Evening star., 1947-05-20
.Method Of Selecting
Members Of Arlington
School Board Debated

The method of naming Arlington's
School Board was attacked and de-
tended last night as plans were made
for another debate on the subject at
an open meeting tonight.
At the Cherrydale Parent Teacher
Association, Harrison Mann, chair
man of the Arlington Civic Fedora
tion's special committee for direct
election of the School Board, criti-
cized recent letters distributed by
the Greater Arlington Association
in favor of retaining the existing
method.
The School Board now is selected
by court-appointed School Trustee
Electoral Board Voters will go to
the polls next Tuesday to determine
whether they shall be elected di-
rectly, appointed by the County
Board or continue to be named as at
present.
E. L. Kirkpatrick of the Greater
Arlington Association emphasized
there is no connection between the
three main questions to be settled in
the referendum, which will also in
clude two proposed bond issues
Voters can decide in favor Of county
wide improvement bonds, school
bond issue or the School Board
change or any one or two OF the
questions, he said. ..-s
Politics in Systen1 CHARGED
"Our school system is riddled with
the worst kind of politics-personal
politics." Mr.. Mann said.
He described recent 5o-cent as
sessment against teachers by the Ar
lington Education Association to
raise funds to retain the present
School Board selection method as a
bite" against the instructors.
Mr.. Kirkpatrick, a former member
of the Trustee Electoral Board, said
he had been an Arlington resident
for Is years and no change is needed
because of the record. He cited the
boards outstanding record of con-
struction during the war" when more
than $l,7o0,000 was spent on new
building.
Teacher salaries are higher than
in any other Virginia county, he
said, and in some classes, are more
than some cities.
The public debate tonight is spon-
sored jointly by the PTAs of Stone
wall Jackson, Walter Reed and Rob-
ert E. Lee schools. 1t will be held at
|8 o'clock in the Claude Swanson
Junior High School.
Mrs. John H. Woodworth and
Robert L. Moravetz will represent
the Citizens Committee for School
Improvement which seeks a change,
and speakers for the Greater Arling-
ton. Association will be William P.
Ames. former member of the County
Board, and Maj. Jack Pearson, vet
eran of both World Wars.
Lyon Park Meeting Tonight.
The association also is providing
speaker for the Lyon Park Citizens
Association meeting at 8 o'clock to-
night in the Lyon Park Community
House. John Hackney, Washington
Inewspaperman, will support the
present system.
The Greater Arlington group, in a
prepared statement, supported the
teachers recent action of enlisting
support of parents for retention of
the present selection method.
Charles o. Pratt said "the respon-
sible majority of Arlington residents
found completely revolving the
efforts of the Citizens Committee
for School improvement to gag the
Icounty's teachers"
He referred to a controversy which
arose when reports were circulated
that teachers were using classroom
rolls for names on a parents distri-
button list. School Supt. Fletcher
Kemp has instructed teachers not
to use classroom rolls.