HEARINGS BEFORE THE SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED SIXTY-SIXTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION PURSUANT TO S. RES. 310 RAISING A SELECT COMMITTEE OF FIVE SENATORS TO Printed for the use of the Committee on the District of Columbia SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM. LAWRENCE Y. SHERMAN, Illinois, Chairman. WILLIAM P. DILLINGHAM, Vermont. PAT HARRISON, Mississippi. JAMES M. PORTER, Clerk. II PUBLIC-SCHOOL SYSTEM OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1920. UNITED STATES SENATE, SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, Washington, D. C. The Select Committee to Investigate the Public School System of the District of Columbia met in room 310, Senate Office Building, at 10 o'clock a. m. pursuant to call, Senator Lawrence Y. Sherman presiding. Present: Senators Sherman (chairman), Dillingham, Capper, Harrison, and Henderson; the entire committee. The CHAIRMAN. This is the first meeting of the select committee appointed to investigate the public-school system of the District of Columbia under Senate resolution 310, which reads as follows: Resolved, That a select committee of five Senators, three from the majority party and two from the minority party, be appointed by the President of the Senate to investigate the public-school system of the District of Columbia. That said committee shall investigate, specifically, the manner of appointing the superintendent, principals, teachers, and other employees of the public schools of the District; the personnel, adequacy, and pay of teachers and other employees of the public schools of the District; the accommodation, heating, lighting, ventilation, and sewerage of the public-school buildings of the District; the number of holidays, courses of study, and discipline adopted by the teachers and management of the public schools of the District; the policy and influence of the teachers' unions in the conduct and management of the schools, and the extent to which said unions control teachers, members of the school board, selection of teachers, and other matters pertaining to the. schools; and such other policies adopted by the management of the public-school system of the District as, in the discretion of the committee, is advisable to investigate. That the committee so appointed shall be authorized to select its own chairman, to send for persons and papers, to administer oaths, and to employ a stenographer or stenographers to report such hearings as may be held in connection with such investigation at a cost not exceeding $1 per printed page. That said committee may sit during the sessions or recesses of the Senate, and it shall report its findings and recommendations to the Senate at the earliest date possible. All expenses in connection herewith to be paid out of the contingent fund of the Senate. The CHAIRMAN. The committee by previous arrangement have thought it well to hear the members of the board of education first, beginning with the president of the board. The president of the board is present this morning, and we will hear from him first. The CHAIRMAN. You may proceed, Mr. van Schaick. STATEMENT OF JOHN VAN SCHAICK, JR. Mr. VAN SCHAICK. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, the resolution of the Senate, a copy of which was sent to me, was |