Evening star., 1927-09-18
District Schools Show Much
Improvement and Progress

forward and will be completed provid-
ed higher tax rate, arising from the
refusal Of Congress to bear fairly
proportionate share of Capital ex-
pense, does not serve to put 1t on a
sidetrack to wait for something else.
After the physical needs Of the
schools came the problem of the teach
ing personnel and improving its out
look and morale. This was accom-
plished through the passage of legis-
lation fixing new schedule of pay
not only of teachers but of admins
trative officials. More recently came
teachers retirement legislation, which
accomplished two things. 1t fixed a
rate of retirement pay which removed
the suicidal nature of voluntary re-
tirement. and it enabled many of the
older teachers, fast approaching the
time when longevity i'll the service
lessened their efficiency. TO retire on
pay commensurate, in some degree, 10
the dignity and value to the COM
munity of their honored profession.
With these constructive measures.
aimed at improving the physical and
the personnel equipment of the
schools, changes are being put into
effect and others are contemplated as
steps in an educational program.
X
The old centralized system of the
elementary grades, where the principal
of a grade school was principal and
teacher as well, responsible to the
Franklin School. whose authority as
school principal extended little
beyond the four walls of the class
room, is gradually changing to one
where the principals do no actual
teaching, but supervise the work of
nd nd l..
turn, the business of teaching.
These supervising principals are be-
ing trained actually to supervise.
They are being given more latitude in
decisions, more responsibility to the
end that they shall become looked
upon as definite factors in the COM
munity served by the school, and
not as mere figureheads, who must
postpone decisions until they get a
ruling from the superintendent. The
schools are becoming decentralized,
with the resulting opportunities for
providing each school with an indi-
viduality of IT'S own.
The old eight years in graded school,
with four years in high, is rapidly
giving way to a new principle, where
the pupils go from the sixth grade
to junior high, and after three years
there complete preparatory work with
three years in senior high. With the
building of more junior high schools.
congestion in the grades as we'll as
in the senior high schools il being
relieved.
Children in the elementary grades
are being grouped more according to
their individual capacity to advance
than upon their ages. Intelligence
tests are proving valuable asset to
this grouping process, but one must
not gain the impression that a child's
ability to make a high percentage OF
points in the popularity known Intel.
ligence test" alone determines his
standing. Many other factors. in ad-
dition to these tests, are taken into
consideration.
Tho new theories In education re-
quire teachers who are able by train.
ing to put them into effect. The nor
NAL schools have been reorganized,
and a three-year, instead of two
year course for elementary school
teachers, goes into effect this year.
The next step will be another year
added to the training. and higher
standards required, for high school
teachers.
Views Of professional educators on
the needs of the Washington school
system naturally differ. at times, from
the views Of the interested but unin-
formed layman. There are times
when they cannot be reconciled in
the minds of congressman. with the
result that the schools suffer. Dur
ing the past Summer the Bureau Of
Efficiency has been conducting a care.
full and painstaking investigation inte
the needs Of the Washington schools,
The work has involved statistical. re.
search as we'll as prolonged discus
sions with the executive officers in the
schools. For the sake of the schools
1t is to be hoped that the bureaus
recommendation will embody the
views of educational scientists, and.
combined with the fact-finding of
StatiStieianS will imnreSS Congress-.