New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-29

rg the period o. lis SUPPLEMENTARY, ine suftsIsY
Of he Board o. Education became firmly esao,sheo,
and .he Public School Society was coinp'i.S az A.'
ruccumb, ard was merged in The existing s'steai,
~bich created tie Office Of City Superintendent. IN he
year 1853, a. which time Mr.. NJ Keen was ID office.
Tie teachers esps caiy principals OF schools uuder
the united sway Of their professional bro'ier had mar
ters petty much their way and many OF them nau
come 10 act as though they owned the schools and the
school su'hofiiies. When by the new Jaw, was pro
posed 10 reexsine and regrade all the 'eachers 10 Ia
service ofthe Board Of Education delightful naoou9
was kicked up By these intelligent WORKINGS, hesoeu
by The Faculty OF The Normal S,hoo Who were especi'
ay indignant At the idea Of being reexamined aad re-
graded by the new City superintendent.
Under The active lead Of Mr.. Thomas +. liarrison,
PRINCIPAL Of No Al in Greenwich avenue. and mem
Der Of the Faculty an Indignation meeting was lled,
and about five hundred teachers-male and ieFnae-
assembled in the hall Of NJ. Harrisons school, woete
flaming speeches were made, and resolutions passed,
dencuncDg the project an outrage upon t1er vesed
rights CD inst to the County Superintendent aud
procedure on the psrt OF the Board Of Education ran-
nical and uni ust in the extreme.
Some of the mole violent Of the Indignant Hsze,
tines strongly denounced the Board Of Education, and
especially its able President the Hon. Z. C. Benedict.
for attempting TO certraze all power in the hands oil
the Board leaving the Ward boards nothing TO DO;
In this way strong feeling of hostility was enge1deret
in the local boards against the proposed regarding oil
teachers appointed TO their schools by themselves.
The result Of this action general backing down
of majority of the members Of the Board OF Eddca,
on, whose political fortunes were openly threatened
by the pugnacious teachers, who would NJ " De de-
graded" as they said, no how
Mr. Randall came into office as City Superintendent
under this condition Of things, Mr. Keen being APP
pointed Assistant Superintendent To this arrange
ment the " Hszletines' again demurrer, and under
took 10 show their contempt for the Board OF Educa-
on arc its newly appointed City Superintendent oy
attempting 10 get up silver ware testimonial IN
open violation Of salutsry bylaw OF the Board M
troduced by Judge Waterbury, expressive OF their
sympathy with the Assistant Superintendent who they
thought ought TO have been the City superintendent
Mr. Randall commenced his official labors stranger
10 the schools Of the city, surrounded by divided coun-
sells in and out Of bis office finding embarTassnents
and bis suegestors entirely UNDECIDED In addi,ion,
the Board Of Education, by an ordinance passed Nov.
25 1854 explicitly provided that all the teachers then
in the employ Of the Board, who held full certih-
Gates Of qualification from the State or previous
City Superintendent, or from the Inspectors
Of Common Schools, or who were graduates
Of the State or City Normal School, or Of the Free
Academy should be entitled TO certificate from the
newly elected Superintendent. Under this explicit
provision not only Mr.. Hazletine but every other
principal ard vice-prncpal OF the public schools OF
every crsde and large number Of assistant teachers
were entitled 10, and actually received new certlh-
Gates; nor had Mr.. Randall any discretion 10 the
premises. Those only who had not such credentials
were required by The Board TO be reexanined, and
we've duly retxauted graded and classified with as
much accuracy the means Of information Ia pos-
session of the City Superintendent allowed.
have made this statement from personal knowl-
edge Of the fact in order that the whole subject OF
blockbeadsm and pre.ension, on the part OF teachers
and schoo ofcerS. may receive due ventilation, while
responsibility is laid upon the right shoulders.