Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-16
ALEXANDRIA ROW
IN SCHOOLS ENDED
AmiCabIe Settlement of Diff
ferenCeS Follows Report
of DR.. ChritChIey.
BY HOWARD NJ. BAGGETT,
Staff Correspondent of The Star

ALEXANDRIA, Va, March 16.-A
number of radical changes in the local
school system, principally affecting the
high schools, have been approved by
the city Board of Education following
the receipt of the 175-page report of
DR.. W. S. Y. Chritchley of Columbia
University, who has just completed a
detailed survey of the two local high
schools
Out of the report and the concerted
effort of the School Board and other
school authorities has come COM
plete amicable settlement of the whole
school question, which has caused much
civic discussion here for the past few
months, it was stated today by school
officials.
Superintendent INDICATED.
Supt. of Schools r. c. Bowton, upon
whom many of the attacks were made,
has been completely indicated by the
report, and Bowton and Col. Clarence
M Deems, jr., professor of military SCI
ence and TACTICS, have settled any per-
sonal difficulties which they had and
are now ready to cooperate with each
other for the benefit of the school
system.
One of the motions passed by the
school board at its meeting Saturday
night to consider Mr.. Critchley'S re-
port was that Col Deems Immediately
be made a member of the faculty Of the
Alexandria High School, which means
that he will be subject to the orders
of Supt. Bowton or of the principal Of
either high school at which he may be
working.
Urban S. Lambert, chairman of the
school board, said this morning in COM
menting on the report that DR.. Critch-
ley had, in his opinicn, been absolutely
fair with every one, and that on the
other hand he had been fearless in
criticizing anybody and anything that
he did not think was right. Mr.. Lam
bert also stated that he had received
letter from the school faculties pralslng
DR.. Critchley for his fair treatment.
George Mason High.
Concerning George Mason High
School, which this city acquired with
the annexation CT new territory from
Arlington County more than a year ago,
DR.. Critchley stated that it is extremely
difficult for any system to incorporate
another school and expect it to func-
ton properly. No superintendent in
the country, he stated, could have avoid
ed a controversy over such matter
and Supt. Bowton is to be congratulated
that worse difficulties did not appear,
Mr.. Critchley said.
George Mason High School must be
closed, otherwise these difficulties will
continue. DR.. Critchley reported He
urged that the school be incorporated
with Alexandria High School at the
earliest possible date. Plans OF the
school board, awaiting action Of City
Council, call for the building of a new
high school to incorporate both schools
into senior high school system, with
the George Mason High Building to be
used in future as an elementary school.
II the recommendations in his survey
are put into operation, DR.. Crltchley
stated in summing up his report, and
liza supervisor for the graded schools is
appointed, as he urges, there is abso-
lutely no necessity of a survey being
made of the graded system. What the
Alexandria schools need, DR.. Critchley
continued in his summary, is expert
help and not surveys.
Recommendations Approved.
The recommendations Of DR.. Critch-
ley, as unanimously approved by the
school board at its session Saturday
night, are that no teacher with less
than five years experience in a recog-
nized high school be employed and that
the salary scale be based on a 10-year
tenure. Increases in salary are to come
annually for the first three years, but
no salary increases shall be made be-
yond that point until research work is
done by the teacher.
The salary scale shall then continue,
according TO the resolutions adopted,
for the next three years when evidence
of further research shall be shown. In
creases will then continue for another
three years until satisfactory evidence
is shown that more research has been
done.
It was further resolved, on DR.. Critch-
ley'S recommendation, that supervisor,
who shall have entire charge Of the
grades and who shall be appointed TOR
the school year Of 1922, be named,
and that this supervisor shall have had
not less than five years teaching ex-
perience and three years supervising eX-
perience.
An absolute reorganization Of the fac
ulty upon departmental lines will also
go into effect on the opening OF the