Evening star., 1935-10-15
TEACHER RATING
GROUP ENLARGED
Heads of Departments to
Be Given Representation
on Committee.

Heads of departments and directors
of special subjects in the Washing
ton public schools will be given
representation on a special commit
tee now drafting model regulations
for the rating of teachers in the
school system.
Addition OF two members-one from
the white and another from the
colored schools-was approved by the
Personnel Committee of the Board OF
Education at a special session at the
Franklin Administration Building yes
terday afternoon.
The entire question of teacher rat
ings has been pending before the
board for nearly year. 1t was first
brought up during last years session
by the Teachers Union, which OBJ
jected to five classiications on which
promotions are based and asked in
stead that only two ratings, salts
factory or unsatisfactory, be sub
stituted.
Report Is Presented.
A six-page report giving the views
Of the department heads and direc-
tors Of special subjects was presented
by DR.. Ellis Haworth, head of the
science department in the high
schools, in which four recommended
tions were made in addition to the
request for representation on the
Rating Committee.
These were supervision and teacher
improvement be stressed in new regu-
lations above the inspection and rat
ing of teachers; that rating officers
be given the discretionary right to
make written reports when rating
teachers rather than have written
statements mandatory; that the su-
perintendent of schools be given the
right and duty to review all ratings
and that grounds for appeal from any
rating be made broader than the
three charges of bias, incompetency
or lack of observation.
Mrs. Marion Wade Doyle, president
of the board and formerly chairman
of the Personnel Committee when the
ratings question was first raised
pointed out to Dr. Haworth and his
associates that they had missed the
point of the committees report to the
Board of Education in which teacher
improvement was stressed above rat
ings. In fact, Mrs. Doyles interpre-
tation of her committees report left
DR.. Haworths recommendations vir-
tually groundleSs except for the addi-
ton of members to the Ratings Com
mittee.
Assist DIR. Haworth.
Associated with DR.. Haworth in
submitting the recommendations were
Miss Sarah Simons, head of the Eng
lish department, and Miss Mildred
Dean, head of the Latin department,
in the white schools, and Mrs. E. H
Grubbs, head of the mathematics de-
partment; c. C. McDuff1e, head of the
languages department. and A. H
johnson, director of music, in the COL
ored schools.
DR.. Frank w. Ballou. superintend-
ent, submitted tabular statement
showing the differences in the credits
allowed for various subjects and the
differences in examinations for SUPER
vision principals and teaching prin-
cipals. Mrs. Mildred H. Gropp, chief
examiner in the white schools, and
DR.. H. H. Long, chief examiner for
the colored schools. we're presented to
explain the table, but the committee
deferred action pending its own study
of the superintendent's chart.
The new rating report is expected
to be submitted early next month. The
committee is at present made up of
representatives of the Teachers Union,
the Teachers Council, the High School
Teachers Association and two mem
bers named by Dr.. Ballou.