Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-02-26
Education Board
AutOcrdcy Is Hit

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public business much more expeditiously.
It is less liable TO shift the burden and
responsibility. It cannot so easily di.
vide itself up into small committees and
it works more efficiently and inteli-
gently, as a committee of the whole
"Thc board members at all times are
usurping the functions of the supcrin-
trndent, and constantly interfering with
| the system. Glance for moment
through the rules and regulations Of
the school board, and you will find
under the head Duties of the Superin-
tendcnt of Schools the delegation of
certain duties and obligations Of the
superintendent. but always. there is
present the limitation subject to the
by laws and directions Of the school
board
Already in Politics"
at has been said the bill is objcc-
tonahlc because it will put the board
into politics. Ny answer is that the
board already is in politics. My further
| answer is that even If 1t would be more
80 in politics. it could not function any
worse than il does at present.
IF no other good can come of the
elective system of the School Board
IVAN to relieve our Judges from the bur
den Of extra judicial appointment, the
| experiment will be we'll worth while.
To remove from our board of judges the
appointment. extra judicial in charac-
| ter, will surely restore to them the
"cspPct which. less than a generation
| ago, they received. but during the past
! few years have lost.
'"rhose Of YOU who fear the elective
! fon.,,o ,,,,Ct not foropt that yyompn now
| vote that women are naturally inter
csted in the subject of education: that
| they are closer to the child, and there
| fore closer to the school.
at must be noted that two Of the
present members of the Board of Educa-
ton hold Office Of valuable political
prefermcnt. The source of prcfcrmcnt
singularly enough comes from the same
source ms their appointment ms members
of the Board of Education. namely. the
board of Judges, and while there Is no
apparent political trading because Of
| this combination, there can be no doubt
that the arrangement makes such
trading possible.
Dissatisfaction Is General
State Representative Franklin Spencer
Edmonds. presiding. said. with regard
| to proposed changes:
"purng the present session Of the
LEGISLATURE none of the activities of
government has been the subject of more
! discussion in the conferences Of the
| Philadclphia members than the public
school system Three bills have been
introduced, each affecting the entire
structure Of the school system, and each
rrOpoSing changes radically different
! from the others.
'Thpsc three bills have one point in
common. they all bear evidence TO dis
satisfaction with the lack of popular
control over tho schools which exists
Mt the present time. They result from
the criticism that the present method
| is not democratic. that no authority
should impose taxes except the direct
representatives Of the people. and that
the control Of the schools ought to be
brought closer to the people.
"They suggest also an interesting in
ouiry into the past. II Is notable that
CITY was created "the FIRST School dis.
trict of Pennsylvania. has never had
central school board directly elected
by the people.
Public Hearings Planned
"rhc question before the people Of
Philadelphia today is: Are we willing to
have an elective board with all of the
consequent difficulties which popular
election nccesSitatcs. in order to secure
school system directly responding to
the popular will?
con this question legislators will
doubtless vot" in accordance with the
expressed wish, of their constituents. II
is even planned to hold public hear
ing of tho legislative committee con.
sidcring these bills in Philadelphia so
as to give every interest chance to
be heard.
"It is time. therefore. that every
one who has tho welfare of the public
schools at heart should give serious
thought to this question, and when they
have reached conclusions, So" that those
conclusions reach their legislators.