Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-11-09
OUR CITY SCHOOLS.

Their Character Opinion OF Dr.
Sears-.-SuggestiOns TO the New
Board of Education.
To the Editors of the Union and American:
We have recently elected a new City
Council, and they have elected a new
Board of Education. 1t is composed of
our best citizens. They have organized by
the election of a gentleman who has the
entire confidence of our citizens as Presi-
dent of said board and also Secretary
with whom the people are well pleased.
The Board proposes TO elect Superin-
tendent next Monday. .. Would it not be
better for this new board to let the schools
run under the present management until
they familiarize themselves with the
schools. The various changes that have
taken place in the last few years have been
detrimental to the schools; but notwith-
standing there have been changes of a po-
htical character, lawsuits, iniunctions and
various reports in regard TO the closing OF
the schools for want of means, and all the
various misfortunes calculated 70 break
down almost any institution of the kind,
our public schools stand to-day as the
proudest monument the city of Nashville
can boast of In them the little bare
stands side by side with the
boy whose father Is worth thousands of
dollars, and is his equal in point of intel
lect. That widowed mother looks with
pride upon her boy, and when she is stitch
ing away at the hour of midnight to get
food and clothing for him in order that he
may get an education, the mother would
give up in despair if she did not think that
her child would be prop upon which she
could lean in her declining years.
Our schools compare favorably with any
in the United States-the very best schools
in the Southwest, as the writer believes
Dr. Sears, Trustee of the Peabody Fund.
remarked to a gentleman of the city who
is an educated man, that our schools com
pared favorably with any schools in the
Union. Dr.. Sears was formerly President
Of Brown University, Rhode Island, and
has visited most of the cities in the Union.
and is certainly fair judge of schools. /
write this communication, not knowing
who is spoken of, whether the present eff
cient Superintendent or some other.
The gentlemen composing the board l
hope will look well to the matter before
making a change l am rather on the old
fogy style, am content to let
well enough alone, and think it
bad policy TO change superintendent or
teachers in the midst of a session, espe-
cially when the schools are being run So
successfully. Last year we had four of our
high school girls elected as teachers, and
they are now teaching; and in a few years
more, if the schools are conducted success
fully, we will not have to send East, West,
North or South for teachers, but will not
only be able to supply our own demand
we can have a surplus to send out into our
own State and other States that may be in
want of teachers. If we had not been dis
turbed by the late civil war, we would have
been able to have almost supplied our
schools with teachers at this time. Then
it is all-important that we keep up our
high school, for it is the pride of Nashville.
In fact our schools are our best safeguards
against the ills of life, and if We permit
them TO anguish, our city will not grow
and prosper.
Why is it that ignorance and chime usu-
ally go hand in hand. Simply because the
mind is never idle and if we educate the
destitute children among US we will pre-
pare their minds for useful pursuits and
Will thereby save them from the jail, the
workhOuse and the penitentlary, and even
a worse fate than either of the above de-
scribed. Let US remember that we owe it
to ourselves and to those that are to come
after US, to educate the orphan, and that
unless we do our duty in this matter, all
our church-spires pointing towards Heaven
are but mocberies in the sight of God. l
have written the above because have
heard all the above evils mentioned-such
as closing the schools for want of means,
closing the High School as there are plenty
of private schools for all that wish to give
their children a finished education. This
will all do very well; but where are you 60
ING to get teachers in future Is it usually
the case that you find the children of
wealthy parents teaching? Men and wo-
men of wealth rarely ever teach school.
The writer is regular historic the schools,
and only regrets that our people pay such
little attention to an institution that is do
ing so much good. Turn out ladies and
gentlemen of Nashville, and see the bright
ewes and smiling faces that are receiving
the great blessing ct your hands.
A FRIEND or THE FRIENDLEss.