Evening star., 1922-02-21
SCHOOL CONTROL HERE CALLED
INEXCUSABLY BAD BY TIGERT

Describing the present system OF
control of the District public schools
as 'inexcusably bad" John ]. Tigert,
federal commissioner of education.
has laid before Senator Capper OF
Kansas, chairman of the joint con-
gressional committee investigating
the schools, a remedial program, de-
signed to adequately and permanently
solve the difficulty.
y The present system of control, Com
missioner THgert said, inevitably
causes inefficiencey and waste and
is directly responsible for failure
to keep the schools abreast Of cur
rent progress in other cities. He em-
phasiZed that it also involves such
attenuated lines and devious paths OF
administrative functioning that even
the greatest effort and the highest
ability on the part of those charged
with the responsibility cannot bring
about an efficient and economical man
agement.
Recommendations Made.
Salient recommendations of the
commissioner of education, briefly
are:
Appropriation of lump sums by
Congress directly to the support OF
District education; appointment of
members of the board by the Presi-
dent with confirmation by the Senate; /;
independence Of the school board re-
garding money matters and Its re-
sponsibility to the people and not to
Congress.
Commissioner Tigert pointed out
that although the suggestion that the
people of Washington shall have a
voice in the management of the
schools entails certain degree OF
suffrage. which has not yet been de-
termined satisfactorily by Congress,
he believes educational suffrage might
be made an exception.
'"The children Of the public schools
of the District of Columbia" said the
commissioner, "are not in any proper
sense wards of the United States, but
children of the residents of the Dis
trict. The theory that the parents of
these. children are not entitled to a
controlling voice in the education of
their children, subject to appropriate
legislative restrictions. is believed to
be untenable and inconsistent with
the institutions and genius of the
American people.
Certain principles of sound organ
ization and administration Of public
education, which are being prOmul-
gated rs basic principles, are spe-
officially violated or nullified by the
system of control Of the public schools
provided for the District of Columbia.
Fiscal Independence.
In recommending fiscal independ-
ence for the board of education, Mr..
ri@rht gThe plan paan: of fiscal independence for
boards of education having charge of
the public schools has been estab :
lished as an accepted and successful
plan of administration in many Of
our large. cities. and appears to be
growing in favor. By this plan. the
board of education is vested with the
power to initiate and levy taxes for
educational purposes, subject to leg
islative restrictions, without review
as city coucil, board of estimates,
etc.), and without interference by any
other authority in the details Of ex-
penditure of funds"
Detailed Suggestions.
Following are the detailed recon-
mendations of Commissioner Tigert;
"U Fiscal Independence: The
board of education should be given
authority and responsibility to main
interference from any source in the
details of management, subject only
to such legislative restrictions as
would be analogous to the state legis-
lation affecting the school system Of
city of similar size located in one
of the states.
"(2) Responsibility to the people:
Provision should be made for sub
mitting to the people of the District
of Columbia from time to time i'm
portant proposals affecting the
schools, and for securing definite ex-
preston of popular approval before
certain kinds of action are taken.
The board of education should be
responsible to the people of the Dis
trict and not to Congress. Congress
may properly require reports of ac-