The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-02
THE cry iPUBEIc SCHOOL SYSTEM.
Reforms Needed.

1t cannotshave been forgotten that Ii
the month Of September last there was
very large and highly respectable
meeting in Lafayette Square, protesting
: against the degradation Of the public
school system in this city, and calling
Tor such q reorganization Of the City
4 School Board, as would give white and
colored citizens proper and equitable
representation therein, in proportion to
the actual population Of the city, white
and colOred, respectively. This meet
/ ing, 1t is well known, was addressed in
lucid and powerful speeches by the Hon.
J. H.. Kennard, a distinguished jurist of
Iour city; q. +. Buck, ESQ.,, a prominent
graduate OF the Boys High School i'm it's
better days, and now an estimable prac-
titioner In our courts, and the Hon.
Alexander Dinitry, the erudite scholar
and orator of Louisiana, the first State
Superintendent OF Public Education,
and the interchangeable organizer of an
efficient system of schools throughout
the State. Letters from the Rev. S. Blu
ford, an old teacher in the city schools,
and DIR. b. M. Palmer, the eloquent and
honOred divine, were also read, express
ing sympathy with this active move
ment OF the people, and defining in
eminently appropriate language what
qualities, mental and moral, should
characterize both the directors and
teachers Of the public schools.
The evidence upon which the men,
bers of the School Board were, with few
exceptions, arraigned and denounced as
incompetent aud unfit, morally and
from tie lack Of culture and education"
to hold the trust which they exercised,
was notorious and U7'efutdble; yet up to
this day what reform has been effected
other than that supposed to be within
the ability OF four such citizens a ma
iority OF the board as Messrs. I. N.
Marks, J. Fl. Gardner, Fl. Heath and
Rufus NAPLES? A matured and I'M
schools is still enforced. Teachers
have been appointed on grounds of IA
voritism rather than competency ladies
have been subject to constant NORTH
cations in their quest Of positions, and
the salaries of all the teachers, when
paid vt all, have been paid only. frac-
tiona lly, while the usurpihg State Super
intendent and his adjutants, the division
superintendents, constituting the estate
Board of Education, the parties respon-
sible for the degradation of the schools |
and all the abuses existing i'm them |
have doubtless drawn their salaries in |
full by virtue of the special and I'M
usual control which they have
over the current school fund |
in the treasury, and have been
reveling in luxury (see State Superin-
tendent's Office in State House, in
contrast with the stinted pov-
ertyl of the deeply wronged teaching
corps. g. -.i.rE.
Read, now, aggrieved parents and
teachers, the comments OF the de facto
State Superintendent. on the schools of
New Orleans 'l.-
The following characteristic para
graph Is worthy Of the source whence it
and 1t will afford you no less
than dstOnishnaent .,r-
I'm every essential particular, the
schools OF New Orleans have attained
In excellence under the superintendent
~ OF Mr., Hoothby, not reached before.
The hostility to the Republican q ad
Of the public schools, has
oeen more malignant in New Orleans
md NTH less cause. Indeed, much OF
he hostility manifested in the country
S the result Of that in the city. The j
uhole State Of Louisiana sncezes ,Uhen
Ne,D orleans takes Snlfv This bunp-
ing plagiarism will doubtless hand
Town its author as rival in wit, OF his
notorious predecessor and poetaster, the
'enner Of '"Ten cents for Cake"
Touching the meeting OF September. 6
t will be found, on reference to the de
acto's report that, with the insole,,ce
lsurpers, the opposition OF the people
4 New Orleans to the present inequita-
lie and degraded system Of public
chools Is deemed wholly gr0undiess.
nd that the efforts of such city journals
S the Bulletin, the Picayune, the Times
nd the Bee to effect some reform in
he system, are described as intnugible
nd t,'ad,tcing. We call upon those
ournals OF the people to vindicate their
ositions on this important question
nd to join with us anew in demanding
ne ,1 needed reforms Of our Legislature.
he salary Of the State Superintendent
;, we believe, fixed by the constitution
t $1,000 per annum; it is ample to
nable the usurping incumbent OF
MS office to employ secretary
ithout any additional appropriation.
the Mutual IL Admiration So
ety." known as the q Estate
GARD Of Education" must be retained,
q insist that the school law should be
, amended as to cause their salaries to
g paid out of the general fund, like
lose Of other officers of the State, and
OF out OF the current school fund, on Isl
etr O,Cn orders as now provided IN the ,
w. Sound policy also demands the
of the control Of the CITY 90
'hools to the City Council with such
'strictions in the appointment Of =
achers as will secure persons OF moral
I'd intellectual qualifications, who will e
} prudent and reliable guides of the
lildren in the schools. A few cardi-
u reforms Of this kind will restore
'nfidence in the public school system,
I'd promote the punctual payment of
achers' salaries by the city authorities. an an
ithout them the people will never be - -
tisfied, nor can. We hope for a per
anent maintenance OF the public
hool system. -4t HiE vii
~ $50 SCI
From our Yesterdays Evening Editionl