The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-02-01
fHE PUBLIC SCHOOLS or NEW YolI.

IN goll JEFFRBY URBzN
fHE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NEW Y0lE.
TIE Bill Now Before the Legislature %
Change Their Managemene-6woepis
Changes Sugsested-The Presens 6ysse. %
be Entirely Abolished Csnmissieners - be
Appointed BY the Gsvernsr and ssnass, "a.
bin 10 now before the Legislature, the provisions Of
which, enacted, will change the entire Management
OF tho public schools OF this city. BY this bill the
present Board OF Education abolished also the
inspectors and the twenty-five ward boards Of wpssssa
In the place Of all these officers commission Of ssves
members Is established styled the Metropolitan Board
OF Public Instruction. with full power 70 manage the
schools and appointa the necessary teachers and ohsr
employees and generally TO perform such acts and make
such expenditures they shall deem necessary FOR the
schools The members Of this commission are 70 hold
Office for eight years. TO be nominated by The
ernor OF the State and 10 receive salary Of 5000
per annum. rn @HgstN fs VI
The change is sweeping Il removes from once body
Of men, many Of whom fresh from the people, and
very many Of them citizens Of the first standing in the
community takes away from the peopss al voics IN
the management Of the schools for which they pay
literally and oheerully; and it assumes that seven men,
selected In the manner proposed, win manage wIth
greater purity eficiency and economy those great In
which for twenty years have been cared for by
the present system modified and improved after
gve periods or trial.
When any class Of men seeks 80 radical change
this there ought to be grave for such inter
ference The interests Of Common Schools ought not
be disturbed for slight or sordd reasonR They touch
deeply every member Of the community. With them
every other interest is less closely lnked-ths
family, the church. the Market the courts OF law The
very purity and existence OF the government seM Is
Is this Of free education thus intimately connected
with tho lar lfarQ md afad foe rty
poses midway in its career thai stands before abe
bar OF public opinion and asks to be heard In It's defence
ITS PAST HIsToRY.
The beginning OF common school instruction IN this
city reaches back into the history Of the Public School
Society AS early the year 1905 De Witt Clinton with
such nea as Brockhos Lvinason Robart BOVINE Archi.
bald Oracle Leonard Blocker, Daniel D. TompiDs and
twsntyone other well known citizens we're Incorporated
New York; for the education Of such poor children Dc
not belong to. or are not provided for By any religions
society"
The school organized under this OF incorporation
essentially school for the But instruction
gatuity did not with among those It In
tended TO reach In spite Of tbs self denying abors OF the
ncorpOraors themselves and OF the catholic and liberal
spirit with which the school conducted; in spite Of
the deep interest that the rich and cultivated and phau
thropc took in its success the people hesated 70 accept
education given as aims The school was met we'll at
tended.
In the year 1926 the name of the corporation wss
changed from Free school Society to Public School
gradually increased in number thrown open TO all
the poverty qualification was dropped and those Who
could pay were permitted 70 do so. This was csae
distinction quite marked as the former feature ana
did hot meet with greater popular favor.
In the 1929 the Legislature enacted that TAI for
common schools 10 the cirv Of New York should he
raised property, and the school became
that time to all classes generously free Ell IT
Managed with singular Judgment and economy; and
growing from year TO year In popular favor the sysDsn
had its enemies. IL hand charged with anti
Catholic tendencies, in ,s books and in Its teachngs
was, on the other hand, veh.mcnty denounced
aged by body Of men removes, from and jndepepdsAs
Of the people, who raid the for public education
In 1912 the Governor Of the State moved by The ~
cement which the controversy had produced ~ utgs
Change which should bring me school sysss 70
the whole people. 4 IA
in his Recommendation are found these nenorasss
words TT submit therefore, the expedieney OF vestine
in the people Of the city OF New York what snrs
the people Of other part OF the State would upon
consideration, renqusbthe education 0f their chill
drsn. For this purpose Is only necessary the
control Of the Common Schools in Board composed
of Commissioners elected BY the people which
board sha appor,ion the school moneys smonr ali she
schools including those existing which shall be
ganized and conducted in conformity its general re
latons and the laws OF the Sa proportion 10 thv
number of pupils instructed II is not left doubtro that
the restoration 70 the Common schools OF the city this
simple and equal feature OF the Common Schools Of the
State would remove every complaint
In accordance with this recommendation, bill passed
management Of the schools under Commissioners. Trus
tees and Inspectors elected by the people, but allowing
the Public School Society TO retain control Of Its
schools aud to participate in the pubic money! i
Thence forward, Tor eleven years, free edscation
moved in two separate channcls,ne Public School
ceiy and the ward school system. The movement
incongruous II became palmer aud palmer that the
two systems could not live together IN the
muniiy and IN 1858 the schools OF the Pubic School
society passed. BY consent OF that body ITSELF under
or the Board OF Education aud the members OF
society became merged IN the Board Of Education or The
local Boards.
The infusion OF this new element was OF great value
The experience Of body OF sef-denyng men, identified
for 40 long time with the schools found fitting place
in the new arrangement, which at once assumed COM
handing place.
adjustment From time TO time notifications made
In the law. The first difficulty that manifested itself
in the powers Of the local boards Much OF their acton
Independent separate and contradictoryonc set Of
rules prevailed IN ward and another in the next ad
accent The expenditure OF money was unequal The
system OF instruction different well as the sub
jecs taught 1t was necessary harmonixe these
this could only be done by placing them under general
~ ~ss oy s. a. S
the Board Of Education Flowing cut OF these naturally
came systematic supervisors general system Of in
Amer these Improvements lad been made there was
gradually developed an inequality Of representation in
tho Board Of Education ftsct Tho lower b1Etnsas
wards with few schools small number Of scholars
equally repre- with the wards that educeied
passed in tho shape tina. u now stands
This Is known the law VI 1s6< This Law divides
the city for school purposss INTO ssven districts and
to divide the school population equally possible
Each Of these districts sends tree Commissioners the
Board Of Education which Is thus composed OF twentv
one members The Commissioners hold of1ce for three
years, going out Of Office each year 0n-thrd Of
the Board-seven MEMBERS in this goes before
the people annually ....
By this law the local Boards OF Trustees reduced
from eight members TO nveone member being elected
annually-and holding Office for i've years
The Inspectors were created with new and enlarged
powers increased 10 equal number with the
mssioners are hold ONCE Tor the time and rep
resent corresponding districts; but in place Of being
elected by the people nominated by the MAYOR and
elected by the Board of Education IL will thus b.
that the system has been one Of gradual and true
growth that ID has, step by STEP nttcd itself 10 the in
creasing and steadily developing wants of the schools
that II has been modified from time 10 time
unity and conformity and that the system is
dead fungus, bat real vital force and energetic life
Is this system elaborated with great care hardly yet