Evening star., 1928-11-25

The Public School Program.


An article appearing elsewhere IN
today's. Star describes the busy year;
ahead Of the Board of Education n
planning for the filttife requirements OF
the public educational system of the
Capital The program Is intensely In
teresting and should receive the intelli-
gent study OF, Was1ingtonians who long
have urged that the Districts public
schools should be models for the Nation.
The program is not to be interpreted
as meaning that the current needs Of
the school system have been met. But
1t does outline the requirements that
will be faced within the course OF the
next few years. The District should an
ticipate' these needs. -,'o. >"FsA
There are four major features Of the
boards program.
The s1rst deals with the work of OBJ
Oaanins congressional authorization for
q second hve-year building program,
vAich should begin regardless of the
&nne set for the completion Of the cur
rent fve-year program. This 'ffrst Ave-
year program, authorized In February OF
1925, is only fifty-five per cent complete.
It should be eighty per cent finished,
with the program to be complete by the
close Of 1880. But delays have held It
back. 1t is useless to analyze the causes
for delay. The 125 per cent limitation,
the inability of the Board of Educa-
tion, the District Commissioners aid1
the Budget Bureau always to agree and
inadequate appropriations have been
contributing factors. But because this
nrst program may extend over six or
seven years, though planned for five, is
NO reason to delay a start on what is
now regarded as a, necessity-the
launching Of another five-year program
for school building. This program should
be authorized at the short session Of
Congress, to begin In 1880 and end in
1885. rs: 80 sn@ As - 4
Another need foreseen by the Board
Of Education Is that Of the much-dis-
cusseo business manager for the school
system. Congress has already such O.
position, ably ALLIED by one Of. the as
sistane superintendents. But limitations
over which the school authorities have
no control have made of this business
manager little more than. e. Iiaisons ofi-
Ger who draws up the school needs and
submits them to the District Building. i
The school board wants a man at the
District Building who win coordinate
the work Of the various divisions Of the
District government in dealing with
school needs. Such an ofacer, It is
maintained, viii increase efficiency,
lessen delay and cut quantities Of cum
bersorne red tape.
A third feature Of the program lies
in the creation Of q junior college as
part Of the public school system. This
project has received some attention in
the past. The school authorities be-.
lieve that the time has come when def
mite steps should be taken. The recent.
increase from two to three years for the
normal school courses points the way
1OE dl1DtklCI n1CBCooS W 4OA -SCeNA
courses in these schools which would,
in effect, give them the status Of junior
colleges, increase the standards required
for school teachers In the District and
provide the graduates Of high schools
with opportunity for obtaining more
schooling.
The fourth project has received re-
cent publicity through the good cfdces
of the local Kiwanis Club, which has
urged the establishment Of school for
crippled children. Everywhere cities
have come to realize the necessity for
providing special facilities for children
whose physical or mental handicaps set
them aside and make them distinct
educational problem. The District has
begun In the right direction by the
establishment Of health schools for tu-
berculous children and atypical schools
for subnormal children. A school for
crippled children naturally becomes the
logical extension Of what has already
been shown to be the correct principle,