The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-01-27
To Our district School Board.
(No. 81

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES week [ gave you
my views relative to your duty in visiting
our school I now wish TO call your at
tentior to other matters of no less impor-
lance. I am informed by the teacher
that he is constantly harassed by the evil
deeds and rebellious spirit ola certain boy
who has taken dislike to the teacher on
account of the wholesome restraint to
which he has been subjected. His
effenses are innumerable and aggraVating
He cares nothing for remonsTance ; heI
laughs at punishment; heappears tehave
no just appreciation of the difference
between right and wrong. If he has not
been actually encouraged by his parents
and older brothers to persist in his pres
ent course, he has not at least, met with
their serious disapprobation. Worse than
this, the teacher has been threatened in
case he resorts to severe punishment and
as this is the last means at the teachers
disposal it is not surprising that he
is at a loss how to proceed.
In this condition of affairs, I wish to
ask if you ought not to take the necessa-
ry steps to relieve the teacher and school
of the incubus, by causing a reformation
of the offender, or expelling him from
school. AS to the method of procedure,
leave that wholly with you, simply sug-
costing that an expostulation on your
part with the boys parents, will be likely.
to remove the difficulty. IF it. does not,
you should doyour whole duty, regardless
of favor or personal friendship. The
interests of the school demand 1t and
these interests are placed by the law and
the vote of the school district at the
timeEof your'election, in your hands. It
will do no good for the teacher to visit
these parents, as the feeling existing is
such as to prohibit clear and truthful
statement of the facts onthe part of the
teacher, or a candid consideration of them
on the part of theiparents.A A@ ?
I wish, also, to call your attention. to
the fact that we have not a uniformity of
text books.g Mo one can be more oppo-
sed to changes in school books than am.
But there IS. nothing more susceptible of
proof than that uniformity is essential
to the greatest possible progress of the
school In common with few other
patrons Of the school, / ask that you i es57
tablish such uniformity It matters but
little whether we have one series Of
Readers or another; Rays, Robinson's
or Davies Arithmetics; Clark's Kerl's or
Greene's Grammars- but let us adopt one
and exclude the Others AS a result
classes will be combined recitations
lenghthend, and more work done
by teacher and pupils. And when texs
books hayebeen adopted, 1etthe law pro
hibitlng change, be rigidly enforced.
The School law relating to this matter
now reads as follows: .aaaY Vs.
The board in each school. disfr;ot
shall have the power, under the advice -
the Superintendent of Public Instruction
to determine what school and what teyf'
books shall De used in the several branch
es taught in the schools of such distriof
They shall make out list of books 10 he
used in each branch of study pursued II
such school, and shall file copy of such
list with the district clerk, and put. nm
one copy in the school-house Of such dis
trict, and when such list of books *
adopted, 1t shall not be changed for the
term Of three years.
And any member of a District BOARD
in any school district in thislEState Or
any member Of the Board of Education o.
any city or Incorporated village OF tb;s
State in which a list of text-boo[s bss
been adopte d according to the provisions
of this section, who shall within tbrae
years from the date of such a1loptio,t
ordera change oftext-books in such lis
trict, shall forfeit. the sum of fffr
dollars" ssaa z-5 Is s. 80 1eT-sz - .t'' =
Yours very truly, =.
9a 91a PAT RON. 10