Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-06-26
MEETING OF TIE TEACHERS OF rHE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.


the supsrintrn e. mt upsn Sc heei Matters
The High school-rhe Franklin School
Building.
This morning q meeting called by Mr.. Z.
Richards, recently appointed Superintendent
of he Public Schools, was held az the Miller
School Buildir &, II street, between 9th and 9TH,
at which the teachers generally were present.
as also Mayor Bowen, Revs. L. II. Gray and
SeptmBs T usup, Aldermen A p. Clark and
Browne and Pardon, Major A. q. Richards,
and several Of the Board of Trustees.
The meeting was called 10 order A. pa a. m.
and on motion Hon. 5. ]. Bowen, Mayor, was
invited TO preside, and Mr.. J. z THOMPSON
appointed Secretary.
Mayor Bowen, on taking the chair, address sed
Teachers You have been called together. As
l understand. for the purpose Of hearing q lee
ture from the Superintendent OF Public
Schools. II will hardly be expected, there
fore. that should detain you by a:tempiing 10
make an address on the occasion. / will then
only say thar am happy 10 meet so many OF
you here, and 70 congratulate You on the sue
cess that has attended the public schools
under your charge for The school year jus;
closed. The Improvement in our system
Of education Is a cause of conCratlIiatiOn
% every one, but here has been wanting SUI
perlntendept general head or director, IL
order To secure uniformity OF discIrhne and
teaching, and 20 reform errors as well as 70 AID
the teachers IN their difficult task OF imparttGg
=.
il. To supply this defect, have labored under
many difficulties the past year, and IL affords
rne pleasure 10 stale that at last the CitV
Councils authorized the appointment OF
that. i. you DO FOt now. you will before the
expiration Ofanother year. a0uli: that We have
be- N fortunate IN securing the services OF geo.
tleman for that position, who, by his expert
sDce, attaInmeniS, am liability, eX ceilent ludg-
meEt. and other rare qualifications is certainly
the equal, If not the superior, of any other in
the District OF Columbia whom We could have
named. l refer to Dir Zalmon Richards who
Is present and who will now address you.
Mr.. Il. Richards addressed The teachers Is
follows
Address OF SUPERINTENDENT RICHARDS
Ladies and Gentlemen, Teachers and Trus-
tees: As the superintendent OF the Public
Schools of this city have invited you to meet
me. with the desire 10 make few statements
with reference TO the relations hereafter 10 exist
between us. i think you are all aware, as am
sure i am, that the Office which / have the
honor TO fill is no sinecure. As am the frs
person W no has been called fill such an office
In this city, II falls TO my lot TO initiate wha,
appears TO me great and mOmentous work.
Having neither the example OF a predecessor
nor any special experience OF my own in ~
particular work to be performed by me, am
most deeply impressed with the fact that
have difficult task before me.
i need not say that in entering upon my work
1 am an xious TO be- successful not so much on
my OWE accouHt as on account OF the desire
have to add TO the efficiency of our school sys-
fem, and TO increase the means and facilities
necessary to provide for the thorough educa-
ton of all our children. All who have known
me for the last twenty years in this city will
bear me witness that 1 have never failed to
of free, universal education, and especially in
the Public Schools of this city.
light years ago, while member OF the
Board Of Common Council, l succeeded in get
ting a bill passed by that board authorizing a
special committee Of the two DO ards, in con-
nection with similar committee from the
Board of Trustees, to purchase lots OF ground
OF suitable size, In proper locations, TO erect
the accommodation of at least five hundred
pupils. This was IN 1912, when certain prop
erty owners were panic stricken by the for:
mIdable appearance of the late rebellion, aud
were willing to sell the most eligible building
lets at almost any price. Never myself doubt
ing for a moment but that cur Government
would sustain itself, ard preserve this ty TO
be the great and glorious metropolis of our
country, II was a matter OF great regret that
there were q sufficient number Of the members
OF the Board OF Aldermen a. that time to pre-
vent the passage of so desirable a bill, which
would have secured lots then for A few thou
sands OF dollars, which now are really worth
hundreds of thousands OF dollars. The only
result from that effort was the purchase OF the
square of ground upon which the Wallach
Building ROW stands for five or six thou sand
dollars, which is now worth nearly enough TO
pay :or the original cost OF the lot ana the
valuable building upon 1t have always re-
loIced with the most enthusiastic friends of
public schools in every successful effort to
elevate them and make them the most effective
lIsrumentality for educating all the people.
Besides knowing, as I have Tad the means
OF knowing, that the Office OF Superinten del
is especially calculated, if properly filled, TO
increase the efficiency and give the highest sue
cess TO public, tree school system. have al
ways advocated ats creation here. Now that IL
- created, cannot doubt but that you all, in
common with mys self. desire TO so inaugura,e
the work OF the Office, as 10 secure the highest
advantages and i ask your aid and co-opera-
ton, as well As your patience and forbearauce.
A large portion OF my life, as most of you
know, has been spent in the schoo.-room, and
j may say, in charge Of every grade of schol-
ars. from the primary 10 the highest grade of
English and classical studies. As 10 my sue
cess, in nearly thirty years OF experience, |
VIII only say. that as general thing nv pu-
pills are 10 be found successfully employed in
the army, in the navy, az the bar. IN medicine in
the pulpit, as editors, pI ofessors of colleges
perlnten dents Of schools, as well as In every
grade of public schools; and last, though not
least, successful mechanics, artisans. and
farmers. 1 am happy 70 say they are rarely
found among the IDLE and dissoluta.
During the last few years, while l have not
been entirely devoted 10 the work of the school,
room. i have been earnestly engaged in i'm =
proving all the time not demanded for special
duties. in making myself more thoroughly &C =
quaInted with the methods OF teaching, ciassi-
tying. and conducting schools With what
success have made my Investigations in IN S
direction, hope you may have the opportuni.
~ of Judging, while j endeayor TO perform
what i consider 10 be the duties of the ONCE to
which i have been appointed.
enter upon my duties fully conscious of
imperfection and liability TO make mistakes,
anc yet with fixed, definite purposes, and with
desire 10 give my best energies to the work of
eleyating the standard Of our public schools
and ofincreasing the efficiency Of our teachers
While am tree, yea, proud 20 admit, that the
condition OF our schools and the qualifications
and professional zeal OF most of our teacher
will compare favorably with those of any OF
our most highly favored cities, / cannot say
thar believe we have arrived at perfection.
have not Yet seen the school where did not
think there was room fer improvement, and If
Were 10 tell the most successful OF the tea ers
of our city that they had reached the highs,
point of qualification or the most approved
modes of instruction, think they would CON
sIter me very supe-f -ial, or else guilty OF
uD Iustifable 1lattery.
As general thing ! have found the bee,
qualified and most successful teachers not on v
conscious Of their deficiencies. but ANXIOUS "a
~eize every opportunity TO fit themselves more
thoroughly for their work.
i could specify instances OF teachers in this
city. II II We're proper TO do so. who have 4 high
req utaiion rs successful teachers, who have
never failed To avail themselves OF lectures
educational conventions, professional books
and the advice of other experienced teachers
and are far from considering themselves q:
suspicious OF a selfconfident, boasting teac her
and yet am Just suspicious of a teache,
who mas no confidence in his abilities.
Livery teacher should know what he can do
mo- from having passed IAN examination sue.
CeSSfully. and that his pers0nal friauds Thin