New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-18
THE SCHOOL LAWS or THIS CITY.
REPORT

vIsH Albany In relation 10 tho legsiatpn proposed
"in regard to school matters in this city respectfully
report:
That in accordance with the resolution under which
they were appointed, they proceeded to Albany aud
conferred with several members OF the two branches
Of the Legislature. They sscertained that bill rela-
tive TO the school system Of this city pending BE-
fore Subcommittee of the assembly to whom IL had
been referred fsr the purpose OF beng reported com
plete or in other WORDS put in shape for mme diate
passage Your Committee found, upon a careful anay
sis of Inc BILL tina. made twenty three changes in the
existing school laws, which may be briefly stated d.
follows:
The Office of Commissioner Of Common Schools
WAS abe ,ished thereby destroying whatever Of q
check there may be upon the action OF each by the
present org lDlZafOn q two Scooi Boards, one Tor the
city and for the Ward in many respects equal
and concurrent, but already too closely connected to-
gether. ,,.,
Board Of Education, whereby its number was 10.
TO 264 Tor the present. to be ultimately reduced
to l76.
3. All the powers srd duties now exercised by the
Board of Educat were Transferred, with few NOM
nal ana practically only nominal exceptions, to an
Executive Committee of the Board, TO he chosen
in an irresponsible manDer, and substantially rrespon-
sibe in its action, and without subsection to many OF
the most important bnd efficient restrictions now I'M
posed by the Board Of Education.
4. The office of Inspector OF Common schools was
abolished.
3. The plan heretofore tried and universally
demned OF separate election OF scaOol officers, was
revived and the time Of the election fixed f0f the
secoId Tuesday in May.
6. Although every school officer was retained in
office the remainder ~ his term the existpg organ
zation of the several Boards overthrow and the
Superintendents and other officers appointed by the
Board of Education IgebOusly egislated out OF
office and turned over 10 the chances OF general
cramble in the Board Of 264 members.
Z The healthy provision that school officers APP
a .ahnu only ar
iLainder of the current year was repealed, whereby
persons spporte could serve for the baance OF the
term of their predecessors, which might be nearly
full tenn of four years.
8. The grounds upon which Trustees can be reToved
from Office were extenced 50 ~ TO embrace I'M
proper, unbecoming or immoral conduct" thereby
sut. citing a school officer 10 the absolute power OF
majority 10 remove, which majority might be enjoyed
by his noepe ndeDce mpeed by personal or pollti-
cal hostility.
The control of the Evening Schools was trans.
fened from the Board Of Education to tn. local
Boards in the several Wards.
TO- Admission to the Normal Schools was extended
to persons designing to become teachers, Instead
of beipg confined 10 actual teachers.
IL. The power OF appointing teachers in the Nor
nal Schools wss taken from the Board Of Education
without being placed Observation-Disclosures with Z
vie of its ultimate exercise by the Committee having
these Schools in charge which cannot De the case un-
der the existing law.
H. The delinquency for which the office of q MEM
Der of the Board of Education could be declared
vacant was changed TO refusal neglect to attend
"any two successive meetings" instead OF "three
successive state d meetings.
49, The date OF some of the annual reports was
changed 60 that hereafter il should be the 3Oth OF
NAV instead of the 3lst of December, whereby they
would embrace the fractions OF two years, instead OF
a sipgle complete year.
a. The provision that the average attendance tor
the year Of pupils in the several schools should be
ascertained by dividing the whole attendance oy
AGO sessions two a day tor go days was abolished
h, fofth he
of school days to approximate to go; though even
under this rule, they have been reduced 10 70 aays'
and are in many schools, even below the latter num-
ber without such al obstacle the number OF scnooi
day. would soon be further reduced.
i5 The existing provision which renders 1t iinprac-
tcabl to make the hours of the school sessions less
than six each cay abolished.
H. The authority to thu Local Boards to Contract
with teachers taken away, leaving only the
power to employ. -, 4,
H. The e1ist,Tg salutary provision by which the
Board OF Education can control the employment OF
teachers by 80 General rules ard regulations, WAS
sbclirhed whereby the power ct the several Ward
Boards in this respect was made absolute
lS. The existing provision by which the Local.
Boards cannot procure supplies by open purchase I'D
cases in which they furnished to all the schools
under contracts made upon ADVERTISEMENTS tor pro-
pOsals. was abolished: whereby The local Boards
were allowed to procure supplies when, and rs they
pleased.
10. The existing provision by which the Trustees
for the several wards required to meet Tor inc
could do business by the verbal written consent OF
u majority, procured by any person who should go 10
the members individually and obtain ia duty which
would frequently devove upon the teachers, as tue
parties generally interested.
70. More explicit provision WAS made for specihc
appropriations by tbs Board of Education for the ex
pensrs of the schools III the several wards-a duty AL
ready eIjoined upon the Board-wlih a proposed ad.
diti.n that if the appropriations made the Ward
Trustees should be personally liable for expenditures
beyond the amount of the appropriations.
H. The appeal to the State Superintendent of Public
Instruction in case the Board Of Education refused to
establish a new school upon the application OF the
school officers of any Ward was abolished.
20 The authority to the Board # Education to pay
the actual and reasonable expenses OF certain schOoi
officers while ncing to the dulles Of their ONCE,
under which scarcely 800 year has been PAID, was
repealed. NJ. .
psyng over any public money IN his porsession was
taken from the Board OF Supervisors and given to the
Board Of Education. =,
The above were all the changes proposed by the
bill. But few of them would be oeneEcisl, mnugd
some others might be harmless. Most of them woud
he pe sitiyey BuIOus while the principal ones would
be fatal. Ii cannot be doubted by any person ac'
ouainted with the workings of our educational system
that probably the design Of the ognasSds 80, %
destruction Of the School System Of this city, heter
it might have been subsequently, restored IN sou'e
form or another, none could foretn; p@ may nc
safely assumed that those who wOuld nave Deen uio
workers OF It's ruin, whatever may have nseh tller
hopes would not have been permitted to ae the arch
fleets of its restoration. The bull Yves iDgenously
several classes of persons by the offering Of bait to
their supposed desires. And the school OH
GERS Of the several Wards were to- be members
Of the Board of Education; were to hays I'd then local
ANNEXATION the excIusi, control of tho evening, as
well a. the day schools, within its jurisdiction aud
were to appoint whoever they pleased as teachers,
ard purchase supplies as they chose without ut, oemg
regnIations" OF central Board. Tue teachers were