Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-06
Park View Citizens Present
Statement to Board on Su-
perintendent's Stand.
PLAN FOR OUTSIDE STUDY
is APPROVED BY GROUP
Reply to School Head Augmented
by Records Dating Back as Far
as December, 1924.

with the ScnoOl superintendent pro-
posal that an outside agency study and
report on the organization of the Park
View Platoon School. the Park View
Citizens Association, in a statement il
is placing before the Board of Educa-
ton at its meeting this afternoon, dis
putes Supt. Frank w. Ballou, who had
said that, contrary to popular belief
that he is opposed to the platoon sys-
tenn of education, he actually had
initiated or Endorsed several proposals
looking toward the improvement" OF
that type of organization at the Park
View School.
The statement, over the signature of
Fred S. Walker. president of the Park
View Citizens Association, was framed
in reply to assertions of DR.. Ballou at
the october Is meeting of the school
board in connection with the Park
View-Monroe controversy to the effect
that any administrative move of his
involving the Park View School is in
as evidence of his alleged antagonism
toward the platoon system. 1t was be-
cause of this feeling against him and
''aS evidence Of my sincere and honest
desire to create at the Park View School
and in the proposed school in divisions
1913 schools which shall represent the
best ideals and the most efficient and
approved organization of platoon type
school, that DR.. Ballou proposed the
outside agency study.
Ten Bases Cited.
The Park View Citizens Association
Is augmenting its reply to the super
tntendent of schools with an array Of
copies of various documents dating back
as far as December, 1924. In addition
to presenting several administrative
light than that in which DR.. Ballou
presented them in his own review, the
Park View citizens cite 10 SPECIFIC bases
for their conviction that the .superin-
tend mt is antagonistic toward the pla-
loon system.
In his recommendation of the OUT
side agency study of the Park View
School DR.. Ballou suggested the FED
eral Bureau of Efficiency or the office
Of the United States Commissioner OF
Education. The school board subse-
ouentIy favored the education office and
at the outset Of its reply 70 DR.. Ballou
the Park View association expresses not
only hearty accord with the whole pro-
posed project, but declares I'VE had IN
tended making the (same) request when
the proposed additions to the ParA
Early in the statement the assccia-
ton finds DR., Ballou's Statement-that
the platoon school was transferred to
the fifth school division in 1928 lin
order that the Park View School might
be under the supervising principal VINO
appeared most sympathetic toward the
platoon system of organization
Variance with the testimony when t1e
supervising principal referred to gave
in January. 1925. before a Subcomn1it-
fee of school beard members which was
studying the platoon question.
Principal Is Quoted.
The association quotes Selden M. Ely,
the supervising principal OF. the tlttn
division, as telling the board members
on January %, 1925, that "in order 70
he just. must now make frank con- con
fesSion-that from my limited kioWl-
edge of the platoon school, both IN
washington and elsewhere, my impress
sion was then Tin 1929 not favorable
to the system"
The association included in its eek
fibits" copy of the complete state
ment by Ely at the board committee
meeting nearly five years ago. al! Al
though not quoted by the Park view
citizens in their statement today, the
f1ll text of his testimony shows that
Mr.. Ely explained to the board In 1923
that his approval of the platoon system
came with study he made after the
schools assignment TO him.
DR.. Ballou's claim that MS adoptlon
of the unusual" procedure OF appoi III
ing "any principal which Mr.. ELY
would recommend" to head the Park
View School following the death OF It's
former principal was further evidence
of his fairness to the platoon school, Is
dismissed by the Park View ASSocla-
ton with the contention that MISS
Emily Scrivener, the new appnlntee
was the logical person for the posi-
ton"
Asserting that the people of Park
View "regret exceedingly that the super
intendent of school feels that he has
been uniustly regarded as unfriendly OF
opposed In the past to the platoon SyS-
tenn" the association enumerates IN NS
statement to the bord "a few OF the
MANY reasons why we have believed
him to be opposed to the system
Reasons Are Given.
As contained in the statement, these
follow:
Al. The present superintendent wa
at the head of our schools several years
before his interest in and friendlines'
to the only platoon school in the DIS
trict of Columbia induced him 10 vlsI
the school and observe It's operatioii
And this visit was the result OF publlt
Invitation by the president OF the Pari
View Citizens Association.
az. Superintendents OF schools
other cities have declined invitation
from civic organizations to speak II
Washington on the platoon school
stating that it would be unproies
sional.'
80. Miss Alice Barrows was not per
mitted to speak in Washington on Tn
pIatoon school in 1924-5 until the sit
nation was exposed, then she was glVel
is minutes to explain the system to tn
school board committee appointed U
tudy platoon schools, while no limita
ton as to time was placed on the Ion
written statements OF numerous Scnoc
officials opposed to the system, VINO 90
yiously knew nothing of the subJeC
from actual experience or observation;
-. Miss Frances S. Fairiey's speak
ing on the platoon school was oppose
in 1924-5." The late Miss Fairly,
is explained was principal OF the Par
View School and in response TO an IN
yitation from the Parent-Teacher AS
sociations of the Reservoir and Con
duit Road School she wrote that ID
Ballou had "disapproved" the talk 0
the ground that at that time 1T mgr
jeopardize his five-year building pre-
cram" In the same letter Miss Fairle
wrote that she believed the superlr
t.ndent was correct in his fears. A
n.,..-~k Rrov, AHiea EuirlaUis letter