Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-27

Gen. Lanes Plan
Educators who do not teach
in the classroom will no doubt
attack Commissioner Lanes
statement on the public school
system. But classroom teach
ers who for 20 years and more
have struggled to teach chill
dren under an educational
philosophy and practice that
sounds grand on paper but
simply does not work in the
classroom, will welcome the
adoption of a practical, COM
nonsense system such as Gen.
Lane outlines. Anyone, even
hildren, can see that the
present system isn't working
effectively. That Gen. Lane.
an outsider, can so accurately
pinpoint the faults in educa-
tional theory and practice
which cause the breakdown in
effective operation is amazing.
And brave indeed he is to dare
prescribe remedies and changes
which are bound to arouse
against him the political oppo-
sition and personal animosity
of those who hold vested in
terest in preserving the status
quo in the public school sys-
tenn. No doubt some parents,
too, will join in the attack.
But the majority of good par
ents, like the classroom teach
ers and many conscientious
school principals, will rejoice
in changes which will reinstate
discipline in our public schools,
both learning discipline and
behavior discipline. The two
are inSeparable.
Teacher.
X X X
Commissioner Lanes educa-
tional announcements are
diversionary, fragmentary and
poorly Give from the
standpoint of the community,
or of school philosophy and
practice. His approach is
similar to the lawyers who,
when his client was found
guilty, submitted a brief plead
ing for revision of the jury
system.
The immediate educational
issue here is whether District
of Columbia children have
been short changed. This fact
was proven by the presenta-
ton before a congressional
committee and further high
lighted by the excellent re-
porting of The Stars James
Deane.
The Commissioner does not
feel that we owe these chill
dren anything, or that edu-
cational pay-back is due. In
stead, he advocates mass re-
classification and demotions.
If a factory. in error, made
u inch or "a inch bolts in
stead Of / inch bolts, basic
engineering would properly
toss them into properly
labeled bins 1t is sub
mitted that children are not
nuts and bolts! Those who
believe there is a difference
between a mathematical equa-
ton and a human equation
cannot agree with the Com
missioner. For once you short
change them, should you cod
die them?
No school system is work.
able if the teachers are I'M
qualified, the space made
quate or the pupil-teacher ra-
ito strained. The Commissioner
is concerned mainly with the
latter problem, which he
"solves" in a most unique way.
1t is, not to increase the num-
Der of teachers but to reduce
the number of pupils. If they
don't measure up, expel them.
Just how successful this meth
cd would be is doubtful, but
then the Commissioner doesn't
object to elementary-school
classes of 40 or As pupils as
long as there are no trouble
makers in them.
Milton A. Mandel.
y Il
Many contend that the ad-
vent of school integration has
mot" adversely affected the
education of our youth. Many
others have criticized Gen.
Lanes proposal unjustly, be-
lieving it unavoidable, implying
his plan has been motivated
for economical reasons. I do
not believe this.
1t seems to me that to know
what is right and not do it
is lack Of courage. Yet the
Board of Education will toy
with complicated "four-in-
one" systems and procedures
and will vote. down the only
sensible way out.
At Q recent meeting Of the