Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-31
The SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS.

the schools cannot be satisfactorily con-
Quoted unless there is harmony and concert
of action between the teachers as well as
assurance of competency on their part.
Nothing can be more prejudicial to the
educational interests of the children of the
community than a feud between the Prin-
cipals of the Sacramento Grammar School
and the High School, for example and if
such feud exists we have no hesitation in
affirming that it is the plain duty of the
Board of Education to end it without any
delay, seeing that the real sufferers from
! any enmity of the kind must be the chill
| dren. 1t is not an easy matter to ascer-
tain with certainty where the blame for
the present complications rests. 1t is quite
possible that neither side is wholly free
from error. But while it is desirable that
no injustice be done to any teacher, the
fact ought to be constantly borne in
mind that the interest of the children is
the paramount one, and that the first
thing to do is to prevent the possibility of
injury to them from the quarrels of their
instructors. Unfortunately no little in
jury mas been done to some of them al
ready, for, as the case stands, the pupils in
the first grade in the Sacramento Grammar
School lie under the imputation of incom-
petence in the study of practical arithme-
tic, while suspicion rests upon the pupils
OF the first grade in the Capital Grammar
School of having obtained success in the
same study through Legitimate means.
We shall not undertake to sit in judgment
upon either OF these cases, for after very
careful examination of all the facts obtain
able we do not feel warranted in conclud-
ing either that the cause of the Sacra-
mento Grammar School failure was bad
teaching, or that the cause of the success
of the Capital Grammar School was
unfair knowledge of the questions to be
asked. But, seeing that the want of
friendship between Messrs. Mcdonald
and Adams is notorious, we are not
at all doubtful that the Board of
Education committed a grave error of judy
ment in permitting Mr.. Adams to have
anything to do with the preparation Of the
questions for the Grammar School exami-
nation. This was bunder which almost
justifes suspicion OF partisanship in the
Board, for it was manifestly putting into
the hands of Mr.. Adams an opportunity
to wreak his dislike of Mr. Mcdonald by
discrediting his capacity through his class,
while on the other hand it enabled Mr..
Mcdonald to defend himself against the
presumption of incompetency by attribut-
ing the failure of his class to the hostility of
the leading mind on the Board of Examin-
crs. We do not say that Mr.. Adams did this,
but that he might have done it and the
knowledge that lie might have done it has
obviously had very much to do with the
recent difficulties. The Board ought not
to have employed him in the business at
all, and had it exercised good taste or COM
mon sense in this regard, it is almost GER
tain that the present embarrassment would
have been avoided.
1t is necessary to point out also that
though the Board has contrived to mud
die through the Sacramento Grammar
School fiasco after fashion, it has by no
means surmounted all the difficulties in
the case. The children who are now leav-
ing the Grammar School to enter the High |
School will pass under the educational
control Of teacher who is practically |
committed against the theory of Mr.. Nc
Donald's competency as an instructor. If,
therefore, these children do well in the |
High School, it will be vindication of
blr. Mcdonald, while if they should not
do we'll it may be regarded as confrma-
ton of the view which Mr.. Adams is
believed to entertain. But it must
depend almost entirely upon Mr.. Adams,
and his associates who think with
him, whether the Grammar School grad
yates do well or i'll and as we have
shown, he can only seek their
success by sacrificing his strong convic-
tons against their former teacher. New !
we care nothing, abstractlY speaking, for
any quarrel that may exist between these
two teachers, but we protest in the most
earnest manner against the wrong which |
must be done to the children by jeopardiz-
ing their interests in such way. 1t is al
ready believed quite generally that the first
grade of the Sacramento Grammar School
has been sacrificed to the qualification of a
private feud, and even if this view be
erroneous it is quite evident that Mr..
Adams is placed, through his hostility to
the Principal OF the Sacramento Grammar
School, in a particularly embarrassing rela-
ton to the pupils about to come under his
charge. This is a consideration far broader
and moe important than any which has
arisen recently, for it affects the edu-
cat;onal prospects OF between fifty and
sixty children at this moment, ard it in
wolves the success of ali the children who
shall pass from the Grammar to the High
School while the present principals of those
hold their posts. in fact, the
relations between these two teachers are
with the proper and faithful
performance of their duties, and it is in
cumbent upon the Board of Education to
decide upon some method of bringing the
present feud. to conclusion, or, failing
that, to make such changes in the depart
ment as will secure the children against
the dangers, humihations and discourage
ments which now Interfere so seriously
with their education.
WHITAKER SENTENCED.
The Court of Inquiry in the Whitaker