Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-12-24

school party refusing the use OF the mouse
first built TO the directors. However, the
cases mentioned above, / am glad To say,
are rare, aud they are only spoken OF as II
| warning for the future | scarcely know
an instance wherein these quarrels failed
| to work serious injury, if not destruction
to the school of the ub.district. How
much better If all ,uen could learn that
charity and concession work more agreea-
bly, and more protitably in the end than
selfishness. How strange, too, that mere
trifles, through ambition, are allowed TO
! create so great and lasting mischief.
In establishing the sub-distriet lines 1t
was found impossible~to please all. In or
der to equalize schools, the necessity some.
times arose of assigning persons to school
house somewhat more remote than
the one to which they We're
accustomed to send, or there
We're preferences for a certain teacher or
school house. This part of the work being
unpleasant number of officers were slow
to undertake it, and consequently some
schools became very lean while others
were crowded. II as few schools as posi-
BILE were established and they centrally To-
Gated, many of these difficulties might
possibly be obviated. In some cases 1t
was necessary to break up all former lines
and re-subdiVide the entire district in Or
der to get satisfactory arrangement. New
houses had also to be built, that central
location might be obtained. This was a
disagreeable but essential duty, and If not
well managed was likely to cause some dis
satisfaction. In case of ssignneRt the
policy of directors should be to act firmly
yet courteously, and with such an evident
spirit of intent for the public good as to
command the cooperation of the people.
The object should be to obtain harmony as
nearly as possible with a strict and fearless
discharge of duty. A servant of the peo-
pie should divest himself of all personal
interest and act wholly and entirely for
the public good. This, 1 believe, has been
the general policy of the school directors
of Knox county. ...
It is satisfaction to know that diff
culties under this head are van
| ishing, end it is believed that before
! another year the larger portion of the
! trouble will be over with. 1t certainly
will be, if both people and Directors work
! together for the public interest, and this
feel sure they will, in most cases, do.
OPENING OF SCHOOLS.
Schools were organized in some districts
by the old Commissioners, before their
| successors were chosen. Immediately af-
ter the election, the opening was general,
and in short time every district had near
| ly all its schools running. The only delay
was in colored schools, for which teachers
| could not at once be obtained, and very
| few white schools where houses were being
built. All the colored population, howev-
| er, have since been provided for, with the
| exception of few scattering and remote
| families for which the best arrangements
! possible will be made. The colored people
are very naturally and very wisely collect.
| ing themselves into communities where
| they are sufficiently numerous to establish
school. 1t would be well IL all could find
it to their interest to gather at these GEN.
tiers throughout the county. Where the
number of these children is but small
| Directors should try to give them theiI
proportionate school, If it last only few
| weeks, I'D -t .'
| The reports Of Directors to this Office on
J the 10Th of October showed one hundred
and nineteen schools organized in the
county, including Knoxville, with over
| five thousand five hundred pupilsenrolled
| One hundred of the schools were
white, and nineteen colored. The
enrolment had for the previous month,
doubtless been much greater, as many
children were employed at home, during
October, in gathering the crops and sow
| ing wheat.
1t will be desirable to open the schools
earlier next year, as the cold and wet win
ter season is serious impeachment to close
attendance in the country districts.
| In future communication / shall say
| something of school attendance, school
houses, teachers institutes, Peabody fund,
, etc. Respectfully, etc,
...... Il. c. HARMS,
| Co. Supt. Knox Co.