Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-10-28
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Our Board of Education.

Editor Stdr.-As the term OF appointments Of
the trustees Of public schools has expired, and
the acting members are holding over rather by
suferance than solicitation, 1t has been rumored
on the street that Governor Shepherd will pre-
fer q school board of his own selection. He will
probably find that, though the Office has no
salary attached and the holder is presumed TO
act 'pro bono publico," yet the task of making
the appointments is by no means enyiable. The
Governors long Identification with city affairs
and his we'll known desire to promote the inter-
est of the schools will not be doubted. But it il
no disparagement to the gentlemen now com
posing the school board to suggest that it con-
tains material not valuable TO the schools and
not efficient in assisting those that, through
force OF circumstances, are obliged to "run''
the schools in each school district. Our public
schools have not yet enlisted in its board of
education that class of citizens who do not seek
the office. IL is peculiarly a position that can
not with safety be given to an applicant IL was
therefore wise rule of Mayor wallsch never to
give the place to any man that asked for it or
caused bis friends to urge his appointment; and
no is done to any ii IL is said that
was eminently through Mayor Wallach's foster
ing care that the schools have reached the popu-
larity which now causes them to be excessively
and injuriously crowded. An important future
rs row looming up in the management Of the
schools. New, expensive and handsome build
ings have brought into the schools the children
OF those who were too proud to send their
children TO the humble shanties OF the past.
This influx of higher OF more intelligent clas 8
causes higher and more intelligent educational
demands. The congregation of large numbers
in one building, and the appointment of a SUI
perintendent, are accomplished with the avow-
ed purpose to grade and classify the schools. 1t
was admitted as urdeniably true that a higher
grade OF education could not be attained 50 long
as sixty, and sometimes seventy, pupils, rude
unclassifed and diverse in their attachments,
we're jumbled into the schools. Now this i'm
portant matter of "grading" the schools is
practically abandoned, because of the rush
made for seats by children of the "higher
grade" of parents. That is, the class demand
ing the highest and best school culture. Thu
the children of humber parents are in DANCE
OF being thrust out and deprived of school train
ing of any kind. Another important consider
alton for the new board of education will be the
establishment or high school-another de-
mand from the better class-the class that saw =,
as we have begun to educate in the public
schools we want TO finish there, and so to make
the schoolssystem symmetrical. or even respect
able In lschOlarship, we must have "6nish-
ing" school. We have now the "female high
and normal school," and Its counterpart for the
boys cannot, with any show of justice, be much
longer delayed. All this and many other mat
tiers of like Importance, such as the taxes fer
school purposes, &c, will require the best
judgment of our best citizens. PARENT