Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-02-05
ltOMMUSlCATpr

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corning these schools which have recently L.,
made in the City Council, though, in one Co.,,
ably replied to- at the time, sccru to r.oo;.
more extended notice, that the subject ma,
July understood by the people. who are l,,., i.
interested in the matter. '9
\ member ul'thc Common Council rrm,rL
at the last meeting OF that Board, thar r.
schools were OF very low grades; that u..,l,..
could be procured Tor schools Of such pr,dr,
much lower salaries than are new paid .,,i
that before the salaries were raised lh,. cn'
Council should have been consulted
Now, boy or girl can learn. MorouyLb
in our schools, spelling, reading. writing a-,j
metic, grammar, aud geography, besides ys,
ting very respectable knowledge Of the H.,
tory of our country. II all our people had tE,.
amount Of knowledge we would be Considered
very Intelligent community, and would. d5nI,
less. select wiser law makers; but. ua1nqsi,.
ably, the education OF some OF our chilli,
could be carried farther. Why then don't ~
School Board have schools Of higher grpl.,
Simply because the people don seem 10 Wan,
them, and the City Council has never otf,.r,i
as it light have done, to provide for tDu,
establishment In OrgaGlzing the >y,t-m, H..
School Board placed at the head OF Wa,liul
ton School gentleman Of high reputation. :.
il teacher, then occupying the post of toac.rr
of mathematics in the largest and most NJ.
ishing academy. and at the head O.! lee S,hna
lady equally we'll known for her rcineul,p,
and skill, yet there are but ten whit. gi.l> ami
thrty-ti white boys uf the highest grade unw
in our schools, and the lady above mrn,ion,;
actually teaches three grades because there az.
Il. ~, l,o oh
lie school. Iu this state OF affairs was il to be
expected that the School Board should have
Latin and Greek, French and music. natura!
the half-doZ"n who would have been likely Ia
enter high school, at an additional expense
of four or five thousand dollars to the city? f
the gentleman who thinks the grades low will
persuade his fellow Councmen to vote five
thousand a year for high school, am sure
the School Board will be very happy to estal.
lish one, if they can find place to put it IN;
though as our children are now taught in tie
most unsuitable places, it would seem the par.
of wisdom to provide good school houses ani
decent chairs and desks for those We have tr,,
before we make arrangement tor people w&o
don seem t. want our assistance III educating
their children.
As to the present course of study it was ar-
ranged by compittce, Two OF whom are how.
and the third has been. until recently. among
our most successful teachers, and was al pied
by Board, Of whom onehalt have been Ell
gagged for years, in teaching, while tie ge>l
are gentlemen Of education, fully capable OF
Judging how children ought to be taught. 1t i.
true that the urse of study provides Tor
thoroughness at every STEP but because chill.
=, iyba ala l,,,t,r
they have mastered the studies of the lower,
does not follow that the schools are oil los
grade.
As to the pay of the teachers. your files vii
show that on the 10Th Of April last caS>idr!
estimate Of the cost Of the schools for ls732.
was adopted by the School Board and laid be
that for salaries of teachers 81 100 was one
of the items Which was duly and tavoraby
passed upon By that body. which granted the
So 600 asked for by the Board, aul nop REFUSES
to ray it. The salaries of tke-teachcrS, as viii
be seen by your files, were not fixed uni;
August 3Uth, long after the City Council had
acted on the sub ject and so far from the cX
pen>es having been increased, the estimate lot
this year was five hundred and fifty dollars h'
than that Tor IS7l-'2. the city having been
State fund had diminished.
AS to getting teachers ut lower rates, the
average pay of our teachers last year WAS Sij.li
a month, while Lynchburg paid $jI.S7; Nor
folk, $50 ~, and Richmond $4992, and al.
these cities | understand, have raised The
salaries this year. No doubt We can get people
to teach, or profess to teach. ii half price, hut
they would be dear at that. Our present teach
crs can, undoubtedly, teach things in which
they are not now required to give instruction,
but it seems to ME that the lover branches re.
qure as competent people to teach them well
as the higher, Tor 1t Is not evcryb"dy who cat
read and write that can teach reading aud VIZ
ting skllltiuy
As to the extraordinary declaration made in
tho Board of Aldermen on Monday night that
the claim Of the School Board Is just, but that
it is incXpedIcnt to pay it, because the city
wants money badly. and the still more cx,ra"-
binary conduct of the Board in tabng the IT,.
luton directing payment. | have only To ,ay
that the pro1Jic to whom The schools brIous,
must look out for themselves in the matter
The current expenses are nearly $l,Ow
month"; OWN" to the reduction Ol assessments
&c., We are advised that the State fund, from
which we have received but ! 49,. ~ this Year.
will fall very far short Of the estimate. aud !!
the city wont pay itsquota, they must be closed
The State law says plainly enough, that 1t
shall be the duty of the City Council OF every
city of the first class to provide, in t"c t'"',
and It shall hare no l,o,rer TO ,rhhl.ohi the sun
or sums reported by the City School Boar'
and declared to be necessary for the proper
maintenance and growth Of the public schools
of the city," but if they Wont, why suppose
mus, be left to the people, in May mex, 10
elect Aldermen who will. That they wl. pli
sue that course, 20 man who considers the >lE1'
of the times can doubt FERBCM SAT.
TRANSFERS or REAL I.ST TIE.
Green i Wise, Real Estate Agents and An