Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-09-15
MIXED SCHOOLS.
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
THEIR ACTION LAST NIGHT.


chair.
A communication was read from Mr.
Richards. Superintendent OF Public Schools
IN which that gentleman recommends the
appointment OF Two teachers OF the German
language; requests that the Superintendent 5
duties may be prescribed, and a rule adopted
that the schools shall open at o a. m durIne the
entire year, and suggests the introduction of
the study OF drawing, and an amendment OF
the rule in regard TO teachers so that ali appII.
cants need not undergo an examination Tnst
portion OF the communication pertaining II
me Gelman language was referred to a SPECIAL
cominltee 10 be appointed by the Chair.
a tier from Professor Rosen, askingtheu =
OF room IN the Franklin School Building for
classes IN French and German, paInting and
9rawng' and proposing TO give free lessons in
same committee.
The resIgns,on of : John Thomson, teacher
CT the Male Grammsr School of the LIST dis
trict, was received and accepted.
AN application of T. A. Coburn. airing for
Teachers.
A petition signed by the representatives, of
the city Councils from the First Ward, asking
the establishment OF a school at .0ft aud X
sire It's, was referred 70 RE ub-bosrd OF tn q
lst district, as was alss a letter from G. J.
White, ID. d., Offering to sell the school, nous q
N l9in street, between q and II streets, for
$1,000.
Mr.. Dulin. from the Committee on Supplies,
reported that ne had re &C we'd pI Oposa's for
furnishing coal ard wood for the use OF the
schools of the FIRST sud Third Districts rom
Messrs. T. T. Fowler, g. II. Burgs Il -, !.
+. Miller. Dickson King, anu vii % f.
Brown, the former OF which h I'D been acc ,ptet,
81 bis bids were much lower than he o. hers
Mr.. Fowler offers to furnish Dal at So2l 1,r
: q; oak wood. sawed ard split. al 80 per ord;
he report was adopted
Mr.. Dulin, from the same mmittsa, also
arnOuncsd bids from Messrs. q. a. Whit-9ker
q. Parker, VIM. Bailantyne and Richard
~ of fhra pif IkrI.. L. -
10 Il =. Ior furnishing books and stationery
20 the public schools. The bid OF Nr. BaIIan.
tyne being the lowest, WIS., accepted.
The following PROMOTE and appointments
Were recommended by the suo.bcaro of the
tlrst District. and were endorsed by the Bosrd:
Miss Fannie Hoover, 10 Female Intermsdlats
NO. ], vice Miss Henlen L. Williams, resigned;
Miss NJ. A. Evans, TO Female Intermediates,
No. ?, vice Miss Hoover, promoted; Miss o. A,
" alker, 10 Female Secondary, No 1, yics Miss
Evans, promoted; Miss Dora N. Brown, TO
Female Primary, No I. vice Miss Walker pro-
NOTED: Miss Lottie Dexter, app ointed .Iiug
teacher OF Male Intermediate No. 1, vice MIS-
a v. Smith, resigned; Mrs Mary T. Nsiy.tt
az pointed teacher Of Female Grammar School,
vice Miss A. E. Evans, n signed.
Mr.. A. L. Newton, Of the Com mittee on Con.
gress and the Councils, submitted q report
which he had prepared on the petition g
IL solution relative to the sstlb'isDment OF {;
mixed school in the - cond Dstiet east
TIber Creek, referrsi to n Conm...se at the
IL Il meeting OF the Board. The report eafi,s.
ne said, had not been endOrs by the ott
members Of the Committee, ard h. there.
presented il as his individual port.
Inc Undersigned, chairman of the Commit.
tee on Congress and the Councils, TO whom was
referred the petition of residents in the Sscond
School District, east of Tiber Creek q king for
fhe establis hment OF q school wnic' shat IA
open to tt.l white and coiorsd children in
that sector. )gether with a resolution relating
thereto, bss leave TO
RRPoET:
That ne Ends this petition TO ,ar the s'gua-
tpres OF slxty-one persons, stat, :, h.hG.'s
Of families residing in tie sect,on REFER. to-
tnlriy four OF whom are stfirmed TO e. OF Eu.
ropf an aud twenty seven OF Afric3n de ceat;
which fanilit are rel resented as containing
% ere than lJ3 children.
Another petition for the same object has also
beer niaced IN the hands of your committee
bearing the signatures of twenty.fJur add.
ional heads OF families residing 10 the same
neighDorhood, Of whom twenty three are white
md ole coIcred.
1t thus appears that this application is unItsd
u by eighiy.rye families, fifIy.seven of which
IRE white and twenty eight color. d, embracing
probably from l20 10 $50 children in all. or
hese children, however, IL is estimat I'd, on
nrther inquiry, that only al. II ninety are Ci
proper school age.
The petitioners allege, in substa nce that their
ccation IS such IS To rentsr il impri ctIclbIe
o end their ch,tren to euy school now ca Il
IN in the city, t=peciaily during the win.er
months, and they therefore ask that primary
g hcol may be esf1bJ'shsd In Their neIghb Jr.
hood, 10 which the children OF both rs ces shall
have admission.
In consequence of reports which have been
rcUiaIsd, that the. petitions. 90 rnusuaI ~
Were OF spurious oIiyil, or were
signed in O.. horaI CO OF 70 ir contain pave
ken spec al pains to invss'Iga'. with ef-r-
nee to this matter, and 1 am fully satisfied
10th OF the genuineness of the petI.iors a nd of
he correct understanding of those who signed
hem
IL appears, moreover, that theie il ia the
'ame neigh boThCod a considerable white pop.
"A n Ia
IOns, who have not Joined in this reQuest, aud
ome of whom are strongly opposed 10 a sctool
u the character asked for. while it IS prob able
q at many of the petitioners would be equally
we'll satisfied with separate schools, could such
,e provided. il also appears that here are
'uffioie-t numbers OF white children IN the
hey be opened; ana these would have been
provide fer ere this had the sub. board of the
District eeen able TO procure suitable rooms.
But II Is stated that the twenty eight coloret
fsmilies, who include all or near, " all OF that
class residing III the neighborIood, do not
urBish sui hcient number of children TO con-
;tltute school oy themselves. a pl-t OF the
whites propose, therefore, to unit With thesa
IN forming nixsd school, in order that a por.
non OF the children may enjoy the blessings OF
.ducaIion. In the opinion of the undersigned
bis request is reasonable, and should be
granted as soon as possible.
Happily, In this case, the question Of q mixed
school Is free from serious objection What.
ever opinion may exist as to the propriety of
TWO races In the same school, against their own
Or their parents wishes, that question doe3 not
arse mere. Inc parents of both classes unite
IN asking such q school Surely they bay. a
right TO this, II they desire it. And should the
experiment In their case, fairly tried, demon
srate the feasibility Of maintain ing at this cap
lffl public schools in which distinctions of
este and color shall be ignored-iu which ali
pupils shall be recognized as children of equal
DeTiean citizens and of a common b. .yenIy
psrent-r is believed that, to say the least,
neither our school system, our repubiiCanism,
nor our Christianity will suh@r thereby.
a public school of this mixed character If
p tabiIshed, should OF course, under existing
laws, De- Instituted and maintained by concur
rent seton OF both the Public and Color,d
chool Trustees, and Its expenses De defrayed
out OF the two school funds, op0rtiOnataIy to
he numbers OF pupils of each cl3ss who may
attend The petitioners, with this in vi W,
aaVe very properly, as they inform rs, adj
dressed their petition in duplicate TO the Two
boards.
Whether any further legislation is required,
III the part OF either Congress or the Councils
% enable the two school DO Irds 10 enter upon
'uch JOINT action, may admit of some ques.
Con- The Law of Congress instituting SCHOOLS
or colored children in Washington and
Georgetown req uires that the Trustees of Col
,red Schools shall provide suitable rooms and
eaeheIs for such a number of schools as, in
heir opinion, viii t. st accommodate the col.
)red children In the various portions of said
:ities." This appears 10 put It in their power
% make such an arrangeman Mt as has been sug.
y'stsd: provided, In their opinion, II twill best
Accommodate" the colored children. On the
1ther hand, the Corporation law establ, shiug
me present public school system TACT Of Mo-
VENEER IL, 1881 present. es that call white
cruoEen between the ages Of six and seyent ,en
: ,srss within the resp Give school district