Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-25
ANSWER TO GEN. LANE
Educator Blasts Proposal
For UpheovoI in Schools
BY WILLIAM G. CARR
Executive Secretary, National Education
Association Of ths United States

BY WILLIAM G. CARR
xz.cutiy: s:srstsr, N9s!S ,,.a s Education
In last Sundays Star, District
Commissioner Thomas A. Lane
made a number Of remarkable
statements on educational policy.
It is helpful to have all sorts OF
diverse views regarding the many
problems and undoubted shortcom-
ings of the schools today. Whether
any particular set Of ideas should
be accepted, however, Is q decision
which the community as a whole
is entitled to make, aided by advice
from teachers, school administra-
tors, parents and others closely In
touch with the public schools.
I. Commissioner Lone is right IN
declaring thot the teacher is
the most important school IN
fIuence on our school children.
He is right in advocating that
Washington should endeavor 10
maintain teachers salaries at or
near the highest level paid in this
country. However. elsewhere IN the
article he refers to salaries or llv-
ing standards appropriate to the
place or station of the teacher IN
the community" The Commission
ers moreover did not strongly sup
port the D. C. teachers salary bill
last year. BY supporting small an
nual increments they have Kept the
washington teachers salary scale
for below the proposed position OF
national leadership. Such policies
on the part Of the Commissioners
do nothing to produce the high
morale among the teachers In
washington which Commissioner
Lane correctly defends - . most
important phase Of education.
Z. The public schools should be
held open to all children regard
less Of roee, creed, or economic
stotus.
This idea, Of course, Is deeply
rooted In American history and IN
the hearts Of the American people.
It is gratifying that Commissioners
Lane accepts 1t. It would be difi-
cult for anyone in public office to
condemn it. Yet, Commissioner
Lane hedges this American ideal
with many restrictions. II child
misbehaves, some private schools
Just throw him out. But In public
schools, expulsion is surely not
equal opportunity. The Commits
sioner proposes to deny education
to those "erratic few" not amenable
to discipline. This policy would be
likely to increase the crop Of juve-
nile delinquents and 1literate
adults. Such action would not
even save money. for 1t will increase
expenditures for the courts, the
police, and correctional purposes.
1t costs about $4,000 year to
handle juvenile delinquent and
about $500 a year to keep a child
in school.
A better, more humane, more
American, and less expensive plan
Is to be found in smaller classes,
special teachers for those who need
special help and q program to teach
the most difficult children in special
classes. This is the way to give
every child an opportunity for
fair start in life.
3. High stondords should be en-
couroged.
Most teachers would agree with
Commissioner Lane on that. They
will not agree that ali children are
alike or should be made alike. IN
der Commissioner Lanes plan.
schools would need only to set high
standards, fail those who do not at
tain those standards, make the fail
ures repeat the course indefinitely,
and II they misbehave under this
treatment, expel them. Modern
education uses q very different
philosophy. Parents and teachers
know that children vary widely in
their rate Of growth, their maturity.
and their ability to learn. Children
are not standardized and inter-
ohangeable robots.
Certainly there should be stand
ards. Realism. however, requires us
to recognize that individual prog
ress toward these goals will vary.
Consider any group Of adults over
10 years Of age. We do not expect
them to spell, compute, or read with
equal skill. They do not participate
N civic affairs or otherwise carry
On their lives with equal wisdom
and success. Shall we expect more
Of our children than We do Of
adults?
A single high standard Of
achievement is appealing to some
and appalling to others. It Is con-
tradicted by the everyday facts Of
human experience. The excep-
tionally bright, book-loving child
from fortunate home and COM
munity conditions will approach
the highest academic standards.
The less fortunate child can pro-
Rress toward these standards, even
though he achieves less. Both chill
dren win be building their lives,
right now, in terms of their ca
pacities and opportunities. No two
Of them will be alike. It Is both i'm
practical and wrong to try to make
them so.
4. Commissioner Lone says that
the essential prerequisite OF
teaching is discipline.
Whether one agrees or disagrees
with this assertion depends upon
the definition given to discipline"
Commissioner Lane supplies his
own definition: Teaching is essen
TALLY and necessarily authoritarian.
Our American system Of civilian
education (and I believe Of military
education at its best) is concerned
chiefly with developing those inner
controls that we call self discipline.