Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-08-21
The Public Schools.

EDITOR ISTELLIGENCER DEAR SlR:-I am one
Of those nersous VINO have on all proper occa-
,ions spokcn nv opinions freely aud unreserv-
,d,v and acted in public and private life, as /
believe. independent OF popular sentiment. For
these reasons nave often been severely crItl-
cised: sometimes, perhaps, justly and some
tim.s know. upjustly. These criticisms L
generally leave unanswered, for time to Justify
ar condemn. ard should have taken this course
in regard TO the storm raised in a certain quarter
against ,be action OF ''the majority'' of the
hoard of education in the late election of n prin-
c,pal of the High School, had 1t not been for
your mild Endorsement, in rather ambiguous
language. of the s.storm,' Knowing you to be
Il gentleman and scholar, and believing you to
be a friend of public and private education, I
fell ouite sure that II you and l We're to exchange
views on the question of, public schools we
should not drfer materially about what the law
ought to be or the method of carrying it into
effect.
2 Some OF our people seem to have very crude,
and. 1 thtnk, erroneous ideas in regard TO the
educational interests of the country. For in
stance, l heard n school teacher in this city say,
"The public schools of st. Louis are rs good
as the public schools III any OF the states.' j
heard another, who is now closely connected
with the public school interests of this city. say,
'.We have rs good home material for Il princi-
pal in the High School rs they have anywhere"
Then the opinion seems 10 obtain that almost
any one will do for Il public school teacher.
Then again some seem to think that these schools
are beneficiary institutions. and say, ''ThOse
vino have taught one or two years should be
turned out and others given IL chance to pocket
some of the public fnnds;'' / suppose on the
principle that any applicantis qualified to teach.
Why is ii that the greater portion Of the princi-
pals and teachers in the female schools in this
city have been imported, and that no protest $50
far as / know has ever been entered? Perhaps
you will reply, They are private institutions
and have a right to do as they please.' Still
the question is pertinent, for if they find the
cause of education advanced by the introduction
0ra foreigner, the same reasons will hold good
in regard to the public school, and the directors
thereof are unler. oath bound to employ, in
their judgment, the best material offered, with
out regard to present citizenship. Perhaps you
may be disposed to cavil Il little, and say, The
standard OF education is higher N the female
schools than III the high school, aud therefore a
higher grade OF scholarship is demanded Tor the
former than the latter" My reply is, that
Judging from the Certificates OF our county school
commissioner, the grade of scholarship OF the
graduates of the high school will compare very
favorably with those turned out by either of the
female schools of this city. l state these facts
wholly for the purpose OF vindica'inG the public
schools of our city, and disabusing the minds of
some of our citizens. ! am one OF those persons
who believe that IN order to be u successful
teacher one must possess more good qualities
and qualifications than for almost any other pro-
r..-. " "a ;lr,., I;ut t;t,,,,, .,t,;,
ments, a good disciplinarian, mild but firm in
government, Il good capacity for communicating
instruction., capable of securing the confidence
and affection 1.-THE pupils, with u heart for the
,corhs, are, in my opinion, essential for a sue
cessiul teacher, and when the board has been
fortunate in obtaining such teachers they should
retain them until they can procure still better
material. For acting upon these principles The
board has received many Il tongue castigation
from disappointed applicants and their friends.
But 1 am persuaded that the true friends of the
public schools will conclude that those mem
bers of the board who have visited the schools
two OR three times a year for ten or twelve years
past for the very purpose of ascertainlng the
qualifications of the teachers, are. at least,
rs competent judges as those persons who never
visit the schools, but take it upon themselves TO
select their particular friends and demand their
election by the board. have never had a rela-
tive or :. particular friend to whom l promised
support i'll advance of the election, but have
always supported those l thought would bcs
advance the interests of the schools. This,
conceive to be what ''the taxpayers land per.
haps the non-taN-payers, tool placed me AM
others in the board for. The motto OF the boart
in the election of teachers has been, First, al
other things being equal. they would select
citizen OF the district; second, the most need.
one; third, Il 81 aduatc oil the high school, for tn
reason that they believe a person trained ant
educated in the public schools is better qualifie,
for teaching in those schools than one educated
ut :, private school, other things being equal
Eut in every case the interests of The school
were 10 be held paramount To all others. Thu
the board has made some mistakes in the selec
ton of teachers, I know. That they have bee
abused for Il faithful discharge of IL positive dut
I also know. And one of these was the Int
election OF n principal for the high school. Tis
1.-The majority did what they believed TO he 70
the best interests of the school there can be n
question for no other motive can be shown to in
%1uence their vote, and they tcel confident thu
..Mr. Clark, II resilient of Indiana,'' will prov
himself Il gentleman of high educational attain
Enents, and give satisfaction to the true friend
OF the schools. We ''the majority'' feel {:
confident OF success here rs the board did wlc
they chingedt the principals Of the ward school
from males 10 females By which were obiaine
better discipline and a saving 10 the district
$3.50 per year. Some of the men who storme
and threatened the iiercest had the manhood I
come and say ''thc board was right and we wei
wrong for we now have the best school we ev,
had in that house, and the records of ii
board (Which are open TO the examination of all
will show that there have been fewer appeals I
the board from the action Of the female teacher
than from that OF the males. ills not my il
~tention to notice that iunatic correspondent
the Hlsginsville paper, but simply to state tn;
the republicans never had Il majority IN Il
board OF education until this year, and the boar
thus constituted elected ten teachers in Il
white schools. and all are democrats or men
beers of democratic Families. l trust the que
ton of politics, or any other dIvi7ive mcasur,
may never be introduced inte the board to el
danger Its harmony and efficiency, and TIL
jeopariize the caitse of education. The publ
schools are Of vast interest to the present III
future generations, and should be careful
guarded and cherished by our citizens.
There is NO cause for 8 conflict between Il
public and the private schools now establish,
in this city. There is room for all, and l no
10 see all prosper. There Is not only room, bl
rs l believe, Il dcmGndiOr l. male aCHhemy, su
us has recently been established by Mr. .iUDso
Let us SUPPORT all of these educational instit
lions. If HE breath and physical force spent
tearing down, we're utilized in bulllInr nm Al
strengthening the things that remain, pcac
happiness and prosperity would be enjoyed Il
vastly greater degree than ii present.
:; A. II. McFADDEN.
Lexington, August lG, lSSo.
/, Meeting of the Democratic Exec
tive m