Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-25

partisan. ward point of view from which
they have viewed the various school
problems ns they have arisen.
The system Inevitably tends to place
on the board mon who nre responsive
| TO ward thought and ward innuonca.
| They would not. under the system, be
on the board If there were not men VINO
were willing To fight for ward interests
as against the larger good " the
! two seemed To conflict. II IN no tault
OF the men individually. for that In what
the system tells them To do. There
have been. of course. on every board In
| Wilmington men who. though elected
by wards. have refused 10 be swayed
| by the mind of the ward when the
| common good wns In question, but
| these men. II should be pointed out,
/ found place on the board not becatise
| of the system. but becuuss of the fact
| that no system will always give
product that runs true to type. 1t must
| be thrown into the discard before WI
/ thrown into the discard before VIII
| mlneton can take her place oduca ational-
| ly among the front-line cities of the
| country.
( Tho ponrd Of Education Should He
| Independent of the city Council.
| Another change shnuld be made IN
| the enactments governing the schools
| Of Wilmington. n change such TINT the
/ board Of education shall be empowered
| TO levy taxea for the support OF tho
| schools The boards limitation I'm this
| important respect means. Of course,
| that n Is not mn independent body. u
| has neither full and final power nor
| FUN and nnal responsibility I'm its con
| troll of the schoolH. for ita estimate II
the amount needed for the support of
| the schools iH passed I'm review by the
| city council, which my or may not
| grant the sum called for Thus the
| power of the board Of education TO
| carry out is plans for the extension
| and Improvement Of the schools de-
pendr upon the ction Of an independ
| ant body, which can have o such In
innate knowledge Of the schools needs
| as has the board Of education The
| board of education. therefore. is un-
| nbla ~ formulate any definite policy
. with the certainty Cf being able tu
put n into operation. md "a n ennse-
| uueuce II can not properly be held
| completely responsible for any ineffi-
cheney In the school system which
| may develop
More and more throughout the coun-
trv II iz recognized that the efficient
| administration of city schools dernH nd-
| that boards ~ eduratfon given full
| control over the eduea tianal business,
| and financial affairs of the school sys~
! tenn That ia 20 say. the tendency In
| practice is TO make city boards IF edu
cation entirely Independent of nil other
| branches of city government. md this
J should he brought about In Whining
ton The board n education ~ VII
a..
levy. within statutory limitations, ter
sufncent - maintain It's schoolr on n
plane ~ high efficiency.
More and more, too. the tendency
among citiea IL 10 remove their echnol
,epartments from local. municipal con
troll and plare them under the general
overnight II State authorities. Tor u
is found In practice that such control
becomes less personal and restrictive.
lesa subject to political vaEnries. and
more helpful and stimulating In It's
effect This Ia one important reason
| why wilmington should become an
| integral rart Of the Delaware school
| svstrtn when tho school code ia revised
tn safeguard her freedom
| The Hoard'x Method Of school Control
should hc Changed.
A now organized the board work
il very largely carried on by stand
ing committees uf which there are -,
| each board member heins the chairman
of one committee and the president Of
| tho hoa ri heiBg ex-nflcin member OF
| all. with power 70 vota IN case Of n
tie Tho chief objection 10 this PRO
ccaurc lice in the fact that the work of
almost every committee takeH II into
field which requires n degree of ex-
I L hu
members Of the committees can not be
expected "a have Instead. experts
competent 70 deal with all such matters
should be employed and their opinions
| considered A school board can be OF
greatest service If II confines itH func-
tious To determining policies. selecting
! experts. authorizing new projects, sc
curing funds. and determining how
these Hhall he distributed. The board
should free itself from details oi
organization and administration. giving
its time and attention 10 legislative and
judicial matters Executive functions
should he delegated TO the superintond-
ent Of schools and 10 his staff Of OK
ports The plan Of conducting the work
, ! of the board through standing com
mittcea does not lend itself TO this dis.
tinction between the functions of this
the superintendent and his staf on tn.
/ other.
Indeed If this board n>ciousls
holds to this distinction IN function
Il viii need few If any standing com
mittees Particularly IL the board b,
small one. the work can be carried
on most efficiently II the board sits al
q whole and any committees appointed
as is sometimes desirable, be tempo
rary and detailed to tho consideration
OF a specific matter Only.
The board of Wilmington has ever
gone much further I'm devoting It's at
tention 10 details than would be re
quired merely by the work Of standin,
committees. for each member acts a
, ! an agent for certain schools and is ex
pected 10 bring to the attention o
the board the particular needs of in
. dividual schools. 1t therefore. come
about that at the regular monthly meet
| ings of the board each member is OK
pected formally TO submit to the hoars
his report on the condition and need
. | of the schools which have been as
signed to him. It seemed curious L
{ the commission to see board member
rise and formally ask the board to sup
. ply their schools with a door mat. o
with rs feet of rubber hose with
panes of window glass, or with this
that or the other thing, according 4
! | the various needs. Indeed il was sal,
that one member has gravely aske'
| the board on every meeting night 10