Evening star., 1938-12-20
Need Of Reshaping
DC. School Program
Outlined for Group
Monday Evening Club
Told Budget Procedure
CrippIes System

The Monday Evening Club had
before it today a proposal to join
with other Washington citizen
groups in a movement to obtain
legislation for Well-organized,
comprehensive school program for
the District of Columbia.
This action was suggested at the
clubs meeting last night at the
Y. w. c. A. after DR.. Lloyd E.
Blauch, principal educational spe-
cialist of the Presidents Advisory
Committee on Education. said in
an address that Washington "pe-
culiar political situation" makes
particularly difficult the proper ad-
ministration of school system here.
1T seems odd" DR.. Blauch re-
marked, that Congress, paying only
one-eighth of the bill, should in
sist in saying in considerable detail
what the school program here should
be-"
Cites Recommendations.
DR.. Blanch reiterated the recon-
mendations made in the recently
published report of the Presidents
committee for an improved school
system here. These were:
l. Enactment by Congress of q
well-organized, comprehensive school
code.
2. Simplification of budgetary pro-
cedure.
g. Appropriations for schools here
under certain broad categories or in
lump sum.
DR.. Blauch said SO many laws
have been passed on school matters
here that the committee has been
unable to find a simple statement
of how the schools should operate.
He said Congress should take all
school laws and from these write
one law with such amendments as
needed to provide a general pat
tern for the school system.
BY such a law, DR.. Blauch said,
Congress should delegate to the
school board the operation of the
schools, simplify the budgetary pro-
cedure and give the school board
authority to direct its own expendi-
lures.
Under the present arrangement,
he pointed out, school officials are
called upon four times to explain
their estimates. There is no place
in the United States" he declared,
where school estimates have to
undergo such scrutiny as that"
In addition. the speaker said. the
conflict and duplication of effort be-
tween the District Commissioners
and the school board should be re-
moved.
Congress should give such aid as
necessary in developing the broad
program" Dr. Blauch said. After
that it would be proper for Congress
to keep its hands off education in
the District. That would represent
much healthier condition than we
have here now"
In a discussion period after DR..
Blauch's talk, Mrs. William Savin,
vice chairman of the Education
Committee of the Voteless District
OF Columbia League of Women
Voters, said the league is consider
ing urging the enactment of school
code at the next session Of Congress.
She suggested the undertaking would
offer greater hope of success if all
citizen groups would join together
in urging the code rather than leav-
ing 1t to one organization.
1t is a citizens problem for the
District of Columbia Mrs. Savin
said.
DR.. Frank w. Ballou, superintend-
ent of schools, said the advisability
OF trying to get code law adopted
depends on what goes into the law.
He saw possible objections to dis
turblng some of the Districts edu-
cation laws and mentioned particu-
larly the one fixing salaries for Off
cials and teachers.
He predicted that if the salary
matter is reopened. the salaries in
the present law will be written down.
For that reason, he said, school
employees would not welcome being
removed from the security the pres
ent law affords them
Cites Foiled Efforts.
Dr. Ballou stressed the need for
legislation that will give the school
board the authority to direct its
own expenditures. In this connec-
ton he cited the seven-year effort
of the board to provide a school
building for handicapped children
a step he said has been blocked by
lack Of an appropriation.
1T would be long step forward" ="
he declared, "if we could get this
budget proposal adopted"
Out of the study of the Presidents
committee and another survey to be
made by the Griffenhagen firm of
Chicago Of the whole governmental
structure of the District. including
education, DR.. Ballou said he hoped
I'VE will be able to take a step for
ward at the next session of Con-
gress"
Capt. Rhoda Milliken, president
OF the club, said the education pro-
posals would be referred to special
committee for study and recon-
mendations. She said she would
name this committee within the next
10 days.