Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-01-14
DEFENDS PROPOSALS OF PUBLIC
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE
CODE IN ANSWER
EFFECTIVE DEMOCRACY AIM
Plan Has Been in Operation in Mid
die Western States and Found
Highly Successful.
(By W. j. Sutton, Chairman ScEoOl
Code Commission


In acceding to the request for IA
reply to the criticisms of Mrs.
Josephine Corliss Preston, superin.
tendent Of public instruction, on pro-
posals OF the public school admins
trative code commission, permit me
to say that the criticisms Of the state
superintendent which you recently
published have also appeared in other
newspapers Of the state. Further
more, insidious political propaganda
in its various phases has been and is
being promulgated by her through
every possible channel for the pur.
pose OF defeating the bill which has
been prepared by the commission and
submitted to the legislature January
II, as provided by joint resolution
of the last special session Of the leg
islature.
At the outset wish to declare en-
phatically that It has been the policy
Of the commission to avoid at all
times anything Of a personal nature.
The only thought has been so to ad.
Just the administrative and financial
machinery Of the public school as to
insure. as nearly as possible, to every
boy and girl in the state equal educa-
tional opportunity and to guard
against the great waste of the tax
payers money which is taking place
under our present plan Of school ad :
criticisms have been of a personal ma
ture which 1t is not necessary to dis
cuss any further than to show what
has been her attitude toward the COM
mission and its work from the begin
ming.
Many Of her criticisms have no
bearing whatever on the questions at
ministration.
Some Of the state superintendent 8
issue but are mere camouflage or SEN
timental appeal to certain groups OF
people. endeavoring thereby to create
prejudice against the proposed change
in our schools laws. Her criticisms
which touch the vital changes in our
school law as proposed by the COM
mission are In themselves strong ar
gument why such changes should be
made.
On this commission were appointed
by the governor, Mrs. Mark e. Reed.
Shelton; Superintendent A. S. Bur-
rows, Of King county; Superintendent
w. M. Kern, Walla Walla city
schools; Alfred Lister, secretary
manager Tacoma city schools; Mrs.
Elizabeth Meyers-Kelly, Ritzville, and
W. ]. Sutton, Cheney.
Every member. with the exception
of Mrs. Kelly, who has since removed
from the state, has attended nearly
every meeting Of the commission and
has devoted much time for the past
six months to an exhaustive and tech
nical study of the school problems OF
the state without compensation. At
ing was held in Tacoma, June 10, for
the purpose of organization. The
1irst business meeting was held at the
State Capitol early in July and it was
the desire of every member Of the
commission to have the advice and
cooperation of the state superintend-
ent. In this spirit and on our ini-
tiative. the first session was held in
me superintendent's Office, with Mrs
Preston present.
Speaking for the commission. the
chairman said: 1--WE have been ap.
pointed by the governor to study thG
school problems of state. We realize
that 1t is difficult problem to solve
and that great care must be taken tc
guard agains making mistakes, be
cause in one way or another an,
change will affect the welfare O.
every child Of school age in the state