Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-11
DEBATES SETTLED
ON K|NDERGARTENS
Classes With Less Than 10
to Be Closed if Teachers
Needed Elsewhere.

Settlement of the long-pending kin
dergarten controversy was reached ami
cably by the Board of Education in spe-
cial session late yesterday when, in three
separate actions, it established new
policy on the administration Of this
department of the District school system
The boards three policy-making ac-
| tons were:
/. Deciding that kindergartens whose
average daily attendance falls below Ia
shall be closed if the need for the kim
dergarten teacher Is more urgent else
where in the schools;
2. Agreeing definitely that the So
called underage kindergarten at the
Webster Americanization School shall
be continued and
3. Agreeing that the two-teacher kim
dergarten at the Thomson School-ac-
tually q demonstration school-shan be
continued despite the fact its average
daily attendance is below rs pupils PEI
teacher.
Transfers to End.
In their application to the present
kindergartens the administrative orders
which the board adopted Immediately
after establishing the policy the new
rules mean that no more kindergarten
teachers in the white schools shall bt
| transferred to vacancies in the elemen-
| tary schools, unless, of course, some time
in the future their average daily at
tendance should drop below 10. The
boards complete action yesterday also
means that the promotion, termination
retirement, resignation or death of 8
kindergarten teacher shall constitute 8
vacancy that Is to be filled in accord
ance with already existing rules Of the
board. This Is at variance with the
| former Interpretation of the passing Of
: any kindergarten incumbent through
any one of these five channels, which
since the passage of the current appro-
priation act, was construed as mere
reduction in the personnel, with re-
sultant lapsing of the absentees salary
At the opening Of the discussion which
preceded the boards series of actions
yesterday DR.. Charles F. Carusi, presi-
dent of the board, made plain his atti-
tude toward the kindergarten and
toward Representative Robert @. Sim
mons of Nebraska, chairman OF the
| House Subcommittee on Appropriations
whose caustic criticism of the kinder
garten administration brought the whole
matter to light. Speaking Of the hear
ings on the appropriation bill last
Spring, DR.. Carusi said:
Agrees with Mr.. Simmons.
IT said then that I thought the kin
dergartsns were overstaffed, and I say
to you now that / believe they were
overstaffed at that time. In that / be-
Eeve Mr.. Simmons was entirely right
and deserving of credit for showing us
that the kindergartens could be more
efficiently administered might ado
| that perhaps that is one of the few
! times when l believe Mr.. Simmons has
been right, however
Personally. never thought much OF
/, the education value Of that business oil
our kindergarten teachers going around
visiting the fam lies of foreign teachers
to al out their working day, particu-
larly when, it was developed here thai
| they didn't even know the language oi
the persons they were supposed to coun-
! sci with, but had to rely upon little
children as interpreters.
Now, since 1t had become necessary
| for us to do something about the kin
| dergarten, / am frank TO tell you thai
I'd prefer to do what might be the pop.
ular thing, but am convinced we have
duty here that we ought to perform
| popular or not, and will say at thu
outset that am ready to share the re.
sponsibility with you board members II
doing the right thing by casting my yots
ON what appears TO be the unpopular
side Of this question II 1t comes Il
a tie
DR.. carusis brief address 70 tn
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