Evening star., 1951-10-06
School Board
May Decide
Fate Tonight
Decision Is Expected
On Threat to Resign
In Falls Church

On lnreor TO Resign
In Falls Church
A decision was expected to-
might on the Falls Church School
Boards threat to resign.
Board members had no COM
ment after a two-hour session
yesterday which they said was
called to consider whether all
SHOULD resign or stick out the cur
rent investigation into its policies
by the City Council.
Later. it was announced that
the School Board would meet in
special session at 7:30 o'clock to-
night in the School Board office
to transact necessary business.
School Board members gave no
indication what the necessary
business" would be.
Public Support Sought.
Meanwhile, the newly ORGANIZED
Committee Of 100 to Protect the
Integrity of Our Schools was
pushing campaign to win public
support for the School Board and
to discourage it from resigning.
More than 200 Falls Church
residents went to Madison School
last night for a meeting spon-
sored by the committee of 100
and heard the current charges
against the School Board likened
to Fascist and Communist tactics.
A petition circulated at the
meeting was signed by 1856 per-
sons, and about $3.50 was con-
trlbuted to help defray expenses
OF a campaign to support the
School Board.
The resolution states:
Whereas, we, as citizens of
Falls Church. have confidence in
the competence and integrity of
the present Falls Church School
Board and superintendent, and
Whereas. we are alarmed at
the action OF the City Council
and its unfair tactics in ham
ding the investigation of the
School Board and superintendent:
Children's Welfare Cited.
Whereas, the continued harass-
ment of the School Board is seri-
ously detrimental to the welfare
of our children;
Whereas, the attack against
the school board appears to paral-
lei a national movement of a most
sinister character; and
Whereas, it is possible that the
school board and the superintend-
ent will resign.
I'VE, therefore. beg the school
board to accept this expression of
confidence and to remain in Office.
and We further petition the City
Council to cease this harassment
of the superintendent and the
of the school board, and
urge the continuance in Office of
the present school board, super
intendent and staff"
First speaker at the meeting was
Franklin Thackrey of 102 West
Rosemary lane, former chairman
of the Falls Church Charter Com
and member of the Com
mittee for 100.
Collapse of System Feared.
He declared that Falls Church
is faced with the real possibility
that our independent school sys-
tenn might collapse"
Our school board is exhausted"
said Mr.. Thackrey. They would
like to resign. In few days we
may be without school board
and perhaps a superintendent.
He said he didn't know what
the Councils objective was in
pushing the investigation, and he
reviewed events that led to the
present situation.
Mr.. Thackrey said the Council
"has every right" to expect the
school board to make two tenn
porary school buildings safe. Con-
dition of the two buildings was
one criticism of the school board
that touched off the investigation.
He said it was a deliberately
hostile act" by the Council, how
ever, to launch an investigation
of the school board the very night
the councilmen took Office. The
school board was appointed by
the old City Council. which was
defeated in an election by the
Council now in Office.
John Bold of 308 Poplar drive,
the second speaker, likened the
in Falls Church to at
tackS on schools in other cities.
What is the reason behind
these attacks?" he asked. "I
think Mr.. Zoll's minions are re-
Sponsible."
He referred to Allen Zoll, execu-
tive vice president of the National
Council for American Education.
No Conspiracy Seen.
Mr.. Bold said he did not believe.
however, that the City Council nor
the School Emergency Commit
tee that brought the original
charges against the school board
were members of a conspiracy
against the public schools.
He described how Germany fell
nto the grips of Naziism.
Don't say it can't happen
here" said Mr.. Bold. These
things start in a small way
He said the Falls Church school
system followed policy of the
State Board of Education, and he
said books used in Falls Church
we're taken from the State list.
Anybody who would think the
great white father in Richmond
would let anything extremely pro-
gressive get in is just plain crazy"
1e declared.