Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-07-03

lu6el
ings. If it is not known to be correct by the mem
bers it is referred TO committee who examine int
the facts connected with it If found to be correc
it IS allowed and entered on the minutes of II
Board The accounts and books containing the min
utes are then haded to the Recorder, who makes GU
a check upon the City Treasurer. a memorandum
Of the check is kept the cheekbook of the Record
| er, and when the check is handed to the party en-
entitled toft his receipt is taken for the amoun
upon the receipt book kept for that PURPOSE Tn
check is then countersigned by the President of tn
Board of Educaton and presented for payment to tn
City Treasurer. Il Is afterwards returned and KEEP
on file with the Recorder, together with the fecelp
and the original account The committee can not sec
what additional guard could be thrown around thr
plan. However the finances of a corporation may
be guarded it comes at last TO this, that you mus
trust mainly to the integrity and discretion of audit
ing committees in the allowance of accounts. IEs
committee is well satisfied that the Board of Educa
ton have performed this responsible duty with the
utmost good faith and discretion and that the inter
ests of the eorporion have at all times been guarded
by them.
The next complaint is that the Superintendent has
too much power, to wit: in fixing the salaries o.
teachers, saspending them, making changes IN DOCKS
&c. The superintendent has power to nix salaries
| or make changes in books, but these matters are
| entirely under the control of the Board of Educa
ton. 1t is true they sometimes appoint INN Oh com
mittees consider these subjects and no doubt con
suit him as to his views which course your commit
tee believe TO be right and proper. The Superinten
dent would certainly be very poorly qualified for
| hls position if he was not able TO make valuable
suggestions in these matters. BY rule adopted by
| the Mayor and Board of Aldermen, 10Th Dec, 1894
the Superintendent has the power to suspend teach
ers or pupils in which case he shall Immediately
make written report OF the same TO the President
| of the Board of Education. Your committee can
readily conceive of in which the exercise OF
this power would be absolutely necessary and think
it rule that should not be dispensed with No teach
er has ever yet been suspended however, under the
rule.
The financial duties the Superintendent of which
so much complaint has been made, consist in the
MAN, in attending to. and paying for, small repairs
on the different school buildings, and which are OF
almost daily occurrence. Windows are broken,
locks get out of order, desks need little repairs,
brooms, busters buckets, dIppers, &c, d, must be
bought and the Superintendent visits the different
rooms he attends these little matters, pays dime
for this and twenty cents for thatand presents his
account with all the items TO the Board of Education
who examine it and allow it if they are satisfied Of
its correctness The total amount OF these transac-
lions since the organizations Of the Schools would
not reach $780, The Superintendent has also attend
ed to the purchase of the books, instruments, INK
chalk, &C., which the Board has ordered from the
North In all such cases, however, list of the ar
ticles is first made out by the Board and prices
usually fixed before hand In all purchases made by
the Superintendent the accounts are examined by
the Board before being allowed. These matters are
attended to without extra charge by the Supernten-
dent do not interfere with his other duties, and as
they not of sufficient magnitude to Justify the en-
ployment of person under salary, to perform
them your committee approve of the course pur-
sued by the Board of Education in this regard.
Your committee will here add that they heartily
commend the zeal patience and faithfulness with
which these extraoficial duties have been performed
by the Superintendent, Mr.. Pearl.
The Committee have found no evidence of extra
vagance in the purchases made by the Board Of Edu-
cution, for the public schools. On the contrary,
they are of opinion that the Board have invariably
guarded the interests of the corporation and of pa
rents with extreme care. The interest that they
have manifested in the matter is deserving of great
praise. The particular instances of alleged extra
vagance, which have been brought to the notice of
the committee, of too trivial a character TO
merit separate explanation of the several charges
As to the complaint that pupils are admitted to the
schools who are not entitled by law to attend them
the committee have had some difficulty in arriving at
the facts fully desired The rule on this subject
is that no pupil is entitled to admission whose pa
rent or guardian does not reside within the corpora
ton limits of the city In the large number Of
children who attend the schools. it is matter of
difficulty to guard against the violation of this
rule in all cases. The committee are satisfied that
the rule has sometimes been violated, but to what
extent they have not been able to ascertain. Pa
rents sometimes, living the corporation al the be-
ginning of the session, start their children and after
wards outside the limits and continue to send
to the schools. without the removal being made
known TO the teachers. NO dOuDb pupltS nave at
times been entered, who had right from the be-
ginning to attend the schools their admission being
effected either by design on the part of parents or
from ignorance as to the law on the subject. The
Board of Education have always instructed the
teachers to guard strictly possible against such
cases. The Superintendent has informed the COM
mttee that he has, in few instances, admitted pu
pills who did not reside i the corporation. His state
ment to the committee was that at the earnest and
repeated solicitations of parents and sometimes the
children themselves, his sympathes have at times
been enlisted that he has consented to the admis
sion of pupils who not entitled under the law.
He further stated that the children thus admitted by
him would not exceed twelve in number since the
schools organized, that they were either or
phans or children of parents who pPofessed to be
unable to educate them in any other way, either
from want of Pleans waEt of other schools and
finally that these admissions have not been made
when the schools were thereby iucommoded. lnthe |
case of Mr. Barry's child, who admitted to the
schools, and which published recently in the
Patriot both the Superintendent and Mr.. Barry were
aware that the child could not legally become pupil
in the school, its parent resided outside the limits
of the corporation.
The committee are of opinion that the rule as to
the admission Of pupils should be strictly and uni
versally enforced and that exception should ever
be made without the express consent of the Clty |
Council. Very urgent solicitations frequently |
made in this matter and it often seems very hard
strictly to enforce the law And although the
committee convinced thabthe Superintendent, in
admitting such pupils actuated alone by mo- |
tiyes of kindness. and has erred the side of hui
mainly yet they disapprove his action in this mat |
ter. and again urge rigid adherence to the law
the subject.
The Superintendent is no doubt sometimes I'M |
posed upon in regard to the residence of children
and the committee recommend that it be made the |
duty of the teachers to inform themselves TO the
limits of the corporation, residence of the pupils
and Immediately report the name of every one lie !
gally in the School. They also recommend the pas
sage of an act by the City Council making the vo-
latiOn of the law upon this subject. by parents or
Others Unable offence.
The committee recommend that authors, boOksell- |
ers and advocates of new systems of instruction |
shall not be allowed to visit the schools or teachers
during school hours for the purpose Of exhibiting |
or advertising their intellectual wares.
In relation to the compensation of male and female
teachers the committee Of opinion that their
salaries should be equazed as far as possible They
can see no good reason why female should receive
less pay for the same services and talents than
male, although the custom is of almost universal
prevalence.
Before closing the report. the committee beg leave
to refer to the Board Of Education. These gentle
men receive no compensation for their services;
their position of great responsibility, requir
ing in an eminent degree the exercise of patience,
impartialty and intelligence In the opin-
ion of the committee they have performed their
duties faithfully and well, and in manner that en-
tiles them to the gratitude of the citizens of Nash
vile.
All of which is respectfully submitted
J. p COLEMAN Chairman.
\. IL. Hurley