Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-25
GIVES OUTLINE OF
SCHOOL PROBLEMS
Superintendent Ward States
Facts Of Importance and In
tsrest to .Wilmingtonians.

Reporting TO the Board OF Public
Education. yesterday afternoon, re-
gnrdinx Schoolmen's Week Mt the
University of Pennsylvania. April 20
20. which convention he and a num-
Der OF Wilmington principals, super
yisors and teachers attended. Super
intcndent OF Schools David A. Ward
said;
"A very interesting and construc-
tive program was presented Two
features OF the program werc OF suf-
ncicnt Importance and interest az
relates to our own problems that
wish to call special attention TO them
The first of these was the discussion
of fennsylvanias financial problem.
IN which DIR. Harlan Updegrafr pre-
sented a clear and forceful statement
OF tho States taxation problem.
nav" reproduced part OF DR.. Cpde-
grar's outline ss follows:
III. School support should be pre-
dominately local.
i. This form of government and
the ideals OF our people In accordance
with which such government Is framed
VIII permit OF no other plan.
-. The determination OF the
amount OF that tax and Of the control
over it's expenditure by the people
themselves or their Immediate repre-
sentatives il one Of the fundamental
features Of democracy.
Nv. Limits OF state, or central.
support 10 any district.
1. Should see that every school
has sufficient funds 10 support ef-
hciently tho minimum amount OF
schooling that II should have.
2. Should develop local initiative
To optimum extent.
3. Should not give more than
nominal grants To those districts I'm
which there are sutllcinet funds and
sufficient interests TO maintain an ef-
hcient and adequate system OF schools
-. should not give SO much as to
weaken local initiative or encourage
harmful feeling OF dependence upon
the central source of supply.
"NI. Proportion OF total support of
local schools that should come from
central government.
4. The greater the inequalities in
wealth and In interest in schools
greater the amount of State support
required.
z. The more varied and the wider
the scope OF schools encouraged the
greater the amount required.
3. The more extensive the system
~ income. inheritance and business
taxes levied by central sources the
greater the amount Of central sup
port.
WI. Criteria for determining ef e
nciency Of a plan Of central support.
i. should promote the efficient
participation OF citizens in tho exer-
else OF the duties and responsibilities
of citizenship-dec M to amounts
given should depend upon character
of the local district legislation.
2. Should not on the one hand
promote bureaucracy OF autocratic
control cor on the other hand supine-
ness) In central offices-penalties
should be exacted. but amounts with
held should be dependent upon extent
81 the shortcoming and the number of
previous delinquencies.
3. The State should encourage by
grants the introduction Of new fea-
tures into the schools OF the State,
especially those which would not or
dinarily be undertaken by many COM
munities of their own volition
"A. Districts should be rewarded
for Increasing the true tax rate and
penalized for lowering il, since these
usually reflect increased and decreas-
cd efficiency. respectively, in the
schools as a whole.
"'5. The districts should receive
support in inverse proportion to theii
true valuation back OF each schoo
unit (as a teacher and her class) In
order that the equalization of educa.
tional opportunity among all OF tn,
children OF the State can be the NOR,
easily secured. The points in tn,
scale OF equalized valuation pei
teacher to which this equalization
should be carried is TO be determined
upon the one hand by the amount,
of money available and on the othel
hand by the compelling necessity O
preserving and stimulating demo
cratic control OF schools in local com
munities
"A second address Of special interes
was that OF DIR. Ambrose l.. Suhrie
dean OF the School Of Education O
Cleveland. Ohio. under the genera
topic OF Improvement of Teachers Il
Service DIR. Suhrie discussed tn
plan in operation IN Cleveland. whicl
brings into cooperation the uni
Versity. the school of education an
the public school faculties in outlin
ing and conducting such course
as Will enable the teachers to NEE
effectively their particular prob
lens"