest in
public education, but the schools do form their
, job. They are not responsible for the schools
, They do not have to for their success or
failures but they do have to for every fac
tor in their departments, and they are quite
human.
The present system is also very wasteful 1t
does not matter If the school need is textbooks or
soap, manual training supplies or disinfectants.
building repairs or ink, whatever it is has TO go
through all the ordinary rigamarole within the
school organization where there are committees on
everything, and then some, and sort of central
budget committee. But having gotten this approval
which should be final requisiton has only started
its weary way. If of the budget it must get the
approval of the Commissioners and then of Con-
sress If but an incidental supply requisition it is
quite general testimony that it is hopeless to expect
action within the school year beyond the action of
the board.