Evening star., 1935-07-25
PROBE Of TEACHER
COLLEGE IS BEGUN
BY SCHOOL HEAD
Board Told of Investigation
by Or. Frank BaIIou
Following Tests.
GILLIGAN ASKS WHY
II OUT OF Ia FAILED
Quinn Defends Result as Psyche
logical, Citing Bar
Examinations.

An investigation to determine the
cause of the low percentage of persons
who passed the teachers examination
after graduating from Wilson Teach
ers' College is being made by DR..
Frank w. Ballou, superintendent OF
schools.
This was announced today by DR..
Stephen E. Kramer, acting superin-
tendent of schools, when the Board of
Education demanded to know why
only out of a class of IA passed the
tests.
Henry Gilligan, vice president Of
the board, brougE1 up the question
with the assertion that there is some
thing wrong either with the teachers
college or with the examination. He
was Joined by George M Whitwell, a
board member, who said he was "go-
ing to interest himself very much" in
the situation.
DR.. Kramer, who is serving in Bal
LOUIS place while the latter Is on vaca-
ton in New England. pleaded for
the board to suspend judgment until
DR.. Ballou's return.
Il don't want to be put on the spot
defending this thing" Kramer said.
The superintendent has ordered an
investigation and I don't want to be
embarrassed by going too deeply into
the situation"
Statistics Produced.
After a barrage of questions from
several members of the board, Kramer
produced statistics on the examination
given last month comparing the per
cent of Wilson Teachers College grad
yates with that of prospective teachers
who were trained in other schools.
In the primary division. only three
out Of eight Wilson students passed
and only one outsider in five was
successful. In the elementary divi-
sion, 18 out of rs Wilson students
PASSED as compared to two outsiders
out of five. In the junior high school
division, 16 out of % Wilson students
were successful and 81 out of 80 out
siders passed.
Henry I. Quinn defended both the
college and the Board of Examiners
asserting that psychology probably
had as much to do with the failures
as did the training of the pupils fo'
the questions they had to answer.
There is really no explanation for
these failures" Quinn said. II have
seen outstanding school students d.
the same thing in a bar examination
know. however, that the responsible
l:ty in this case belongs to the super
.ntendent of schools. He should in
vestigate ard report to us. Then We
can act.
Giligan and WhitWell insisted that
l. so per cent of the entrants can pass
bar examination, then more than
3 out of IA should pass the teachers
examination.
To Ask Public Meetings.
Before taking up the result Of the
teachers examination, Quinn served
nctice on the board that hereafter he
would insist that all committee meet
ings, except those having to do with
appointment of teachers" must b.
held in public.
Heretofore all meetings Of the
Personnel Committee have been in
executive session. Quinn cited Dis
trict law to show that only appoint
ments could be made in secret.
Whitwell and DR.. j. Hayden John
son declared that it would be better
policy and would spare many embar-
RAISING situations to have all person
mel matters handled behind closed
doors.
DR.. johnson said that charges
against teachers or charges concern
ing their moral character should be
heard in private and their results pub
lished to the board. Whitwell took
the same stand. Quinn and Gilligan
insisted that if charges are made at
all, both sides should come in the
open to present their cases.
To Bring Matter Up Again.
Quinn did not ask the board to de-
termine its policy at present, but said
he would bring it up again if and
when secret meeting OF the Per-
Sonnel Committee is called.
Mrs. Henry Grafton Doyle, presi-
dent of the board, was absent from
the meeting, but sent written mes
sage of committee appointments for
the coming year. In every case, she
reappointed the whole committee. ex-
cept that Benjamin L. GaSkins was
substituted for Charles H Houston,
who resigned, and Robert A. Maurer
was given the posts formerly held by
Mrs. Doyle. GaSkins and Maurer are
both new members of the board.
The committees are as follows:
Finance-Whitwell, chairman: Mrs.
Phillip Sidney Smith and Gaskins-
LEGISLATION - Gilligan, ch air m n;
Quinn and Gaskins. Rules-Mrs. Mary
A. McNeill, chairman; Whitwell and
Gilligan. Personnel-Msurer, chair
man; johnson and Whitwell. Build
ings, Grounds and Equipment-Mrs.
Smith, chairman; Quinn and johnson.
Student Activities-GaSkins, chair
man; Mrs. McNeill and Gilligan. Com
munity Use of Buildings-Qulnn,
chairman; Maurer and Mrs. Mcneil.
Complaints and Appeals-Johnson,
chairman; Maurer and Mrs. Smith.