Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-06-25
BOARD OF EDUCATION.

1. All charges to be in writing, signed by
the party complaining and not by attorney
Adopted.
2 Charges to be presented only through 8
member Adopted.
8. On presentation the Board will vote eli
ther to dismiss or investigate. Adopted.
4. Provides for service of notice, etc.
Adopted.
5. Either party may appear by attorney,
and the general rule in the laws Of evidence
to be the rule in the Board. Adopted.
6. The Board to continue the investigation
from night to night unless it otherwise orders,
and at the conclusion the Board shall vote on
each charge separately, on this statement OF
the question: is the charge sustained -
Adopted.
z. All objections to be made to the Presi-
dent. and by him decided without debate.
On appeal from the decision members may
discuss the objection, ETC. Adopted.
s. Complainant to introduce all his testi-
mony, and the defendant all his. and if he
brings on any new matter, rebuttal as to such
may be made. Adopted.
8. Ten minutes be allowed for argument OF
objections. On conclusion of trial. half
hour allowed each party to address the Board,
and each Director thirty minutes, II he de-
sires, before voting. Adopted.
Mr. Hornblower here called up the filed
memorandum of Mr.. Robinson, of charges
his client would make against Professor
Adams, to ascertain if that paper embodied
the charges.
1t was stated, and the minutes showed that
the paper was memorandum of charges,
which. Mr.. Robinson said, on filing or pre-
senting, he would thereafter put in fuller
form The charges in the memorandum read !:
l. Conduct unbecomiog gentleman and
teacher.
?. Getting intoxicated, chewing tobacco and
drinking III the presence of his pupils
3. Conduct tending to demoraiiZe the school
department.
The charges signed by Edmund Ellis read ::
l. Conduct unbecoming.a gentlman and
teacher.
2. Conduct tending to demoralize the school
department.
g. That he is not a proper person to be en-.
ploved as a teacher.
The committee, by Mr.. Hornblower, then
reported that 50 the committee considers the
charges signed by Edmund Ellis, unintelligi-
Bile, ambiguous and not specific, and that the
person charged would not know what answer
or defense to make to them. We therefore
recommend that the same be returned with
out action"
4 warm debate here occurred upon the two
turn them to the complainant without action
for the reasons stated by the committee.
The Board resolved TO and adopted the re-
port, and ordered the charges to be returned
to Mr.. Robinson with notice that, to be en-
tertained, they must be more specific and be
made under the rule, if he desires to present
the charges again, and that he will be allowed
until Saturday evening to present them under
the rule through some member of the Board.
Mr.. Hornblower offered the following:
WHEREAS, Professor A. H. Mcdonald having OF
fered or proposed 20 this Board that he be exam
ined touching his qualifications as a teacher of
arithmetic or other studies by experts selected by
this Board, therefore
Resolved, That this Board select three gentlemen
from the we'll known public educators OF this State
to examine Mr. Mcdonald, and report under seal to
this Board his ability and competency teach and
impart to pupils instruction in arithmetic and all
other studies taught in public grammar schools,
said Mcdonald paying all expenses attending
thereto.
Ayes - Hornblower, Stalker, Weimeyer.
Noes - Butler, Lord, McClatchy, Tracy,
Griffitts
MIR. Hornblower then stated that Mr.. Nc
Donald was a candidate for the Principalship
of the Sacramento Grammar School, and
asked the Board to decide his fate by ballot
ting GU his candidacy or in blank.
This was followed by debate on the ques-
ton whether other candidates should not be
named but it being urged as a favor to Mr.
Mcdonald that the vote be taken as q test
for him or in blank, the Board agreed to it
by this vote:
Ayes-Hornblower, Stalker, Tracy, Wei
meyer, Grifitts. Noes-Butler, Lord, Me-
Clatchy.
The roll was then called, and votes de-
clared with explanations, and Of the latter
full synopses are given:
Butler-Blank as not prepared to vote
without further hearing.
Hornblower-For Mcdonald. LIST. Be
cause over $50 citizens petitioned for it, IN
der an inaiienable right to present it. The
signers are responsible citizens. %. Because
he has been ten times in ten years elected to
the position, Endorsed by ten Boards OF Edu-
cation. and those high in authority have IN
dorsed him. 3D. Parents Of pupils in great
number ask his reelection 4th. He is
Christian aud a moral man. 9th. he did not
have fair and impartial trial. 9th. His
pupils failed to answer puzzle questions, but
understood practical arithmetical principles.
His methods of teaching arithmetic are supe-
rior to the drill in the other grammar school.
Sth. To Dust Mr. Mcdonald is to say to the
pupils you may Dust any teacher by failing
20 answer examination questions. Lastly.
Mr. Mcdonald has been Prosecuted,
Lord-No.
MIC atchv-B'an It was understood that
when Mr. Mcdonald came up as , candidate
psrties having other charges should have q
hearing. He was pledged to that, and would
vote blank until that hearing was had.
Second-There is no hurry to elect. The
school can go on without q principal for
time under It's Vice Principal. There are
number Of candidates for the place, and he
wanted time to find cut who is the best one
for the school.
Saskatchewan. On the evidence I
cannot conscientiously vote against Mr..
Mcdonald.
Tracy-Blank. Firss-On the testimony was
not prepared to say that Mr.. Mcdonald
was not qualified. Second-As to his
Christian and moral character, that is
true. but there are other competent
teachers who are of like character. Third
Mr.. Mcdonald admits that his class answered
the two most difficult questions and missed
the easier ones. and Mcdonald himself called
on Mr.. Brier to corroborate it. Fourth-As
to The other school, he quoted Mr.. Horn
blower, who visited the Capital School with
Mr.. Hoyt of San Francisco and saw Mr..
Johnson teaching or drilling his class on sim
liar questions, and Mr.. Hoyt, a competent
man, indorsed the methods. Mr.. Tracy
added these words after conversing with
pupils Of the first grade OF the Sacramento
Grammar School, others who had graduated
from the school, some of whom are in the
Hieh School. others who have graduated
from it. teachers and parents, together with
The failure Of the class in arithmetic taught
by Mr.. Mcdonald to attain the required
standing, [ have concluded that it Is not
best to continue Mr.. Mcdonald as Prinei
pal OF the Sacramento Grammar School.
Parents and prominent citizens have, by
signing the petitions, contradicted statements
made to me unsolicited on my part others,
perhaps the majority, have expressed their
true opinions in these petitions, and think
Mr.. Mcdonald the right man in the right
place. and / only regret that the responsible
ty Of voting upon this question cannot be
transferred from myself to some one of their
number. In view Of limitations of unfair
ness on the part of the examiners and of
undue advantages having been obtained by
the Principal ard pupils of the Capital
Grammar School, l deem it but just to say
that it is my firm conviction that such init
nations or destinations are without founda-
ton. and that the Principal and pupils OF the
first grade OF the Capital Grammar School
are entitled both to the approval OF tins
Board and the credits given by the eXamln-
ers." Mr.. Tracy said also that as to the
signers of the petition one of the most prom
inent had told him Mr.. Mcdonald he knew
to have been a failure for two years past.
lie cited Others who had admitted to him
that their signatures were a contradiction Of
facts they themselves cited.
Weiueyer- Mcdonald. From the testi-