Evening star., 1935-05-25
Superintendent Shows Only
20 Outsiders Named
in IS Years.
POSITION OF BOARD
ON SUBJECT CITED
Qualifications of First Considera-
tion-Citizens' Federation to
Be Asked to Favor Change.

Charged by the Federation of Citi-
ZenS' Associations Educational Com
mittee with favoring out-of- -towners
for important school posts, Supt. of
Schools Frank w. Ballou turned 10
the records today TO refute the ale
CATION.
He produced figures to show that
since he became head of the school
system on July /. 1920, only 20 per-
sons from without the school system
of total of 1877 appointees had been
chosen to major positions. This rep
resents 1912 per cent.
The federation's committee had ex-
pressed the fear" that outsiders
would be given the two principalships
which will become available next Fall
at the new Woodrow Wilson Senior
High School and the new AnacoStia
Senior-Junior High School.
Harry N. Stull, chairman of the
citizens group, said his committee
will ask the federation, at its meeting
week from tonight, to go on record
as favoring appointment to key posi-
tions of persons already in the school
system.
Boards Position.
In answer to the committees stand,
DR.. Ballou produced, without COM
ment, the stated position of the Board
of Education on this matter:
In the appointment of q Junior
high school principal, the Board of
Education has formally approved the
general policy that the best person
available shall be appointed by the
superintendent. whether that person
was within or without the school sys-
tenn, but qualifications being equal in
the case Of candidates, the superin-
tendent should appoint persons from
within the service
This same general policy is fol-
lowed by the superintendent in the ap-
pointment of other administrative and
supervisory officers in the school sys-
tenn"
This statement was made in 1928
and DR.. Ballou said it represents the
unchanged policy for many years.
His figures show the out-of town
appointees during the last Is years
were as follows: One first assistant
superintendent, one president Of a
teachers college. one normal school
principal, three supervising principals,
one high school principal, one assist
ant high school principal, one junior
high school principal, two heads Of de-
partments, one director of school at
tendance and work permits, four di-
rectors Of special subjects and two
Statisticians.
Outsiders Outnumbered.
In most Of these categories, the
number Of appointees within the
school system during the past IS years
has been considerably larger than
those from without.
I'VE fear a move is on foot to place
out-of-town persons in these i'm
portant positions" Stull said.
I'VE are positively and unequivocally
opposed to bringing in people from
other cities and giving them the jobs
which properly belong to people In
the Washington school system, who
are quite capable of filling these posts.
Many of our teachers have obtained
degrees to qualify themselves for the
job and are thoroughly capable"
He hinted the committee suspects
politics" may be involved.
Stull explained his committee has
no definite information that out-of-
town persons would be selected for the
two principalships, but was basing its
fear" on the past record and the
fact that last week DR.. Ballou an
nounced applications for the posts
would be received and that candi-
dates are not restricted to the local
school system.
He refused to go into the record
of past appointments, saying that
such a discussion might reflect on
individuals.