Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-17
TIE sPoIIs SYSTEM II TEE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.


than San Francisco. The theory upon
which it is based is that the public schools
are to be regarded as asylums, or refugees
for the destitute; that the positions OF
teachers are given TO them in order that
they may be enabled to support them
selves and that as when a female teacher
marries it is presumable that her husband
viii thenceforth maintain her, 1t IS no
longer necessary that she should draw pay
from the public treasury. This Is view
OF the school system which as completely
ignores all considerations OF capacity and
usefulness in the teachers as the spoils
system does in the filling of political
| offices. The school fund is in fact re-
garded as species of charity, and those
who receive it are considered as pension
ers whose pittance ought to be cut
| off as soon as they find some
other means of support. The absurdity
and the stupidity of this view are only
equaled by its injurious effects upon the
educational system. And unfortunately
its adoption has produced some effects
which may seem to partly justify it, for it
cannot he denied that in many cases young
women have been given positions as teach
ers without any apparent regard for their
fitness, and not seldom in utter disregard
of their evident Incompetence. 1t has in
deed been remarked frequently of late
years that young women and their parents
look upon the public schools as conven-
lent means of obtaining pocket money, and
of tiding over the brief period between
graduation and matrimony The impor-
tunities and the pressure brought to bear
upon Boards of Education for the INSTALL
ment of this class of transitory amateur
teachers would naturally suggest to
practical" men the kind of economy
adopted by the San Francisco School Di-
rectors. In discussing this question it is
necessary to bear these facts in mind, and
to realize that however desirable it may
be that teaching should be treated as
profession, it certainly has not been
at all uniformly dealt with in
that light hitherto. This, how
ever, does not affect the question of
the propriety of the rule adopted by the
San Francisco Board. If the schools are to
be to the community what they should be,
if the immense sums yearly expended upon
them-about 81, 900, 900 in this State-are
to be wisely and usefully expended, the
literally and as intelligently as other pro-
| fessions are treated A woman who has
decided to be teacher, and who has ed
ucated herself for that office, may or may
not marry but whether she does or not
is no business of her employers, SO long as
she does her duty in the schools. OF
course no presumption against her CON-
potency can be based on the fact of her
marriage 1t is not exactly true that
woman's business relations are as little
affected as mans, by marriage; but it is
true that if she is a teacher she may con-
tinue to teach with SO little interruption
as to amount to nothing in the long run.
The business of the Board of Education
is not to decree celibacy for female teach
ers, for to do so is to decree the exclusion
of matured teachers from the schools.
Such rule can in fact only operate to
maintain the mischievous condition of anna
teur teaching which we have referred to
above. In truth it is at once a recogni-
ton and perpetuation of the spoils sys-
tenn in the schools 1t is the function of
the Board of Education to see that the
teachers are competent, and to encourage
and retain all competent teachers. The
Board ought to discourage, on the other
hand, the existing practice of using the
schools as conveniency. The money of the
people should not be sqpandered in supply
ing pin.money to raw girls who know moth
ing AID care nothing of the science OF teach
ing, and who have no intention of keeping
the positions which they seek so eagerly.
| We are aware that School Directors COM
monty suppose that this class of teachers
can be harmlessly employed in the lower
grades, but this is disastrous faliacy.
The truth is that it is more necessary to
put experienced teachers over the pri-
mary classes than over the more
advanced ones, for the teachers who first
manipulate the young mind give it its
bent, and the success of the whole course
depends largely upon the use they make
of their opportunities. There is really no
room for inexperienced teachers in properly
administered schools, for there is no grade
of instruction which is not important. 1t
should therefore be the aim of School
Boards and legislators to facilitate the
adoption of teaching as life profession in
every possible way. The good teachers
should be made much of, and stimulated
by judicious promotion. The bad teachers
should be weeded out as soon as possible.
| The spoils system should be discarded
utterly, and the efficiency of the schools
be made the test and touchstone of all
educational legislation. The San Francisco
School Board has Numbered most seriously.
1t is impossible to keep up high standard
in the schools under SO preposterous a rule
as they have just adopted. 1t is not only
unjust to the teachers, but it is fatal to the
effectiveness of the schools themselves.
Whether teachers are married or not should
be nothing to the public. The one i'm
poItant consideration is whether they are
good teachers.
/ SAN FRANCISCO TTEMs
From San Francisco exchanges Of December l6thI
| Strong efforts are being made by few
| of the Democratic Ward Presidents of the
w. 2. G. to revive that organization.
Duties paid at the Custom no Use yester-
dau xuara SAn 002 mariuo total Of