The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-09-21

parents of the children In the academic depart
ment, (Mr. TamInany's especial charge) and set
forth that "The undersigned, patrons of the
Academic class of our public school, believing
that both the discipline and instruction of that
department will be very greatly impaired by the
removal of Mr.. Tammany, and that the effect of
this action upon our children, and upon the
course of study they are pursuing, 0iH be such
TO render the school of little or no Value TO then.
or to as, desire respectfully to make special re-
quest that Mr.. Tammany, whom of all oar
teachers we regard as least dspensable to the wei
fare of children and the entire class of pupils
we represent, be restored to his former position
in the school," The third petition was signed
by 46 of Mr.. Tammany's immediate pupils,
young ladies and men of from IA to 10 years of
age, and earnestly solicited the re-appointment
of ''their favorite teacher" Before these petit
tion& were presented to the County School
BoaS a rumor gained currency that the Board
had Acted as it did because of certain written
charges which had been protested against Mr..
T. by other teachers of the school, which charges
had been investigated by the ESQ called local
board here, the members of which advised the
course pursued by the Board. Now, mark, Mr..
Editor, that Mr.. Tammany had been tried and
condemned upon charges, the very existence of
which he never dreamed. No opportunity was
afforded him for defence or explanation, but
"charges" seriously affecting him were tried
er parte and notice first given him after q result
had been reached. The various petitions were
presented to the Board at Bel Air, and Mr.. Tam
many himself appeared there, and asked for q
copy of the charges against him and that he
might be confronted with his accusers The
fact was then developed that there was nothing
in these charges that affected Mr.. Us character
as a man or able teacher, but, "boied down."
only that there was a general charge of "want
of harmony" among the teachers
The petition presented in the case availed
nothing. The wishes of the patrons of the
school were entirely disregarded; Mr.. Tammany
was not reinstated and has sought and found
employment in another county of our State.
was asked, Mr.. Editor, to give brief history
of this rather curious case, and have here done
SO. There are many points in the controversy
which might, and probably will, be vigorously
commented upon, but must be the task of Others
more interested. Although the parent of
children of school age, l am not patron of our
school, and to them Is relegateG the task of
condemning and exposing what they regard as
an outrage upon their rights. Mr., Tammany is
now out of the question; as stated above, he is
employed elsewhere; but the fact remains that
the patrons of the school, as is proved by the
developments in this case, have no right of
choice, no privilege of selection in the very i'm
portant matter as to who shall be the teacher
and guide of their children. We submit to the
people of the county the question whether this
is right, and in connection with the inquiry, call
attention to the fact of our peculiar POSITION
Other communities have legally constituted
educational advisers, in the persons of school
trustees; we have none, and, under the law, our
school is allowed none. Would it not, then,
seem but reasonable that the parents of the
pupils, the ones SO deeply interested should
have some voice in recommending or suggesting
the teachers for our school? And when "want
of harmony" between two teachers is urged as
reason why one of them should leave, does not
the principle of common fairness suggest that
an open investigation of all the facts and circum
stances of the case should indicate the "inhar.
monious" one. There must be at least tUo per-
sons to create "want Of harmony" in any mat
ter, and perhaps the real "Jonah" of our school
has not yet been cast overheard. CITIZEN.