Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-07-20
superintendent Pfehett's Course of
Study Reviewed.

study Reviewed.
To the Editor Of the Ledger,
1t is well known to the citizens of
Memphis that some two years AGO Ger
tain members of the School Board openly
declared there was not a man in our oitv
capable Of experimenting our schools.
Acting on this idea, Judge Pierce. Bar.
mum, Vernon, Andrews and W. j. Smith.
members Of the Board, so manipulated
other members as to induce the Board
to send North for Judge Pierce's friend,
Mr.. A. Pickett, and place him over the
schools as superintendent, at salary Of
$4,000 for nine months, being an increase
oil $1,000 over what was paid former su-
perintendents, The Board then re.
quested Mr.. A. Pickett to prepare a
course Of study as a guide for the
sixty teachers and the six principals.
Ia accordance with this request Mr..
Pickett prepared a work containing in.
s'ruchons for teachers, rules for reading,
rules for grammar, ETC., ETC., which the
sixty teachers were to study and follow
in their daily efforts to make the yeung
idea shoot. This work Of f~orty.nine
pages is neatly printed in pamphlet form
and paid for with the peoples money,
1t is entitled Course of Study and
Principles Of Instruction for the use of
the Memphis City Schools; by A. Pickett.
superintendent"
Before beginning an analytical crit.
cism Of this work it is well to premise
that Mr.. Pickett claims to introduce a
new and original system of teaching.
Not only does he consider all Southern
teachers in what he calls the "rut. but
even Northern teachers follow wrong
systems. There is no one more willing
than myself to accept new ideas and
systems when they seem to be true or
beneficial. There is no one more will
ing to see the errors of any old system,
whether Of law, medicine or theology,
but to accept an INFESTED system simply
because its author claims for it supe-
rlorlty over every other is certainly m
wise. On page 80 Mr., Pickett SAYS his
course of study is founded upon GER
tain well-established facts of mental and
moral philosophy, with methods of goy.
eminent and principles of culture and
instruction" Mr.. Pickettignores the opin.
ions and views of all teachers, whether
North or South. He assumes they are all
wrong, and from his own peculiar view
OF moral and mental philosophy ,deduces
a system which is to supercede all this.
1t well behooves the parents of this city
carefully to examine Mr.. Pickett's
Course Of Study" before submitting
their children 10 its influence. The
morning after Colonel Butler Anderson
read it he walked to the Peabody school
and withdrew his children. Picard. of
Chicago, who has a national reputation
as a superintendent, in the preface to
his Course of Instruction" ackuowl.
edges his great indebtedness to the sug-
g%esiions of teachers and school princi-
pals recognizing the value of their ex.
perience. Mr.. Pickett takes exactly the
opposite ground, viz: that all expert
enee goes for nothing, that all usage is
wrong. In some important particulars
Mr.. Pickett directly opposes Mr.. Picard.
In the l%atter's Course of I@nstruc-
ton for the Chicago schools we
ind this on page 30; Special attention
should be given tot yllabicatioH. Puuils
should syllabicate IN all cases, as in
am am, phi, phi, ampli, fly, fy, am.
pity Mr.. Pickett disagrees with
Picard and the great body Of teachers.
North and South. He thinks it a waste
oil the pupils time to make them pro-
nounce each syllable in spelling. and
especially instructs teachers to make
children rattle through words without
noticing the sgllables or ~pronouncing
the words at the close. Some OF the less
experienced teachers e~ndeavored to
obey Mr., Pickett in this matter, aud
were much commended therefor by that
gentleman. E.A. M.