Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-12-10

Report OF the Superintendent OF Pub
lie Standardization OF Teachers
Important Resolutions Adopted
ut the school Board Meeting
Last Night, Etc.

At the usual hour last night the school
board met at the educational board room, at
the Odd-Fellows building, School Visitor
Towsend in the chair. Superintendent
Foute read the following report, which was
received:
THE REPORT.
OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION,
MEMPHIS December q, 1878.
To the Hot Orabe BoaId OF Education:
GEETLEMEN-Dr. Heber Jones, the health
officer of the city, having satisfied himself by
careful personal inspection OF the various
school buildings that they were In safe
condition for the reception of pupils, and
having addressed to your honorable body his
official certificate to that effect (the original
of which will doubtless be laid before you by
the committee on school buildings), the city
schools were opened to-day IN pursuance of a
resolution passed by the board November
q, 1873. have visited all the schools, and
submit the following items of information:
WHITE SCHOOLS.
Number of puplls-high school-Male, .;
female, 20; first year, ID; second year, 3;
third year, 6. Total, Is.
Market street school-Male, Is; female, Is.
Total, "a.
Chelsea street schoOl-Males, "a; females,
Alabama street school-Males, 81; females,
81. Total, SO.
Linden street school-Males, "a; females,
10. Total, 81.
Peabody street school-Males, 80; females,
Is. Total, 80.
Court street school-Male, 81; female, 80.
Total, u.
Total number of white pupils, 402.
CoLoKED SCHOOLS.
Second street school-Male. 5; female, 2.
Total, z.
Monroe street school-Male, 5; female, 10.
Total Is.
Clay street school-No report.
Whole number of colored pupils %, so far
as reported, making the aggregate of pupils
in attendance 429, leaving out the Clay street
building. the severity of the weather being
taken into consideration, along with other
reasons, this is a very fair attendance for the
opening day, as compared with former years.
OF one fact, however, l am convinced, and
can assure the board, viz: That the zeal aud
earnestness everywhere exhibited by both
teachers and pupils promise a rich harvest
during the present session, notwithstanding
the untoward circumstances which prevented
the opening in October as contemplated,
! and which, following the premature closing
of the schools for the previous scholastic
year, have tended to disarrange, for a time,
our graded system, and to introduce difficult
| ties which would otherwise never have occur
| red, and from which we sincerely hope Divine
| Providence will in future preserve US.
beg your attention to some suggestions
which, if adopted, will, l trust, neutraliz8
many, if not all these difficulties, aud make
| the work Of the schools for the coming year
satisfactory alike to the board, TIE teachers.
the pupils and the public. In view, there
fore, of the shortness of the present session,
| | must suggest
| First-The omission of the regular termal
| examination, which En6er ordinary circum-
| stances would take place the second week in
ooEy-
will be unable to finish the terms work now
-euuifed.
seooro- That the suggestion of Colonel
James T. Leath, late sur superintendent, IN re re,
gard to the necessity for abbrevi..-'n the
course in arithmetic, be adopted, and that
SUCH Authorization be made permanent as to
that study.
Third-rhat the same committee to which
this matter is referred, he empowered to tenn
porarlly revise the entire course OF study IN
the graded schools to meet the exigencles OF
the present scholastic year, and
FOurth-That examinations In the graded
schools be deferred until the close OF the year.
As to
THE HIGH SCHOOL,
l would make the same suggestions concern
ing examinations. | am In receipt OF
letter from DIR. c. J. Hunter, late pro-
fessor of mathematics in the high school,
resigning his position, and recommend that
no successor be elected to fiji the vacancy.
| am Of the opinion, from information de-
rived from an interview with Prof. L. G. An
derson and Mrs. Z. J. Crockett, of the high
school, that the institution can be conducted
as efficiently as heretofore with the present
corps OF teachers; provided, some change S
are made IN the curriculum and mode OF dis
cipline. 1t would probably be Eegt TO leave
the matter to the Judgment of the superins
tendent or principal, iDasmuch as changes
must necessarily be made with reference to
immediate surroundings. In regard to
changes IN the curriculum, | have to suggest:
l. A temporary version of the course with
view to the brevity of the coming session,
the matter to be referred to special COM
mittee of three. 2. The discontinuance of
the study of botany and geology. 3. The
substitution of a short course in chemistry
say Steele's-for the textbooks now in use
or the abbreviatIon of the present text book
to the study of such portions as pertain to
the experience of daily life. 4. That Latin be
made an optional study and not to be under
taken by any pupils except those whose
that their children or wards
will prosecute the study without
interruption during the year. 5. That
United States history be continued through
out the course, IN connection with that of
England, as now provided for. 6. That
the study of English composition and etym-
ology be made imperative throughout the
entire course. T. Finally, would earnestly
recommend, with view to make the
course more practical and in order to pre-.
pare pupils, both male and female, for the
real duties of life, and to open up, if possible,
a new field Of employmentfor the latter, that
the studies of bookkeeping, commercial
arithmetic and the practice of penmanship
be introduced into the regular high school
course, and that the same be prosecuted
under the tuition of a competent person reg
ularly elected by the board. who shall receive
for MS services the sum of - dollars per
month. By leaving the present vacancy in
the high school untitled, the board could en-
ploy competent special teacher for this pur-
pose and still save considerable sum month
ly. Some action of the board is necessary to
carry into effect a suggestion of the late
superintendent in reference to an amend
ment of section four of the rules and regula-
tons which fixes the hours of study, recess,
etc. | think certificate may justly be award
ed to Mrs. Switzerland, formerly Miss Imo-
gene Latham, in place of one lost or uislaid
Though the record does not furnish positive
proof of the fact, yet it may very properly be
inferred that she would not have been in the
employment of the board, and certainly would
not have received salary, unless she had
previously received a certificate. Such en-
ployment may be reasonably held as prima
fdcie evidence Of the existence of certificate,
and hence | recommend that Mrs. Souther-