Schoolrooms for Sale

Stalkers of New York City's perennially bumptious bogey, Corruption (see p. 12). discovered last week that it had a hitherto unsuspected lair: the schoolroom. Three weeks ago Dr. Maxwell Ross, chairman of the Allied Local School Boards of Brooklyn, learned that his personal cards were being distributed at the Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club in Brooklyn. Puzzled, suspecting no connection with school affairs, he hired Max B. Krone, private detective, to investigate. Detective Krone unearthed two slick racketeering rings, piled up evidence that they boasted of political "hook-ups," promised small favors to all who would pay for them. Leader of the first ring was President Harry Izzicson of the Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club. Shrewd Harry Izzicson dealt in peddlers' licenses, naturalization papers, newsstand permits, hospital jobs; but his most thriving racket was promising jobs to young female applicants for teachers' positions. The Izzicson method: a friend employed by the Board of Education "could switch a name from the waiting list [some 4,000] to the eligible list, without the formality of an examination." The Izzicson fee: from $200 to $600. Dr. Ross reported his chance discoveries to President George J. Ryan of the New York Board of Education.* Quietly, revealing no names save those of President Izzicson and his henchman, Morris ("Doc") Rubin, the Board of Education got up a 600-page report, appended affidavits of eight mulcted females. Typical case: a young woman whose parents were ill needed a job, borrowed $500, paid it to a "fixer," got nothing in return. To District Attorney William F. X. Geoghan of Brooklyn last week went the affidavits, with full confessions by President Izzicson and four other ringmen. But The Public & The Schools was suspicious: "[Racketeering] was directly caused by the primary symptom of belief in political manipulation of the schools. The belief of political manipulation of the schools was caused by--what? Well, it is the precise answer to this question which . . . investigation has not revealed."

*Last week President Ryan got an official letter from President Henry R. Linville of the Teachers' Union, charging that "the three leading candidates for two vacancies in the Board of Education gain their prominence for reasons of political expediency alone. . . . We believe that no educator of distinction has the slightest chance of being elected to ... the policy-forming body of the Department of Education--the Board of Superintendents."

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