Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-25
EDUCATION BOARD
ABOLITION URGED
b. c. Government Research
Group Recommends Changes
in Report.
ny WILL P. KENNEDY.

The most important recommendation
made by the Institute for Government
Research with respect to the admins.
tration OF school affairs In the District
Of Columbia in its comprehensive re-
port on a proposed reorganization OF
the government OF the municipality Of
washington Is that the present Boart
Of Education and the board of trustees
Of the Public Library be abolished. II
proposes that the entire administration
of the school and library affairs be
vested in a single department Of edu-
cation. with the same status as the
other administrative departments, hav.
ing At its head A director OF education
responsible for the conduct OF this de-
partment.
Laurence r. Schmeckebier and Will
liam r. Willoughby, authors OF the
report. saw that this recommendation
is made in the interest of obtaining A
maximum of simplicity in organization,
concentration of responsibility and
economy in the actual conduct of pub
lie affairs. They emphasize that at
present this responsibility is divided
between two bodies--the Board Of Com
nnissioners and the Board of Education.
Large Responsibilities.
The Commissioners have very large
responsibilities in respect to the magni-
tude of the school program and the
facilities 10 be made use of in putting
this program into effect" they Eoint
out The Board of Education is con-
cerned with the matters of deter mining
the character Of the curriculum; meth
DDS of instruction and text books to be
used, and the recruitment direction
and supervision of the teaching force
and of the comparatively small force
required in the way of janitols, char
women and the like for the operation
Of the school buildings"
The institute report emphasizes that
practically all students Of public adj
ministration are agreed that, unless
there are overwhelming reasons Of a
special character to the contrary, 1t is
unwise to divide authority for the per-
Torrance of a distinct function of gov
eminent between several agencies. and
that such division of authority makes it
dificuIt to Ak responsibility and In.
creases by so much the completely OF
the governmental structure"
No Defense Seen.
The authors insist that 1.-The exist
ing system Of taking from under the
general government OF the District OF
Columbia, as represented by the Board
of Commissioners, part OF the work
of CARING for the DHblic school system
and the maintenance Of public library
can only be defended, provided an AZ
ffrmative case can be made out for such
action" and they believe that no such
case can be established"
They argue that 1t was inemciency
and corruption In local municipal gov
ernments that started the practice OF
taking the administration OF such mat
tiers as education, public health, police
protection "out of politics" by setting
Ilp separate boards. and that such split
ting I'D of governmental authority Is
not desirable. Whatever justification
there may have been for such policy
when adopted has now passed away,
they declare.
I'm the District of Columbia" the
report says. where the opportunity Tor
the exercise of improper political pres
sure upon administrative ofIicers Is 80
connparatiyely sIieht, there would seem
to be no reason from this standpoint
for making use of . type Of Organiza-
ton that does such violence to cor
rect principles OF organization.
! Satisfactory Handling. RE-
eff public health matters can be sat
isfactorily handled by an administrative
service constituting q part OF the Dis
trict government, there would seem to
tiers could not be equally well handled"
Answering the argument that it rs
inadvisable, IL not dangerous, to vest
in q single administrative Ofiicer the
important power Of determining policies
with respect to such matters as the
curriculum, methods of instruction, and
text books to be used" the authors OF
the report admit that ut Is advan-
taReous TO have such important mat
tall ODD
upon, by number OF persons having
special competence with respect to
these matters organized as an advisory
body" To secure such advantages the
Institutes report recommends setting up
within the administrative department
having charge Of school affairs q nom
salaried advisory council corresponding
to the present Board Of Education.
AN essential feature of the recon-
mendation for the creation OF de-
partment of education TO take over al
Of the duties now discharged in part by q
Board of Education and in part by the
Board of District Commissioners" the
Institute for Government Research ad-
viSes, "is that provision be made In Gre
ating this department for an advisory
council, which will be q subordinate
agency of the department and discharge
all Of the duties now performed by the
present Board Of Education and board
Of trustees of the Public Library. with
respect to the consideration Of curricu-
llIrn. methods of instruction, text books
and rules and regulations governing the
use Of the library system"
Greater Competence.
The authors OF the report argue that
II this council In relieved Of all admin
istrative duties and responsibilities, ano
Vnsifh
matters of general policy IL will be pos
sible to obtain a body which, as regards
membership. will be of o far higher
grade and have q greater technical COM
petence than that possessed by the ex-
listing boards"
They point out that men occupying
important positions, such as presidents
of universities or educators holding i'm
portant chairs in such institutions
could be induced to accept membership
on such q non-salaried council, the re-
SponsibiIities of which were restricted
where they would be unwilling to do SO
If their duties had 10 do with the nam
ding of difficult administrative prob
LENS
Attention is also called that ths
placing Of administration OF the
schools and the library system IN oe'
partnent Of the general District govern
n1rnt will facilitate greatly the handling
Of such collateral questions as the use
of the Fairgrounds of the schools a.
general Fairgrounds during vacation o.
after school hours, and the location o.
branch libraries. a,
ut is generally recognized that TN
public schools and the Public Llorar!
must be operated with the closest cor
relation" the report says. 1t quote
the organic act establishing the Pu0li
Library as saying that it shall be sup
ulenent of the public education Sys
ten1," and calls attention that the II
brary is already operating through tn
publis schools"