Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-10
NECESSITY OF PAYING THE
TAKES FOR THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS

To the Editors of the Union and American:
SIRs: You will remember that during
last fall there was change made in the
Board of Education of the city, and there
seemed to be a great desire for change
in the running operations of the schools.
The financial difficulties of the city were
such that it seemed impossible that the
new Board could keep the schools in mo-
ton, and everybody predicted that they
would be suspended unless great retrench-
ment and reform was at once made, and
appealed to the present Board to set about
the work of retrenchment and reform.
They set to work, and never ceased their
labOrs until they had reOrganiZed the
schools and put them in operation at abOut
half their former expense, without losing
any of the efficiency heretofore inherent
in the system; but as the Board verify
believes, by aggregatiDg the classes and
requiring them to be so adjusted as to
give full work to teachers, thereby stimula-
ting the teachers to greater eXertion and
consequently greater efficiency, to the
public schools have been improved. We
are satisfied that the schools never were
never promised more good than now,
when run at even double the expense to the
community. Now, with all these facts
before the taxpayers and patrons of the
| schools and the whole public, is it not a
| burning shame that those who are to be
benefited by upholding the schools should,
| when the corporation authorities pledge
| themselves to reimburse those who will
come forward and pay their share of the
money necessary TO run the schools, with
interest, that they will still hesitate to
make the necessary payments to sustain
their children in the schools Now sup
pose that those who have no children dc
hesitate, is it possible that there is 9
single white or black man or we.
man whose children 60 to those schools
and receive the benefits thereof from day
to day that will not at once come forward
and make payment, or withdraw theil
children until they dog The teachers il
the public schools are mainly those who
have been raised in our midst and almos
entirely dependent on their salaries fol
their meat, bread and clothing, and who
when their salaries were greatly reduced
cheCrfully submitted to the necessity tina
brought it about, and took upon themselvei
still greater duties that the schools nigh
not be suspended. Now these teacher
have not been paid for two months, ant
though hard at work have not complained
o In view of all these facts, and of tn
numerous pledges given by the people
hat they would sustain thepublic schools
appeal to them in the name of the teach
ers, in the name of their children, in tn
name of common honesty, to come for
ward and make payment. Those VIII
have no children may not feel as deep al
interest in the schools as others, aud con
sequently may be somewhat excused, bu
how those who have children to go t
} school and have them in the schools i
charge of the teachers can reconcile
with common honesty to refuse to cOntri
butte their share of the money neCessar
: to keep them up, l cannot understand
Those who have children in school an
have not paid, who are able to pay, mus
: when they meet their teachers feel the
cheeks Jingle with shame, if they have an
regard for the duty they owe the comml
nifty in which they live. Yours,
l JAMES WENTWORTH.