Evening star., 1923-01-03
EFFORT TO DICTATE
TOSCHOOLSISSEEN
Officials to Go Before D. c.
Heads Demanding Beauty
! Course Appropriation.
WOULD UPHOLD "RIGHTS"
Asserted Commissioners Try to
Mold Policies by Controlling
! Purse Strings.
WOULD UPHOLD "RIGHTS"

Constituting the reIuSdl VI 1hS A
+rict Commissioners to grant the ap-
propriation Of $331.25 for the purchase
of supplies for the course In manicur-
ing, shampooing, hairdresslng ana
massaging at the o Street vocational
School for girls as an attempt 70
dictate the educational policies OF the
board of education. school officials are
planning to go before that BODY AT
its meeting this afternoon and insist
that some action be taken which VIII
allow them to conduct the class in
beauty instruction.
The schoo! officials contend that the
Commissioners have the constituted
authority to control the fiscal pol
icIes of the school board and that IN
doing SO, as in this case, they are
not only debating educational pol
icies, but are retarding educatonal
progress. In this connection they
accomplished the need OF legislation
which will give the school board
complete financial independence. Had
the hoard been constituted with the
full power to control school appro-
nriations. il was pointed out, the
present controversy over the peaulS
course would not have arisen.
only Course Open.
The only action which the board
can take toward continuing the
beauty course, which was started IN
September, as conjured in the minus
Of the officials today, is to retain IN
the school service the teacher ap-
notnted to give the instruction ana
secure the necessary funds for the
supplies from other sources. On on ane @
other hand, it was explained, sCch az
tion will give the auditor at the emo
Of The current month an oppotluhiIS
10 rule that the teacher is not lesallg
entitled 10 her salary IL tne auultot '
should make such a ruling ~ was
sniS The hoard probably would sub
mil 10 the controller general Tor
final decision the broad question as
10 the legality of the commissioner I . .
in debating, .onlGs the eaqes'IbU"dT BODY.
twice the Commissioners nave
,urned down the requisition or tne
school board for the approp[l - -. !.
for the beauty course supplies on tne
.1round that the course itself Is super
ficiaI and that the purchase of the
reoulsfte massage creams, sna
ing oil cosmetics, etc, Woulo oe d
useless expenditure OF puollc luIIus' I'
Despite their action, Garhet y. ~,
l,inson. assistant superintendent III
Charge of coIored schools, said TO-DAY
rhat his position as strongly III iaTor
of the course has not been moved
Need for Training.
ur Wilkinson pointed out that
there is a demand for such q course
in the colored schools, and as the
purpose Of the schools IL to proVlde
In the way Of education what the
community wants. it should ne con-
tinued.
He cited figures showing that 3Sl %.
women in Washington come uhder IN =
= =. sificatfon Of female BARRIERS
md therefore, there Is neeu tor sue"
instruction in the schools
The whole question of the authority
of the Commissioners to direct the
educational policies OF the schooi
board revoivcs back to the last annual
rerort of Supt. Frank W. SallOu. IN
which he complained of the divided
responsibility for education il WASH
ington,
DIFFICULTIES Pointed Out.
The board of education does not
have exclusive authority" said the
report. Authority and responsibility
for appropriations, for legislation
and for administration are divided, In
varying degrees, among the board
of education, board OF Commissioners
of the District and their subordinate
officers the bureau Of the budget and
subcommittee on appropriations OF
the House and Senate and finally, OF
course, Congress itself and the Presl-
dent of the United states.
'ITnder the system of divided au-
thority and responsibility for edu-
cation 1t is practically impossible to
establish a systematic educationa
policy or a systematic financial pol
icy and carry it out over a period OF