The Washington times., 1922-04-13
Permanent Program for
Our Public Schools
By BILL PRICE.

There VIII be widespread qualification in the Dis
rict If the joint school committee of Congress can
agree upon definite program for our public schools
and bring sufficient pressure upon Congress to have
this program adopted guide for the future.
For years the public schools here have suffered
from haphazard legislation The Senate, more
permanent body than the House, which undergoes
SO many, and often radical political changes, has
always understood local conditions and needs and
attempted to carry out plans for the generous better
ment OF local institutions and projects
The House, with its shifting personnel, has fire.
quently been influenced by enemies of the District
who were more familiar with rural and general prob
lens than with those of large city.
The outcome has been serious differences between
Senate and House District legislation and appro-
priations with the House regularly seeking to cur
tail appropriations for all purposes.
Failing to cooperate and working at cross -pur-
poses, the District has thus been a sufferer. The
public schools have been the chief victim. There
first bring the schools to standard not exceed else
where in the country, and then anticipate the re-
quirements of the future.
There is sympathetic appreciation of this situation
in Congress- and for the first time the District Com
mttees of Senate and House are seeking to get to-
gether upon a ten-year program which will bring
the schools up to the best in other American cities
and then keep them that way.
1t is the opinion of many Senators and Repre-
sentatives that the only way to do this is through
definite program making liberal appropriation each
year for long period If such program is not
adopted the schools will continue as the victim of
antiquated methods of legislation by which year
they may be given just appropriations and the next
year Congress may be in the mood of "cutting"
everything In the lean years the schools go back
ward to the detrment of education and the whole
system. >I -.
best interests of the District school system at heart
hope for success in the first experiment of Joint
committee. If the results good they may ask
the passage of a concurrent resolution by Congress
authorizing permanent joint committee of the two
houses public schools
Such committee ought to mean much to the
schools and prove valuable piece of legislative
machinery for Congress In saving time and bring
ing about cooperation the part of the two
mittees. joint committee ought to be able to
eliminate friction and pave the way for prompt
action by Congress on all questions relating to Dis
trict schools
A regular joint Congressional committee on
schools working in harmonious manner, would soon
be able to correct many weak points in the school
system In addition to sponsoring appropriations that
would bring the schools to the perfection they
deserve.
the school board and the District Commissioners.
The school board should be abolished and the schools
put wholly under the District Commissioners, who
would operate them through the superintendent and
his staff, thereby cutting out lot of red tape or
the school system in every detail should be put in
the hands of the board which would be responsible
to Congress only.
Recommendations for school appropriations must
go through the District Commissioners, who may
or may not approve them, and the construction Of
all buildings is in the control of the Commissioners
through the office of supervising architect There
are many yards of red tape in all this
The right thing for Congress to do would be to
permit the people of the District to elect their own
school board and then give the board complete super
vision of everything. under the direct control of