Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-10-21
Miss Lind Ends 5O-Yeor School Career
By jones G. Deone

with how best to stir the impulse
for learning.
Miss Lind has been thinking
pretty much the same thoughts,
on an enlarged scale, ever since.
And they probably won't change
much, even though she is now
retiring.
Miss Lind for 20 years has
directed the teaching in the
city's white elementary schools.
AS one of a handful of school
officers Immediately below the
rank of associate superintendent,
she has had a major role in
teacher hiring, teacher training
and moderniZation of courses.
There is probably no one better
known within the school system.
She is retiring because last
month she passed 70-the COM
pulsory retirement age. The
Board of Education is approving
formally her retirement today.
and Miss Lind already has
cleaned out her desk. She fin
ished work September 80.
Miss Lind has had a dis
tinguished career. School Of
fcials call her one of Washing
tons outstanding educators and
say she has made notable con-
tributions to the school systems
teaching methods. She has lee
tured widely. She once taught
at Catholic University. has had
much to do with the guidance
of Wilson Teachers College
students, and even wrote an ele-
mentary reader still used in
some school systems.
She also once was principal of
the Brightwood Demonstration
School, which has been host to
teachers from all over the world.
Youngest Supervisor.
Miss Lind herself suspects she
has a distinction the officials
will overlook, however.
II think I was the youngest
supervisor ever appointed" she
said yesterday.
This was in 1910. Miss Lind
was just seven years out of
Washington Normal School and
had managed to work her way
up through the first four grades
when there was a need for a
third and fourth grade super
visor.
Miss Lind, then just 81, got
the job. and she held it for many
years.
Miss Lind's family came here
when she was 3, SO she got her
own grounding in District schools
several elementary schools in
the Northeast and the old East
ern High, now Hine Junior High.
The normal school, which later
became the present teachers
college, took only two years then
and she picked up her bachelors
degree from George Washington
University by summer and Sat-
urday work in 1924 and a mas
ter of arts degree after four
summers at Columbia University
Teachers College, in 1882.
Class President.
In the normal school, inciden-
tally, she was senior class pres!-
dent. The school met in the old
top-f1oor auditorium Of the
Franklin School at Thirteenth
and K streets NV, where years
later Miss Lind had her own
office for a time.
The student teachers practiced
on grade school classes down.
stairs.
After graduation Miss Lind
stayed at Madison School only a
month, transferring quickly to
the brand-new Wheatley.
Il had 48 children in first
grade, 80 of whom were little
boys" she recalled, pointing out
that some schools were crowded
in those days, too. All the
chairs were screwed to the floor
in rows, of course practice
frowned upon and practically
non-existent nowadays.
Miss Lind admits there have
been lots of changes in teaching,
and in supervision, too. Teach
ing used to emphasize conven-
tional textbook courses more,
and supervision, she said, FUSED
to be sort of an inspection; the
supervisor came, sat in a cor
ner, watched, and wrote a re-
port" Now supervisors are
friend counselors, and courses
are broader.
Better Teaching Now.
II think the three Rs are bet
ter taught than when I started"
stated Miss Lind, in reference to
a common point of criticism.
But she doesn't say the old
time teachers were never good.
There were good ones, who
inspired a real understanding of
nature and children" she de-
clared emphatically. And she
also complimented some of her
superiors, especially the late
Miss Rose Lees Hardy, whom
she eventually succeeded.
There have been lots of fine
people in the District school
system, who believed in progress
and had vision, but also had a
sense of proportion" she said.
"I think Washington has been
extremely fortunate in that
respect"
Miss Lind will be able to keep
close tabs on the school Sys-
tenn even in retirement. Her
sister. Miss Grace Lind, is still
on the job, as director of elemen-
tary administration. Miss
Scrivener, a third
director, is taking over Miss Ida
Lind's job. which will be COM
hinal x-ikh ot1yrio,,l,,~a 1Io~~;-- /