The New York herald., 1878-01-10
BOARD OF EDUCATION.

FIRST MEETING OF THE NEW YEAR-MR. WOOD
RE-ELECrED PRESIDENT FOR EIGHTEEN Hun
DRIED AND sEvENrY-EIGHT.
The Board of Education for 1878 held It's nrst meet
ting yesterday. There arc members in the new
Board except Mr.. Katzenbaugh, and Mr.. Is. +. Man.
Micro appointed vice W. Huchings all The vacancies
occurring at the end OF tho year having boon ded
by reappointment, us olready stated in the HERALD.
The most important event OF yesterdays meeting was
the election OF a President. Commissioner Doud was
appointed chairman pro tenn, and superint tended The
casting OF tho ballot The contest pretty close
between Commissioner Wickhsm and Mr. Wood. Tho
vote IN one ballot stood TO Tor these gentlemen.
and In another III for wickham and tor Wood. In
tho sixth and last ballot Mr. wood was elected by
vote oil IL against Z for wickham, l for Doud and
for Hastead.
President ood delivered an address, tho substance
Of which is as follows:-
GExrLEMxH--The agony overi l have to thank
you Tor this renewed instance oil the confidence you
have In by electlng Tor third time the Office
OF Presdent OF tho Board OF Education Of this great
city--an Office which l shall hold second to none in
honor and dignity within tho Municipality. During
the past year can say with perfect truhand do
with the greatest pcasurethat the Comm oners
OF Education have performed lhcr arduous and unrc-
mtng duties with the utmost zeal and aDity. These
duties have oitcntmes been OF very irksome KIND,
because have had 10 struggle with reduced budget
the face oil our largo accession oil scholars tno
schools, and, consequently, OF corresponding demand
Tor more teachers aud nrnpIcr accommodations. For
the year 1877 were allowed $780, 3o2 less than
uskec for and xl53 900 less ihan Tor 1876
Tho question OF meeting the huancisl Gini-
Guilty reterrod TO Committee Sal
aries and Economy on Tho 10th oi January, 1871
Ws repeatedly assured by members Of tue
Board OF Estimate and Apportonlncnt that they
friends aud enemies Of the common schools, aud
that thcr asking the expenses coua DO reduced Ia
any way without impairing their efficiency was n
love and not from dislike. When the professions oi
the 10Th compared with tho practice OF the 3ls of
December ono forcibly rem ndcd Of the words of
the old song:-"Perhaps II was right 10 dissemblo
your love, but why did you KICK mo down stars"
since 1878, when We were allowed 80, 500
06 219 scholars to So 100000 for l0S,21o scholars
1873, and hundreds more knocking ut our gates for
whom have no room the friends OF common schools,
unscctarian education, undor these circumstances,
may well feel alarmed aud ANXIOUS, especially after
the blast whish Governor Robinson gave IN his IN
augurai Message OF January 1877, against the normal
schools OF the State, followed by his
upon secondary or higher cducation at the public
expense IN his Message OF the lst inst think II Is
tho part OF wise Craftsmanship 10 give The people that
secondary higher education at the expense OF tho
State municipality which thcy themselves demand.
In order TO put an end 10 bcartJurnng aud Jealousy
among the ctzcns OF foreign bIrtn resident among
would strongly advocate the abolition ol tho teaching
OF German ana French IN the upper grades OF
grammar schools and the substitution OF Latin.
Good schools, both Tor primary and secondary In
structon, with tho. two colleges Kept up efiGicniy
would with rapid transit, nclp to bring back TO tho
city That great middle class which, during the last
ton years, has been absolutely squeezed out OF II,
leaving here only the very rich anu the very poor.
CANDIDATES. QUALIFICATIONS
With regard 10 future examinations Tor teachers /
would gest that IN addoa to those subjects upon
which they are now examined as set forth Ia section
2s subsection 4, page IL Of the Manual Candidates
should all have an examination In Latin ana Ger
French, which would give our Normal College
graduatc better chance OF obtaining positions az
teachers than they have at present have 10
roiterate what said last year. that this Board should
at least have n veto the appointment aud transfer
Of all teachers with the absolute appointing oil princ
pals We held responsible Tor tho encIcnt working
o whole school system and yet have not at pres
ont the appointment OF single teacher. We should
likewise have the power to transfer teachers from
10 ward ana from school TO schoo.
The President doubtcd tbe propfi.ty OF appointing
tcacners tha schools where huch teachers gradu-
atcd. la conclusion he said that perhaps schools
at least tno good ones, are too much Inspected. A
very thorough inspection OF school OF long standing
for excellent scholarship ana discipline ought
to satisfy the superiDtendepts, whiIc, tho other
hand good, indifferent and bad brought up TO tho
marx or their teachers reported to this Board
competent Ihe only rad cal change during the year
tho abolition OF vice principals from ali tho dc.
partmcnts.
There was n long discussion among tho Commission.
efs as to whether the existing bylaws should bc
adopted for the present year and TO whether the
Board oi Education was n continuous BODY. Both OF
these knoty questions were referred to the Corpora
tion Counsel
1. d. Kicrnap, clerk, and John Davenport Auditor,
were re.electcd by unanimous vote