Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1860-05-17
For the naily Patriot.
Free schools of Nashville.
No. 2.

be wasted on duties which can be performed
| By others at much less salary.
| In free governments, the legislative the
| judicial and executive powers act AS checks
und balances each other but when these
powers are all vested in one poison it be
| comes an absolute monarchy
| The public schools of Nashville presen ut
some singular features.
| The people delegate their power to the
| Mayor and Aldermen, who delegate it to the
| Board OF Education; and the Board, it would
| seem from the records. have delegated most
of their powers to the Superintendent. and
| have made rules that the teachers shall
| obey the Instructions of the Superintendent y
and children are to be expelled unless they will
| purchase whatever, and whenever directed
| Hence, he has all power below him. and the
| powers above him seem To he a kind of rear
| guard which keeps off " sii5atiOn and &C
| cuuntabiliIy. Citizens have often said they
! could not understand how the schools were
managed. and that it appeared as if the SUI
| p-rintend-nt had the Board completely under
| his thumb, and that he had every hing bis
| own way, and il does seem to me that tie
| Board are not aware how much the insIitu
| ion loses, of the advantages for which Su.
! Frintendenis are employed in the public
! 4tho"is OF other places, 10y giving him such a
| multiplicity Of duties to perform: or how
much power they are putting into the hands
| OF one man.
| To u lge correctly. the reader must care
| fully observe not oAly the facts, but the re-
| lItI"n aud dependence OF tbOs- facts; and in
| seeking for The facts he must not lock mere
ly to one source oniy tor them. Tor if he looks
| at the RULES for the government OF the
Public Schools" they do not agree with i'm
pUTtant actual occurrences. If he looks to
the Annual Report Of the Superintendent.
he will fad scarcely any Thing of Interest to
I Al. 4 - Al.
and vouchers show that h. has much t. do
with matters of vital interest to the people
Other important occurrences .leaye not the
print of iODstep behind thrm." Oh the
minutes or in the report.
From the minutes and vouchers it seems
that the Superintendent has been clll.d to
act in IA legislative, judicial, aud executive
capacity. lie has acted on the COMMITTEE
ito have such number of rules printed as
they may think proper" ''to revise the rul
Of the schools" (this is making laws to gov
ern bin elf Ito purchase such numbers.
kind ana quality OF maps for the use OF tie
Public Schools as they may think proper"
''to fix The grade aud salaries of She teach
ers. on clock, warming and gus" on the
adoption and change Of books" &c. &c.
Il may appear al first Jew. "a il il were
even desirable to hav Super eadent, act
on thtSe committees. and tn t tue balance #
tine committee ought, and probably would
defer TO his ci-luu. aud that he would thus
hav. the entire control of these matters. II e
President If the United States may some
times lie the wisest man in the land, yet it
might not always be safe to put tue three De-
partments of the government under his con-
troll. | will explain the danger of this wl"n
| cume to show how can make that Is TO-
600"
The K ,ceipt Book shows that nearly all
the expenses of the schools last year passed
through his hands, and tie minutes how In at
a large share of what was not paid to the
teachers. was used under his agency. The
liz objection 10 this is, that ii must take
his time and mind ton much from aiding IN
the actual improvement of the pupils, The
very object Tor which Supcrintendents are
usually emplOyeG-
To give some idea Of the duties the Super
intcndent has had to perform, aud the inlu-
cncr it would give an opportunity Of exert
ing. / will give few extracts from II e min
uIes OF III. Board.
dc. 4Ih, 1854, 1t was resolved to fix the
salaries of the principal teachers of the High
schools at $1,000 tor the males, and $1,000
for the female" Twenty days after this the
Superintendent was requested ito telegraph
Ia Mir. G.. that the Board would give him
: 1900 pes annGm.n January 18th, Mr..
Pearl Was Instructed to write for Mr. ID. pro-
10 ing 10 give uiu a SAlhrt OF SiUU, ana 10
wife for another leachvT."
lie WAS afterwards instr, ed 20 write to
him that they would give him $500. Mr..
60 oder was accepted To- give him Sl5O0
and after the end of the year to- give him
SISO0.' February 9th. 1855, resolved,
that The SIP .rint-udeut b authorized TO
furnish books gratis 10 such children us he
ia hls discretion GlIy think proper objects of
the charity, aud to such extent as he may
HN IL a 4
w"uld 10 take To hunt up and examine into
the condition Il the different families? Va
Ti"u~ bills OF the superintendent of $50 To
$40. Tor incidental eXpences are amOnis the
vouchers. These items are mostly for sundTy
lille matters and thing, like fixing locks,
putiing in glass, &c. IL seems t. me that a
Superintendent. uuder "A heavy salary. CGgb;
not To DE required 10 attend t. such little
matters. "a one of these bills one item
stationery nj auction Si2 03.', but the bill
durs not show what the stationery WAS, or
What WAS done with il. Ia another bill for
items got by the Superintendent tor the
Schools j. IA item Sept. lifh. NdSc. per
bill rendered, ssh So" but no bill il To be
irund OF II. / do not suppose there is any
thing wrong IA fact ia these bills. give
them TO tbv public as specimens of thc i'm
perfect showing which these vouchers make.
Namoers OF tue papers are without date. aud
many Of the bills not receipted. Ii appears
To me that the accounts ought 10 be kept
siIh the same regularity tina; Is ob-, rived by
correct business men. II the doinss Of the
board matters OF public record. for the
inspg ciioa ui any person, why not keep them
all la the same piac . Way nns have every
bill, Nhen approved by the Board. numbered
aud index k pt, aad reference made 10 TIE
page OF tue minutes pa whoa it Was ithoE-
,Z-d and approved, thence To the page ot The
letter book, il any letters pertain L. tia; mat
teri Thes. would be both coayc, lett aud
usefal fsr future reference.
March, 5.h, 1855. The Super nIendent
was instructed 10 furnish abe sci ool' with
isk, strel pens, pyn-Aolders." from this
time lax was boughg NJ ; 10 3 Per sallon
usi last August. y sn be vas urdcs. d 10 pur-
chase articles at the east amounii < To sew
eral hundred dollars. Ia the pan htse was
a barrel 81 Ink al sixty ceats < tllOn.
ChenisiTy h taught la tbs iaslituI {. on, and a
negro might b. shown la ten minu IS liow 10
make lax al ten cents pr gallon. Last year
$40 dollars were paid Tor lax, when that ga IA
would have made eaOagh here la towa -
supply The school tweniy years- PEI. hold
sFs al 81 per gross, when taey could have
eeea bought for seTenty-iiye eeais. Ssyenty
dollars iOr fourteen diplomas, whea better
ones could be got fur one dollar each. The
parchment wo1ld cost thEee OF four dollars
a dozrn, and they eoald % p lated for a
tflae. Halt of what has beea aselsssias paid
Tor lax ia The last ave years. would Iay for
engraving plate that soald be esesalable
- the eiiy. aad then they could B. ggiaIed
tor Elk dsiiaFs per handFed Bat / slsn De
toid thai diplomas irvqaenily cost 81 each
SO they do sbere al lnstitutloa wIiArs TO
get iaads for litfaries, 6e; bat Ia q ties Ia
situation the Object j. % cave, nst 90 eoa-
sume IL fund.- 4 cannot GO iHtf fl,slallea