New-York tribune., 1922-06-08
Graves Refuses
.ToEndAdvisOry
Council Grill
State Commissioners of Edu-
cation Denies Request of
City School Board to Abol-
} ish Teachers Inquisition
Defends Body in Letter
He Tells President Ryan Its
Service Has Been Nalua-
BILE: Instructors Volunteer

o. EDUCATION. IN lcbtti seeN'iees W
George J. RYAN. president Of the Board
Of Education. refuses 20 abolish the
Advisory Council on Teachers Qualih-
,ations as requested by the board at
recent meeting. The Commissioner
sav, the council has performed valu-
able Servire 70 the department In the
nerfornance Of The duty required by
state law and expresses the hope that
,he entire work under the teacher
eersifeation rule will be completed
within a short time Appearance OF
teachers before the council is volun-
tsry, he says.
The effect OF Commissioner Graves's
refusal may he 90 open up anew the
controversy that has developed within
the last few weeks over the non-pubic
hearings which the council. headed by
Finley J. Shepard. has been holding
az the Bar Association building IN
West Forty-fourth Street
No direct criticism has been leveled
against the council By the mass Of
teachers themselves but the Teachers
Union. several members Of the Board
81 Education and certain members Of
the faculties Of colleges here have
been actively opposing the work OF the
council on the ground that its secret
hearings deprived the teacher called
before them Of his or her rights under
the Constitution.
Council Meets Charges
These charges have been met by
Archibald +. Stevenson. Hugh Frayne
and other members Of the council,
with the assertion that the council was
performing a necessary work and one
that concerned only those teachers
whose qualifications, both as to loyalty
and general fitness, were subject TO
question.
The letter 20 Mr.. Ryan says, in part:
II have caused an examination 10 be
made Of the proceedings before the
committee and Of the action taken on
the cases submitted 10 them.
II find that most OF the teachers as
20 whom information was laid before
the committee have voluntarily ap-
pearsd and gladly answered the In
quirics made of them. No teacher has
been forced against his or her will 10
appear or 20 answer questions. The
committee has followed intelligently
the scope and purpose Of its functions
as requested by the representatives Of
the teachers and established by this
department. The proceedings have
been in no sense In the nature OF
trials. and the committee has stated IN
each case that II formal trial was
70 be- had 10 must. as provided by the
law. be before the Commissioner OF
Education.
reports have already been made
hy the committee 10 me as 10 a num-
Der of cases considered by them. In
each ease it was suggested by the COM
mittce that a certificate Of loyalty and
I. faufrna In tho faarhnr HQ-
ports are substantially completed as
70 a number Of other cases in which
mo basis for formal proceedings has
been found II is expected that these
reports will be submitted Immediately.
after careful examination Of the
work of this committee and a respect
iul consideration Of the grounds upon
which the request Of your board is
made. ] am forced to the conclusion
that il would be entirely unjustifable
70 abolish the committee at this time.
7 feel that the committee has per-
formed q valuable service without COM
rensation and under adverse conditions
in aiding this department in the per
formarco OF the duty imposed upon II
ny state statute.
"The committee endcavored with ma
ferial success 10 protect teachers
against whom FOR one cause or an
other information may have come 10
this department relative 20 their status
under The teacher ccrtifcation act Of
1921 Those teachers who have not
cared 20 avail themselves Of the privi-
ifee of coming before the committee
have not had 90 do so. A complete
report Of the committees activities
wil boz submitted in few days
The teachers council Of the Board OF
Education. the official organization Of
New York City teachers. which also
has been under fire for assisting the
state Department in carrying on the
teacher cortihcation work. made public
\ o memorandum yesterday defending the
advisory council and announcing its
u opposition 90 "unsoemly attacks upon
the aims and purposes Of the Lusk law,
upon those responsible for its enact
ment. or upon those responsible for
us enforcement
Miss Rodman Refuses TO Appear
Miss Henrietta Rodman (Mrs. Her
man De Frcmcrv. teacher m the
julie Richman High School. who IS
widely known for hcr writings on educa-
ton and who achieved no little fame IN
1914 as the result Of letter published
In Tho Tribune accusing the Board Of
Education Of discriminating against
mother teachers. said yesterday she
had received a summons TO appear be-
fore tho advisory council. Her answer,
she said. was . refusal
Miss Rodman said she knew that at
tendance ~ the hearings was not com
nulsory and that she was taking full
advantage Of her privilege TO refuse TO
appear.
II rsked my job before she said,
referring TO her suspension by the
Board of Education in 1914, "and am
not going 20 risk 10 again by appearing
before body - existence Of which J
believe 20 be injurious 20 the schools as
wei as 20 the teachers"
There was no mei tion in the sum
mons Miss Rodman said, Of any
ohor~re o~air1f hcr