The Washington herald., 1921-12-14
XIII. Washington's Schools.

of the schools, the Congressional committee
will see what will verify contradict what has
been said to them of particulars. But as legislators
they cannot learn anything they do not know. Visit
ing shows personal interest and is valuable check
ing actual needs and the degree of emergency But
there general principles applicable to all schools
and school systems here and everywhere, which
form the basis-or should-of school laws. and
IT is only new school law that Congress can
provide.
The individual school is the creature OF
the system OF facilities OF instrumentalities, the
results are largely reflection OF the teachers per-
sonaity, spirit, energy and inspiration. But the
teacher, with much less strain, could accom-
plsh far and the pupils get much more
under right system, with right facilities.
SO of a building. What is found there, out
side of physical conditions, depends primarily upon
- the principal really fine principal will not have
low-gradc teachers who cannot be built up and
so do not belong in the school fine prn-
cipal will get a unity of effort; a of CO.
ordination a spirit of loyalty; an interest from
teachers and pupils that gain educational results
far above the average, regardless of city system
or physical conditions But consider what such
a principal would do under right conditions. Con-
slider how unfair bad conditions are-and Wash
ington has many just such instances.
Exactly the condition is inevitable as
to cy's schools a whole The system depends
for educational results upon the central educational
executive-the superintendent. The law under
which the system must be evolved is his instru-
If the law is such as in Washington, no
superintendent born do than butt
his head against stone wall in vain endeavor.
He cannot make bricks without straw. He can
only prevent educational suicide and inspire with
patient effort until his chance comes through
thr chauC of he
OF a system
There is today in Washington good teaching
much of it. But there is not one single modern
school bulding-educationall speaking-and can
not be because there is not the system to base
it on, the instrumentalities to make it possible
the facilities essential to modern educational
- methods. Each school is but part OF the whole
and the whole is radically defective because of
conditions which it has control.
The one simple, absolutely essential problem
of the committee, when it gets down to brass
'tacks, is What legislation must be passed to
enable the District to have the best schools in
the Union? What be in the law and what
Just as carefully excluded from the law to make
possible a model school system in this District?
Where must the authority for this be placed and
where the responsibility? What power or author
ity should Congress retain, or should it retain
not included in that regulatory control as
the source OF funds? Only those who have made
a life study of the public schools of all cities
tell the committee these things and it has
been wise beyond the usual in determining to have
such council
As it is authority is scattered and response
bity has gone chasing after Both are spread
thin from the Hill via the District Building
to the Board of Education headquarters, where
Is left only the power to make mistakes because
Of real authority there is none Yet it is here
all authority should be placed, since the supesn-
tendent is the agent, the general manager, the
central executive employed by the board to man
age, control and administer the schools Unless
the board has authority which the superintendent
can exercise, it is manifestly impossible for him
to build up system, introduce modern methods
correlate, extend and unity, introducing the neces-
sary agencies and expanding their application
The superintendent is the sole active agency
He is the one who knows how. He is the exec
utive. In Washington he has not fair chance
indeed. he hasn't any chance at all. 1t is the
committees job to adopt such legislation such
a school law, will give him chance as the
representative of the Board of Education and
executive head of the schools, that he may build
up a model school system for the United States
and have here the best schools in the Union.
Now that Emma Goldman is on her up
y pers, she wants to come back here on her