Evening star., 1948-01-28
Board
Hits Features Of
Home Rule Plan
Adopts Corning Report
Opposing Election to
Unit, 8 Other Changes

The District Board of Education
does not want its membership elect
ed as provided by the Auchincloss
home rule plan.
At q meeting yesterday, the
boards Legislation Committee adopt
ed q report presented by School
supt. Hobart M. Corning, which dis
agreed with this proposal, and eight
other major changes in school ad-
ministration' which would result If
the Auchincloss plan were adopted.
The committee, which had been
empowered to speak for the Board
OF Education, will forward the re-
port OF its objections to the House
District Home Rule Subcommittee
today.
The board committee, by adont-
ing the report, also objected to the
following proposals:
The payment of board members
for their services.
The proposal to. include public
libraries under the control of the
Board of Education.
Retirement Change Opposed.
The transfer of nonteaching per-
sonnel to civil service, because it
would take away the boards power
to promote employees.
Repeal OF the Teachers Retire
ment Act and the placing of teach
ers under the civil service retire.
ment plan.
Transfer Of the boards present
authority over personnel to the
school superintendent because 1t
would give too much power to one
man and could result in arbitrary
actions"
The plans proposal whereby the
school superintendent would have
no tenure of Office, but could be dis
charged on vote by the board.
Participation of the proposed city
manager and other District officials
in Board of Education meetings, a
privilege given under the Auchin-
Gloss plan.
Sectl0n2l1Sm Feared.
A proposal to permit executive,
or close, sessions of the board. At
present all meetings are open to
the public except when personnel
problems and discussion of acquisi-
ton oftproperty are on the agenda.
DR.. Corning's report said the
election Of members of the school
board from four election districts
might give rise to "sectionallsm. ;
The committee went on record as
favoring the present method Of
selecting board members, which is
= ointment by the District Court
judges.
Appointed board would continue"
to be responsive to the people, it
was declared, since the organiza-
ton holds open meetings and
hearings on each subject as 1t comes
up.
The school superintendent, in re-
porting objections to the transfer of
personnel control to his Office, said
1t lis not conceivable" the top school
official would want to assume COM
plete responsibility for personnel
administration. so contrary to
general practice" is this measure
that it Is almost without precedent,
he charged.
Sees Political Jamboree."
Disapproval of the clause in the
Auchincloss plan transferring all
nonteaching personnel to civil serv-
ice jurisdiction was voiced because
the board then would have no power
OF appointment or promotion over
those employees. A sole exception in
the plan provides that the secretary
of the Board of Education would
have the right to fill all positions in
his Office by personal appointment.
This measure would provide a
political jamboree," Board Member
c. Melvin Sharpe declared.
The Board Committee pointed out
that the Teachers Retirement Act
was on a sound actuarial basis"
and was well adopted to the needs
of the public school system.
Board members attending the
meeting were Mr.. Sharpe, Adelbert
w. Lee, DR.. James A. Cannon and
Mrs. Philip Sidney Smith.