Evening star., 1955-10-29
Film ReyieweI

4&AC Use u tk1c n4aEGtl "
Time film entitled 'aThe Fight
for Better Schools by the
School Board Nominating Com
vention candidates In the Ar
Hngton School Board election
represents another attempt to
claim credit for BOSS" Bar
nard Joy and company that Is
q part Of q fabric Of mis-
representation that has been
carried on for years by the
disciples Of progressive edu-
cation In Arlington.
As the chairman Of the Citi-
zens' Committee for School
Improvement that proposed
the legislation that gave Ar
hngton the only elective school
board In Virginia, and as q
founder and charter member
Of the CCSI. / know that the
story portrayed In the March
Of Time filn Ii d deliberate
faisehood and that Barnard
joy and most Of his stooges
had absolutely nothing to do
with securing the enactment
Of the legislation.
The theme Of this MIN Is
that aroused citizen delega-
tions pressured the General
Assembly into passing the
legislation. and the film shows
Joy and the progressive" edu-
cationists playing q leading
part. The truth Is that for
years previous to the i947
act various citizen groups in
Arlington and elsewhere In
Virginia had vainly sought
referendum legislation provid-
ing for elected school boards
using lobbying tactics, and it
Is significant that no other
communities In Virginia have
since succeeded in obtaining
such legislation. even though
they had the March Of Time
film as their model. Why?
No one active in the Arling-
ton school movement ever
heard Of Barnard JOY until
he appeared as q candidate
before the first School Board
Nominating Convention, long
after the legislation had been
enacted and approved by q
referendum Of the voters. why,
then, does this March Of Time
film show up every time he
runs for reelection to the
School Board?
The reason Ariington's DEM
ocratic legislative delegation
pushed the school board legis-
iation through the General AS
sembly was because In the 1946
county board election Inde-
pendent Dan Dugan, running
on a platform calling for an
elective school board. defeated
incumbent Democrat Ed
mund d. Campbell by o wide
margin. The reason that this
political action Is not por-
trayed In the film is because
Mrs. Edmund d. Campbell was
. member Of the school board
when the film was made. and
because Barnard Joy and
his progressive educaticnists
wanted to prevent people like
me from getting credit. Il
served Is Dugan's campaign
manager IN the 1916 election.)
The Joy machine" knew
that our aims were simply to
improve the school system by
providing adequate buildings.
a merit system for teachers.
sound teaching. etc. They knew
that we did not 60 along with
the ideologies and methods
Of the progressive education
movement, and with, the help
Of Time. Inc, they undertook
to rewrite history TO suit their
purposes. They followed this
up with ruthless purges Of
those who had launched the
nonpartisan better govern
ment movement In their efforts
to obtain q completely sub
servient county board that
would appropriate 100 per cent
Of the funds they want to A.
nance the social revolution
they are carrying on in the
Arlington schools.
Harley M. Williams.
Editors note: The Star can
not open It's letters column to
extensive political debate. It Is
printing MIR. Williams letter
because Of his past connections
with the Arlington school issue.
II an answering letter Of COM
parable length Is received. it.
. j. u
too. win be published.)