Evening star., 1925-01-18

Mr.. Greenwood, the committee had
this to say: THE special committee
has given careful consideration to
the statements outlined in the daily
press quoting Dean William c. Rue
digger of the teachers college of
George Washington University, as
saying that Miss Alice Barrows of
the Bureau of Education has been
forbidden by Commissioner Tigert to
speak on the subject of platoon
schools in the District of Columbia
because the superintendent of schools
is opposed to platoon schools, that
teachers in the District do not dare
express themselves on the subject and
also the correspondence relative to
these reports between Dean Rue
diger and the chairman of the
committee
The committee is of the opinion
that 1T is not concerned with the
exact text of the statements made
by Dean Ruediger on the occasion
when he reported TO have made these
statements. 1t is, however, vitality
concerned with the impression that
the superintendent of schools is not
cooperating with the committee and
that he is obstructing it's work of
making an impartial and non-par-
tisan investigation of the platoon
school. This is the effect of these
statements appearing in the press.
Says BalIou CO-Operated.
Tt is the desire of the committee
to go on record as saying that, in its
opinion, the superintendent of schools
has co-operated wholeheartedly and
sincerely in the work of the commit
tee, and has been of great assistance
in bringing before it all the facts
with regard to the platoon system,
both in favor and in opposition to it.
The committee also wishes to call at
tention to the fact that the teachers
in the public schools desiring to ap-
pear before the committee, either as
advocates or opponents of the platoon
system, have not been intimidated in
any way. as is evidenced by the ap-
pearance before the committee of
teachers speaking both for and
against the system.
The committee depIores the ap-
parent effort on the part of some of
the advocates of the platoon system
to influence the work of the commit
tee and the board Of education in its
work of studying the question, by at
tempting to obstruct the progress of
the legislation with regard to the
five-year building program, and re-
aftirms its belief that at this time
there is no relation between the pro-
posed legislation and the investiga-
ton Of the platoon system"
James G. Yaden and Ira B. Nutter
two of the several score persons who
crowded the boards chamber for the
hearing, told Mr.. Greenwood, in re-
sponse to his questioning, that they
attended the meeting at which Dean
Ruediger made the charges which
created a stir in school circles and
that the newspaper accounts of his
statements were substantially correct
Backs Platoon System.
Miss Barrows was the only advo-
cate of the platoon system to testify
before the committee. She pointed
out that under the traditional sys-
load instead of a balanced plan
Seventy-nin cities in the United
States have adopted the platoon plan,
she said, and a majority of them are
not in industrial communities as the
opponents have previously maintain
ed. She also declared that Washing
toms lone platoon school, the Park
View, is one of the best in the Coun-
try.
Dr. BalIou explained that he has pur-
posely evaded a public discussion of the
platoon system because of its con-
troversial nature, but If the school
board, after due investigation and con-
sideration, shall have esta blished a
policy with respect to platooning or not
platooning the schools, "it will obviously
be the duty and the responsibility of
the superintendent of schools to put that
policy into effective operation. In view
of this fact, in the Judgment of the
superintendent, it is of outstanding i'm
hot ha cr1T. 1ta ut1, Ia
not have become partisan while the
policy was under discussion. AS long
as the matter is in a policy forming
stage. each officer and teacher has a
right to entertain and express his own
opinion. When the board establishes a
policy, that policy must become the
| policy Of every officer and teacher.
Obedience Is Pledged.
"If after due consideration. the Board
of Education decided upon platooning
our elementary schools, 1 assure the
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