Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-03-20

and ours, and will add that we shall take
great pleasure in assisting him to make
public anythin. in regard to it.
Mr.. EDITOR.
In your issue of the 18th
list. you refer to dissatisfaction existing
i'll some portions of the county i'll res gard to
the working OF the school system. l thank
you for the kind offer of your columns. |
regret, however, that the complaints were
not more definite.
In reply to the remark ain some places,
teachers are hired and paid for from pri-
vare funds ami yet these same persons are
obliged to pay their taxes promptly" l
would say that school officers have not the
power ofrelievihs citizens from taxation.
The trustees lave opened Us many schools
as the funds it their command would per-
init Last year our school population was
5zO2, and $685. children were enrolled III
the public schools. In New Market there
were two excellent private. schools,
Of high grade, III which were enrolled iOo
pupils. SHE number enrolled in our
schools iii proportion to school population,
was larger than that OF any county in tn
STAGE except one, and III that county the1e
were no private schools OF high graue. The
average per centaye OF school Population
enrolled i'll the schools i'll the State was
40.5. In Shenandoah county twas 6y,
nearly 30 per cent above the average.
Notwithstanding the county tax has
been reduced 70 per cent, besides the re-
ductioii Of IL per cent in the assessed value
of property, which affects both State ana
County school taxes. the trustees OF the
several districts have opened, his year, 81
public schools. three OF which are gradeu
schools employing ten teachers. LAS
year we had d schools. In some section,
of the county. the trustees, i'll part ON AZ
count Of the uncertainty OF the amount o
the State funds, discontinued the schools
before the expiration OF the usual term.
LII regard to text books, the law require
the prescribed text books to be used in the
public schools. Since the selection o.
books, which was made about two yeals
ago. there has been no change, and it is
only where persons are ignorant of the facl
that uniform settles OF books is requires.
that complaint is made of multiplicity o.
text books.
Tile difficulty Of securing the services OF
we'll qtalitied teachers has to considera-
Bile extent, effected the efficiency OF the
schools.
Some dissatisfaction has been produced!
by the efforts of persons who b. been, fol
years, engaged i'll teaching school, bit
were not qualified to pass a satisfactory
examination: In one case, teacher, who
had taught school humber of years, but
was unable to pass an examination, insist
Ell upon being employed, because it was
impossible to procure competent teachers.
and gave as an excuse for NOT being quail
fed that ".he Had always been teaching
small children, and every body did no.
have the capacity to study outside 0.
school" He afterwards attempted t.
b:ibe the county superintendent, his letter
Offering bride is OH file in my office ane
a copy has been forwarded to the State
Board of Education: Having failed in this
measure, he is now actively engaged in
circulating a petition setting forth the
fact that 1.-The Petitioners Iabor under
great and ;rrepa arabic injury owing to
prejudice and partiality in giving and
granting certificates to persons very OBJ
noxious to US and wholly incompetent to
teach the rising generation, &c referring,
We are informed, to several teachers who
were Employed the first year the scLoo
system was in operation.
Another objection urged against tie
system in this county is the enormous
salary OF the county SUI erinlendent. Re
ference to the last report of the State
Superintendent. shows that there were bu
five counties which had as many children
enrolled in the public schools as in Shen
andoah, and in those counties, the average
ahhio'unt paid by the counties to
the county Superintendents was $37O,s3
and hl the entire State the average amount
paid by counties to county superintendent
was $lSG.So, and that the county of Shen-
andoah did not pay one cent.
In some SC ;tions, the schools have been
delayed by the difficulty in procuring the
services Of efficient teachers Trustee.
receive no pay for their services, and some
persons suppose that they are under OBJ
legations not only to attend to the business
required OF them by law, but to negec,
their own private business, if necessary.
TO pro:ure tea ;ners w.1l1us ally as;is-
lance from the patrons OF The schools. IL.
Shenandoah, we have All active am.
efficient body of trustees, and to theil
efforts we are greatly indebted Tor the
number OF schools.
A calm and dispassionate consideration
difficulties of introducing the system ana
extending school privileges to the five
thousand children Of our county, will, we
think, convince every one that the school
officers OF Shenandoah have made every
effort to ACCOMMODATE the public and that,
Ii some neighborhoods have not received
their full share, it was only because the.
funds were not sufficient tv open all the
schools which were needed.
Very Respectfully,
Yours &c.
J. ii. GRABILL.
e.