National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-08-05
TILE TEACHERsHp
Hearing in the Cases Of No ,a,.,,

Vlsing PrinciPa of the First district.
Will oe remembered that one of the sub
ooaru oi the First district nominated Mr..
henfS n. Copp, while his colleague was in
law IF of retaining Mr.. Mckee. Both names
we're referred to the committee.
Mr.. Mckee last evening submitted written
statement, giving an account of his admins
stration during the last five years. He men,
toned illness 10 his family, and the many
extra duties imposed upon him as the cause of
| partial neglect at certain times of his duties
| as principal. He attributed the laxity of dis
cipline and the falling of of the school during
the last six months to the inefficency of his
assistant, Mr.. L. B. Allen, alleging that
the school began to fall off soon after the rcsg-
| nation of his former assistant, Mr.. Stuart, ami
| the installation of Mr.. Allen. Mr.. Mckee
submitted with his statement paper signed
| bv about one hundred and fifty residents OF the
First district, who desired his retention.
| MR.. ALIENS STATEMENT.
Mr.. Allen was privileged to make a state
| mcnt in his own defense, and stated thai II Mr..
Stuart's administration had been more pros
| porous than his it was due to the facts that he
was not subject to Mr.. MeKee's interference SO
| much as himself, and that he had long asso-
| ciatCd with bis pupils and fellow-teachers. He
| detailed the disadvantages that he (Mr. A.
| had labored under when he first took charge of
| the school, owing to the facG that he had been
| compelled to learn the manner of conducting
/ the school without any assistance from the
principal. He related an instance where two
boys suspended by him had been reinstated by
Mr.. Mckee, whereby the discipline of the
school had been much impaired, and stated
| that there was not ore case of suspension by
| him (Mr. A where tire boy was not afterwards
renstated b. Mr.. Mckee. The pupils saw
| from this that his hands were tied.
4 4 e
| single instance Of reinstatement in which Mr.
Allen had not agreed to it.
He further stated many things in regard to
| Mr.. McK"e's man: ement of The school. He
| concluded that Re onsidered that he had not
had a fair trial, and hoped that tae committee
would consider that fact. He said that he had
| frequently had occasion to 90 to Superin-
| tCndent Wilson Tor Information, not being able
| to obi ain it from Mr.. Mckee.
Trustee Dyer, o. the sub olrd OF the First
! district, call upon eX-Trust'e Hart, who
| stated that during his whole term of service as
a trustee, from JrHe, 1870, Mr.. Mckee had
been principal of the Male Grammar school of
| the First district.
BAD DISCIPLINE.
The discipline of the Male Grammar school
had always been the worst of any male school
in the district. He said that in the spring of
1872 1t was discov" red that some secret COM
mppic Ion had zen established betwe: CO.
tain boys ard iris belonging 10 the Mae aud
| Female Grammar schools. Upon iuvestiga-
ton they fouaj that the clerk of the sub
toard-a yourg man recommended from tle
Grammar school by MIR. McKce-was at tie
bottom of tie thing, aid the yo' " man was
dismissed as clerk TO the sub board, and went
back 20 school. When the examinations came,
to the Eurpliee of all "bout the building, the
hog took the medal of the school. The hat
rooms ard war' obs about the school were
untidy. Mr.. Mckee's punctuality was not
good.
Ex-Trustee Faust stated that during his SER
vice on the board, from 1870 to 1873, Re was
very little IN Mr.. McKee's school; had never
regarded Mr.. Mckee as a very superior
teacher, or IS very superior disciplinarian.
He tic lght that lie was a man of enough ID
tellecI, perhaps, to teach the Grammar school,
but little NO, C. In his own case, and he
thought IN the case of others of the subj GARD
at that time, there were domestic reasons for
Retaining Mr.. Mckee from year to year. He
would not have been willing to trust his own
son und Mr.. McKee's tutelace.
EX-Trustee Robinson CS1l-'72) stated
that he was not in Mr.. McKee's school more
than twice during his term; knew very little
OF Er. Mckee's management. The su5-bolrd
during his term addre sed a letter OF remOn-
ttr0nce to Mr.. Mckee, stating that ,ome i'm
prOYeTen. was necessary.
Ex Thu. tee Hart explained that one year a
letter askf : for improvement had been ad-
dressed to Mr.. Mckee. The neat year a letter
was addressed to him to the effect that he
would not be renor1inated. Before the nomi-
ustico of teachers that year the Commissioners
came in and new trustees were appointed, and
it SO happened that Mr.. Mckee was nomi-
mated.
Trustee Reyburn, of the First district, held
that when teacher was in a school he shouh
not be removed ur'css for some good eau 2.
He did Dot believe in laying so much stress on
what Occurr'd thr"e or four years ago. He
kew of no case where parents had complained
OF Mr.. Mck2e'S deficiency.
EX-Trustee HAIRS stated that in his expert
enCe as a trustee he had never heard or seen
ANYTHING affecting Mr.. McKcc's character as
.CENTLrM,N.
Trustee Lloyd said that he had associated
with the residents of the First district a goGl
deal, and he had never heard aught against
Mr.. Mckee. The only thing said about Mr.
Mckee by members of the bo I'D was that they
thought that they could Get better teacher:
SO it was matter of experiment.
Superintendent Wilson was called by Trus-
tee IIovey, and WIS asked lis opinion of Mr..
Mckee as an exec alive officer. He could not
say whit especial eXcellerces marked Mr..
Nck'e. He had noticed that it was Mr.. Ne
k'e's plan to rep.Css evils alter they had
ars"n rather than to prevent them. He
tiIcly \ charge Of Mr.. Mckee; word not ON
slider bin above the average of men founl IN
similar positions; thought that he failHd in
X rpi7% W the ,a!.r1 ca corps of the school:
thought that there was feeling in the school
that ii was use ess to ~ to win any of the
prizes: I'D very frequently consulted Mr.. Nc
IL. c in retereI &c to the order of the building,
but not in regard 10 teaching, as nothing had
ever occurred tai led him to suppose that
Mr.. Mckee was u"t discharging his duties as
teacher to the best of his ability.
NOT SCHOOL MATTER.
Mr. Mckee stated in the case of the boy re-
ferrcd TO by Mr.. Hart that it was matter
in mediatcly attended to, and as the boy was
then entirely under the employ of the sub
board the matter was not CONSIDERED a school
matter and he was not marked on the books
FN-TrustHe Harris stated that the 10y had
not / en- dismissed from the school, because
lie plead so hard, but awarding the medal to
him was considered by many of the boys as a
Of favoritism.
Mr.. Mckee said that the boy was entitled In
every other respect to the medal.
The case was then concluded with the ex.
ception of PIPER evidence to be fl>d by Mr.
Mckee ard also by Trustee Dyer in reference
to.tle qualifications of Mr.. Henry n. Copp. q
MRS. HEWITT.
Trustee Reyburn submitted q petition
the retention of Mrs. Mary +. hewitt, prime
pal of the Female Grammar school of the
First district
Ex-Trustee Faust stated that he considered
Mrs. hewitt az excellent lady, tea cher and
dsciplinlrian, and would consider it a priv
leee, if he had daughter, to have her unjer
Mrs. Neyitt's instructions.
Hx-Trustee Harris stated that he had never
doubted Mrs. NeSitt's excellent character as a
lady, but there were complaints of the dis.
cipline of the school IN reference to the con
duct of the young ladies on the stairs.
Trustee Dyer aid that the special COM
plant he had made against Mrs. hewitt was
of the unladyliEe behcv of the girls. He
had found since that he had done the lady
great injustice. He had learned, from her
assistant, Miss Moore, that Mrs. Nevitt's eye
sight was so bad that she could MOI zee the
girls across the school room, but whenever
her 4 :tcntion WIS cellei 10 the acton of The
girls she hGd ALWAYS reproved them. He CON
sidered that this physical disability disqualified
her from managing so large a school.
Superintendent Wilson considered Mrs.
hewitt a very thorough scholar and a yeIy