Evening star., 1935-02-17
Enlarging the Powers Of
District Commissioners.

District Commissioners.
"HERE seems to be growing i'm
patience in some Of the or
ganizations that the prom
ised revised Prettyman bill does not
make its appearance. The interest
continues to be centered on the pro-
posed control over the several citi-
zen boards. This is especially true
as regards the Board Of Educa-
ton and Library trustees.
The Junior High School Teach
ers' Association has issued sec
ond informative bulletin calling at
tention to the threatened danger
to our schools, and urges that para
graph (a) of section 9 be stricken
out and that paragraph (a) OF
section l6 be amended by exempt
ing from its provisions the public
school system and the Public
Library.
The association is anxious that
citizens interested in our public
schools know the following facts,
quoted from this bulletin:
/. The Commissioners are not
committed as standing for the ex-
emption Of the school system.
2. The press stated once that
Commissioner Hazen was for ex-
emption. They have not repeated
the statement.
3. Commissioner HaZen definitely
says he spoke for himself alone.
He did not represent the Board Of
Commissioners.
4. The two other Commissioners
have not given any reinsurance as
to their stand.
S. At present the Board Of Edu-
cation has only two powers-to
control the general policies of the
public schools and to appoint and
discharge the personnel. The
Prettyman bill will take away even
those powers.
6. Experience shows that power
is desired only when it is to be used
by those desiring it or by those
above them.
Z. The Commissioners are po-
litical appointees subject to politi-
cal pressure. A QUESTIONABLE has
been sent to all District Of Column
bia teachers to determine their ap-
portionment among the States.
Congressman are being besieged
for patronage positions.
8. The schools are powerless to
save themselves. Only the citizens
can act effectively. They must be
made to realize that they must
do so Immediately or it will be too
late.
AS mentioned before in this
column, this move on the part
Of the Commissioners is the re-
currence Of an old recommends
ton back in 1916. Then the forces
united and defeated the proposal.
The Committee on Public Schools
Of the Board of Trade took a
prominent part in the general
civic opposition to the Commis-
sioners' proposal. The report Of
its subcommittee fits the present
case so exactly that 1t might have
been written for the contest of
1885 instead Of 1916.
In part the Board of Trade re-
port is as follows: "The change
proposed by the Commissioners
is a most radical one, as it puts
the entire system, both educational
and financial. absolutely under
their control, the Board of Educa-
ton (Which is to be continued
under their plan) to be appointed
by them apparently without any
specific qualifications as to resi-
dence) and to have only such
powers as they may give them.
thus Transforming 1t from q potent
and responsible authority to an
impotent and irresponsible agent,
having advisory powers only. It
Is seriously doubted whether .
competent board could be secured
under these conditions"
After discussing the friction. at
that time existing between the
Board of Education and the Com
missioners, over the expenditures
of school funds, the report says
it might be well If Congress would
amend the law so as to make it
entirely clear that the Board OF
Education has exclusive authority
over the expenditures of school
funds subject only to the control
of the Commissioners in the mat.
ter Of accounting. This would re-
move any possible cause for fric-
ton"
The report concludes: I'VE are
satisfied that nothing could be
farther removed from the minds
Of the Commissioners than to have
partisan politics injected into our
school System. Nevertheless, we
feel that to put the school system
under the District Commissioners
would afford an opportunity for
the injection Of politics into the
management Of the schools, and
that it, would be wise to avoid
any such possibility"
The rejection the other day by
the Commissioners Of the bill to
elect the Board Of Education by
popular suffrage on the ground
that such method would inject
politics into the schools, inclines
organized civic Washington TO ex-
pect an early announcement by
the ofiicial action Of the District
Commissioners that they have re-
moved this feature from ths Prst-
lyman bill
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