The Washington times., 1923-02-18
Says Committees Find AlIot-
\ ments for Each Child
Are RidiculousIy Small
MEMBERS VIEW BUILDINGS
Make Charts Recording Num-
Der of Pupils Per Room
and Other Conditions
By MRS. GILES SCOTT RAFTER
President Mothers Congress and Parent
Teacher Associations.

EEe81uGnT OOmRfGSS
Teacher Associations.
Coordination of the general
school program with the human
itarian needs of the pupil; linking
Of the teacher and the parent in
concerted action for the better
education-mentally, morally and
physically-of the school children
of America-such is the work of
the Parent Teacher Associations.
AID PROGRAM.
In Washington these organizations
branches of which are located in
nearly every school in the District
have served a great purpose and
have been of Unreasonable aid in
carrying out the school program as
arranged by the District Board or
Education.
The parent-teacher association
movement has become nation wide
There are associations in every
State embracing more than half a
million members. In forty-three OF
the States there are State organiza-
tons of the parent-teacher associa-
tons working for the betterment OF
education in the State and co-operat-
ing in the national movement.
Some OF the activities of these as
soeiations. which are exemplifed in
every particular in the Washington
schools, Is to serve school lunches,
furnish books for school libraries,
provide vietrolas and other musical
Instruments But most important OF
all, they cooperate with school au.
thorities in the effort to get SUITE
cient money to improve the schools.
Under no condition is it the prov
ince OF parent-teacher association
TO help the school by interfering with
the discipline or curriculum OF the
school. It must exercise no admin
ietrative powers.
N0N.SECTARIAN.
A successful parent-teacher asso-
citation knows no church, no politics.
no class, no nationality.
In this city, the parent teacher
associations have studied their chill
drens' needs very thoroughly. and
Systematically. They have divided
their membership into standing
committees One of the leading
committees studies Fairgrounds. an
other health. and others attend to
school lunches, libraries, etc.
The playground committee does
such work as ascertaining how
many square feet of ground is al
lotted each child. In most instances
in Washington the space has been
found to be ridiculously small, and.
as a result, one of the principal
activities Of the District of Column
bia Congress of Mothers AMI Par.
ent-Teacher Associations has been
the procuring Of more play grounds
for individual schols.
CHART SCHOOLS.
Another committee is the build
ing committee. The members usu-
ally visit every school in their dis
trict. They make chart on which
IL recorded the number of rooms
in each school, the number of chill
dren per room and the number of
additional rooms needed for caring
for the overflow, for very often
there is an overflow in the Wash
ington schools. They also find
out whether there is modern equip
ment in the schools, such as hot
water, heated toilets, proper lighting,
etc.
The District of Columbia Congress
Of Mothers and Parent-Teacher AS.
ISOLATION is a branch of the National
Congress of Mothers and Parent
Teacher Associations. It was or.
ganized in 1905, and admitted as a
State branch in 1914. It's growth
has been steady ever since.