Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-04-26
Teachers Mistake

For several years I have
been under the impression
that the Arlington school
system had become one Of the
best In this area. Several re-
cent actions by the Arlington
School Board have made me
wonder about the future Of
education in that area II the
present type Of judgment
prevails.
The latest incident - the
firing Of a teacher for having
once been o Communists
q case in point.
Assuming that the reports
In the newspapers were es-
sentially correct. this lady
was discharged solely because
she was once a Communist.
Nobody on the board seemed
to care what she is today, or
what moved her to become O
Communist, or (more impor-
tanD why she is not today q
Communist. There was, to my
knowledge. no evidence pre-
sented that indicated that
this teacher had made any
attempt to teach or express
approval Of communism IN
Arlington County schools.
Perhaps II there had been,
the school board would have
condemned this lady. as their
counterparts in Athens 81
centuries ago condemned
Plato Ia teacher) to drink
the hemlock because he had
corrupted the youth" OF
Athens. There seems to have
been no discussion about her
ability as q teacher, or even
her preSent-day feelings
about communism or any
thing else.
The fact that she readily
admitted her former anil
alton with an abominable
group should indicate that
she made an honest mistake.
She frankly stated she joined
because she thought the
Communist movement was
what this country needed.
She felt a need for action,
and unlike most Of uS) did
something about even
though 1t may have been the
wrong thing to do. Thou
sands did the same thing
during that unhappy period.
Most Of them, like her, re-
garded themselves as pa
triotic. Most Of them, like
her. later saw their mistake
when the Communists were
forced to show their true
colors. and they got out.
There has to be a place in
our Nation for a citizen to ar
rive at faulty political deci-
sions. Millions change their
minds every day and take
new paths in an honest
search for the truth as they
see it. They join a different
church because Of new con-
victions, or they change their
voting registration from Re-
publican to Democratic to
Prohibition to what-have-
you. They do so after mental
struggles unknown to others
and their change Of mind re-
suits after deep soul search
ing and thinking.
This is not wrong! Nay,
this is right! There are no
final truths in a finite world,
and we dare not convict a
person because he makes a
mistake in honest thinking.
1t seems to me that q group
Of people interested in edu-
cation Cor "truth-seeking." as
education should be- conduct
themselves poorly as spon-
sors Of education when they
condemn a person who clear
ly has made a poor decision
in an honest effort to do what
once seemed right to him.
especially when the person
has broken from the group
when he decided he had made
a mistake.
II the school board is going
to require correct" thinking
as q condition for employ
ment, 1t should then give a
clear definition for this kind
Of mental activity. II it
quails before such a formi-
dable task, 1t must then admit
that 1t cannot define or con-
denim incorrect" thinking.
One may inquire as to the
reason for my concern, liv-
ing as l do in Maryland. 1t
arises out Of concern over
the numbers Of people who
are ready to remove a mans
right to think unconventional
thoughts, and what might
happen to me II ! continue.
as I have in the past, to think
as I please. and to sometimes
make q mistake, even (I'm
sure) as do the members Of
the Arlington School Beard.
Philip r, McCfay.