Evening star., 1934-12-27
Radical Reorganization Will
Bring All Discussions
Before Public.
COMMITTEE DECISIONS
WILL FOLLOW DEBATES
DR.. Johnson Declares New System
Will Clarity Proceedings
for Citizens.

radical reorganization of Bo.rd
OF Education procedure, which will
throw the spotlight of publicity on
hitherto closed deliberations, was an
nounced today by DR.. Hayden John
son, board president.
At the same time, it was pointed
out. there has been a legal prohibition
since the boards organization % years
ago against many of the closed CON-
mittee sessions. which have been an
integral part of the procedural system
for 20 years or more.
The law makes an exception in
allowing executive session for consid-
Grafton of teacher appointments.
Under the new system al business
first will be brought before the board
in open meetings, discussed and then
assigned committees for consideration.
Subsequent deliberation in committees
on all but personal matters also will
be public
DR.. johnson said the reformed sys-
tenn will have two effects. First, he
said. it will result in the more active
participation of board members in
the conduct of school affairs, and sec
ond, it will permit citizens of the city
to have a clearer and fuller idea of
the workings of their public school
system.
Meetings Have Puzzled.
Board of Education meetings long
have been puzzling to those not fully
acquainted with the way in which
they are conducted. Matters of con-
siderable importance often have come
up on readings OF the docket and
then apparently are perfunctorily dis
posed of without further discussion.
This has been because differences of
opinion had been threshed out at COM
mittee meetings behind the closed door
of the Office of the superintendent
of schools.
DR.. Frank w. Ballou, superintend-
ent, was informed of the change late
yesterday, he said
Asked his reaction to throwing COM
mittee sessions open to the public,
DR.. Ballou said there never had been
any closed sessions since the law
specifically prohibited them.
This legal prohibition has been
mentioned frequently in the past by
DR.. johnson and Henry Gilligan,
member of the board. However, in
the absence of any test meetings o.
the boards nine committees and OF
the committee of the whole" such
meetings were held in the superin-
tendents private Office while citizens
and newspaper men waited in the
hearing room across the hall.
Approved in Committee.
Under the old procedure, the report
of the superintendent of schools has
been presented at the committee
meetings in his Office Immediately
preceding the general board meeting.
The committees have considered in
dividual items of business, usually
reached an agreement and then ad-
iourned to the board room for the
public meeting. The item of business
would be called and often approved
or diSapproved without discussion.
1t is now planned to have all busi-
ness come before the board before it
goes to committees.
The superintendent report. which
usually constitutes the principal busi-
ness of the board meetings, will be
mailed to all board members from
two to four days before meetings so
they may have more time for con-
sideration.
The organic law Of 1905 which
created the board. provides on the
subject of publicity:
THE organization meeting and all
the meetings whatsoever thereafter
shall be open to the public except
committee meetings dealing with the
appointment Of teachers"
Two Meetings In Past.
Since the board has but nine mem
bers who must compose eight stand
ing committees and a special COM
mittee, the committee deliberations
usually have been in the presence of
all board members, with the result
there was really two meetings, one
in DR.. Ballous office and a subsequent
open session in the board room.
The reorganization of procedure has
been considered by DR. johnson since
he first became president of the
board three years ago. Details were
worked out in cooperation with the
boards new secretary, Charles B.
Degges.
Plans have been made for re-
modelling the boards Offices in the
Franklin Administration Building so
that it may have a conference room
other than the office of Dr. Ballou.