Evening star., 1877-11-14

their friends concluded that the changes
should be in the board. The consequences
was controversy, but the trustees male the
changes They say that the board has taken
conservative course, and out of the teach
eTs employed scarcely two per cent have
been dt MED reappointment-
Tie report quotes the action of the board
refusing 10 allow details for substitutes to be
made from the Normal school; as also the
report on the reduction OF salaries, which
Gays: "The Commissioners propose 10 meet
tLlS deficiency by shortening the school year
TWO months. But IL is to be recOllected that
cutting of The schools At the end OF eight
months Will not cut off expenditures for fuel,
heating apparatus, permanent improve
meDts, furniture, insurance, or printing, and
very little for rents. repairs or supplies.
Almost the whole reduction Will consist of
Two mODths' salaries OF teachers and EN-
ployes. on the basis of last year, these
amount 10 S26 HS p for one month, o.
>JS 956.44 for two months. Detucttug this
last amount from the whole deficiency,
80 1863 and il leaves a deficiency still o.
so, SD o.. CoBceding that cutting off the
last two months of the school yeu may
reduce expenditures other than for salaries,
- s2n C5. it follows that there viii yet re main
q deficiency of $1,000 TO be provided for in
s. me way, in order 10 continue the schools
eight months. In other words, il VIII cost.
on the basis of expenditure of last year,
S&I0,COC tO continue the schools e. ght mon tbs,
Whl' h Is $50, 90 in excess of the 500, 300 Set
apart Tor schools out OF District reVenu
The Com missicners advise MS that Congress
siOnbl aid cannot be counted upon, and that
no aci. oa based upon such aid should be
mad"
After referring TO ianitor's salaries, the cost
OF sUTerintendeLce and management. the
question of stud yiBg at home is discussed, :,
ard !he report says: II must not be forgo.-
leu, however, that public school teachers in
Washington have sixty pupils each, and
that - is physically impossible to give much
Individual Instruction. Less than five min
utes day ON the aver ge, can be devoted TO
eny one pupil during school hours. Pupils
should, therefore, help themselves to sic1
information as theJ can gather from text
books, leaving teachers 10 clear no doubtful
points, and to add other facts tD the cl ass a.
whole In other words, illustration, eX
pIanatiOn, instruction is the duty of teachers.
and In large schools, must be gjven 20 tne
p"piis as whole; personal effort, study.
me moriZation is the duty of pupils. Tne
former is the work of the school room: the
latter, of bo'h school loom and home" Mr.
hOvey, in the course Of his report, en- iOrses
SWlnion's Biographies in the most enthusi
sstic terms.
After referring to the advanced fem lle
grammar school, the nnst school, the mat
ter OF supplies, and speaking at some length
on the subject OF disfiguring desks, the re-
port speaks of the disposition TO crowd the
Iurhiture so as 10 cOnfine the pupil to too
smail space, which mas been remediei in
great measure by the employment OF a me
chanical janitOr, who has been properly in
stTucted, and whose services in this respect
are regarded of very great Importance aud
value The report gives a list OF buildings
erected since the consolidation of the boards
as follows: One room, frame, near DrOvers'
Rest, II ,250; additional room, frame, near
Benning's, $685. additional room at Rlce
Course, $500; Abbott building, New York
avenue. between 5th and 9th streets 8 rooms
S25,i ~ 50; Randall, brick, Delaware avenue
ard III streets, 10 rooms, S25 ,231; JOnn +. CoDk
building, 10 school rooms, ., between 45h
and 5th streets northwest, SIS, ,I97; ThOmsoA
oniiding, brick, school rooms, 12tn, bet. K
ana l. sure cts northwest. so ,45l: addlti to
Wallacb building, brick, ? rooms, S2,3is,O.
In referring 10 the trustees who have left
tie board within the last three years, Mr..
Hovey in his report makes spec al menii IN
OF mir Hart, OF the first division, a Jealous
hard working man, entitled to more credit
than he gOt;' and ''Mr. Champlln, of the
fourth division, whose modest merit and
fidelity to The great interests intrustei to him
is part of the history OF South Washington"