Evening star., 1949-07-19
Arlington Group
Assai|s |naction
OF School Board
Reply Being Drafted
After Fact Council
Asks Full Report

Asks Full Report
The Arlington School Board
today had under preparation
written answers to sharp criti-
cism directed toward it by the
Fact Finders Council
at a meeting last night attended
by about IS persons.
Board Chairman Barnard JOY
attended the meeting of the
group, which has been consistently
critical of the school boards
policies, so that he might have
a better understanding of the type
of information desired" The
meeting was held in the Old
Dominion Bank, 1926 Columbia
pike
Mr.. Joy spoke briefly but said
there were so many items to
be answered that he would not
undertake to do so at the meeting
but would compile written replies
to be furnished the council.
The criticisms were leveled and
the questions asked largely by
w. M. Brown, executive secretary
of the council. John Locke Green.
county treasurer, also was present
and raised a number of points.
Mr. Brown, a patron Of the
Robert E. Lee Elementary School.
said Mr.. Joy had talked with him
and promised to release a fact
ual statement explaining why his
school board has not built one
permanent classroom al
though it was elected on a plat
form of school construction and
although it has controlled our
schools for more than 18 months"
Wants Factual Report"
Although Dr. Joy has not yet
had time to prepare the kind Of
report we feel is needed, we want
to assure him that we welcome
his cooperation" Mr. Brown
said. I'VE do not, however, want
a broad. sweeping. generalized po-
litical speech. We want names.
places. dates. And we want tho
information in writing to facili-
tate careful study"
Mr.. Brown said the group wants
the boards excuse for its inac-
ton at a time when the
county is paying interest on
school bonds"
He declared the responsibility
must rest with the board, because
it had taken the administration
of the schools out of the hands
of Supt. Fletcher Kemp.
Raises Question on Hiring.
Mr.. Brown noted a newspaper
story which appeared in January.
stating that the board had hired
expert consultants in reading and
arithmetic.
One OF these consultants, with
improved qualifications" Mr..
Brown declared, was a woman who
was arrested in Washington for
passing bad check only few
days after the story appeared and
who was found guilty and given a
Jail sentence.
He charged that the boards
minutes did not show that Miss
Margaret Ludwig, supervisor of
elementary instruction, asked Mr..
Kemp to hire the woman, but
merely that she was hired on the
superintendentss recommendation.
Miss Ludwig. he declared, lis one
of the school boards strongest
supporters. and the fact that she
originally made the recommends
tion for the hiring lis only one of
the important facts that does not
show in the school minutes"
The much publicized school
expansion program" of the board
is "a rehash of a sound building
program developed completely by
the old school," Mr.. Brown said.
Would Cost S25O,OO0 More.
"The new plan costs $3.50 900
more than the old one, although
it doesn't include all features of
the old plan," Mr. Brown asserted.
Mr.. Brown criticized the en-
ployment of certain supervisors.
said the old school planned its
construction program without the
benefit of a $4,000 census and
charged that inspection trips
made by the present school board
to study schools in other localities
were in fact excursions for nearly
any group which wanted a trip.
He also hit at the accomplish
ment of a slight reduction in
teacher load mentioned by Mr..
Joy as tricky" point and as
serted the policy actually had had
the opposite affect.
Under the heading of improved
financial policy" Mr.. Brown
charged, "the board takes credit
for developing and giving wide
preparation of operating budgets
showing the cost of each improve
ment. This is phony improve
ment, since the budget has always
been a newsworthy item, well pub
licized and available to any one."