New Britain herald., 1922-10-20
POWERS OF SCHOOL BOARD.

The importance of the school board, or school "committee" as it is char acterized in the charter of the city, may be properly eauged by the state ment that it expends about haIt the money collected by the city annually The fact that it does have control over such a large amount IS not the chief reason, however. for its impor- tance. That reason is the necessity or taking the greatest possible precau- lions that the children of the city will receive the advantages of educa- tion under the best possible circum- stances.
 The powers of the school commit tee are greater than those Of any other board. Supervision over its ex- penditures is lacking. Usually it's personnel is splendid. Its members are intensely interested in school affairs. But it is proverhially true that school boards are not above "poitics". Not in the ordinary sense, perhaps, does politics interefere with proper action, but petty matters of patronage and privilege might play important parts in it's affairs.
 On the other hand body like the common council, large and composed of many who have not given educa- tional matters deep thought is not a body qualified to interfere too minute ly in the action taken by the school committee While the common coun- cil might well advise wisely as to the material matters, such as practical matters of building etc, it might be at a loss to fully comprehend and decide matters of cultural or edu- cational type. School matters, in other words. are essentially matters which should be handled by smaller body of persons selected with especial regard to their familiarity with mat ters of the mind.
 Thus there is a situation demand ing pernaps more supervision by the common council over school affairs as handled by the all powerful school committee, and yet demanding that such supervision should not handicap the school committee in matters which one expert in educational af- fairs knows to be elemental. Our schools should be progressive, as they would be under the management of educational experts; our schools should be built and conducted eco- nomically and practically as they would be were the sym mpathetic advice of the common council sought and given. It is a difficult situation to meet, but the suggestion noted in the news columns of The Herald of yes terday contains a germ of truth and should be considered. It might be possible to form committee within the council, made up of men carefully chosen with view to their fitness in this particular line, which could re- ceive reports of the school committee and discuss It's affairs before the matters were submitted to the super visory larger body. This council committee would be able to get the viewpoint of the school board, at the same time knowing the sentiment of the common council. It would be bridge between the school board at present separated from that body by wide chasm, and the common council. The school board, meeting with such council committee, could iron out problems and place them in form to be presented to the council clearly. Whatever arrangement is made by the charter revision com mittee there should be no backward step in providing for the progressive education of the children and young people of New Britain.