Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-07-20
SouE CAUSES ron BAD SCHOOLS

An Iowa Superintendent after ex.
amining students 10 years Of age in
spelling and writing, gives some start.
ling facts to the public through a
Marshall county paper Cheap Direct
ors should read it.
Nine years is the average time that
these nineteen pupils have been in
school, and there is not one of them
that can write letter without MARI
ing it with mistakes that would dis
grace a boy nine years old, that had
been properly trained. What have
these nineteen pupils been dong that
they can neither write, nor spell, nor
construct simple sentences2 What
have the teachers been doingH What
has produced this astonishing condi-
tioni / think ] can state some rea.
sons why this school has been so sue
cessful in doing nothing; but before
doing this, in justice to the other
schools, | will say that this is probably
the poorest school in Marshall county.
There are plenty of just such schools in
the State, produced by the same uD-
happy combination of circumstances.
The reasons are:
!. 1t is q town school having be-
tween one hundred and sixty and two
hundred pupils of school-going age,
therefore needs a man or woman Of
more than ordinary ability at its head,
2. There have been Sirteen changes
of principals in nine years. (State
Centre has made but two changes in
the same time)
s. For nine years it has been the
policy of the different boards oontroll-
ing the school to employ the cheapest
material in the market For nine
years the different boards have been
waiting and watching for man who
would do frst-class,work forless money
than a seoond.rate barber gets, and
they hare just found him.
H. The only time the patrons man
ifest any particular interest, is at the
annual elections; then two parties are
organized, The following are the
principles of the two parties as shown
both by their actions and statements.
These are not the principles of the en-
tire community. There are men in
this district who deprecate the manner
in which the school interests are man
aged, but they are powerless. They
recognize the great waste Of time and
money, and are fully alive to the fact
that their children are being defrauded.
The only issue at the election is the
teacher. The party favorable to re-
tanning him adopt the following prin.
ciples;
l. We again pledge ourselves to
the policy Of poor and cheap school.
3 And, since it has pleased the
Great Ordainer to give us such school
under the present management we
pledge ourselves anew to support the
present economical % administration.
PRINCIPLES OF THE OPPOSITION.
l. We also favor cheap school.
2. We demand the subordination Of
tho teachers TO the whims and caprices
of our children.
3 The right of ourchildren TO do
as thew nlease shall not be questioned,
A. We execrate the course of the
present principal in his efforts to con.
troll the school, as we are opposed TO q
Capitalization of power.
8. We believe that anybody can
teach school,
6. We believe that the success of the
school depends ON the frequency of the
change Of teachers.
Z. We do not favor any new.ian.
pled notions. We think a knowledge
of the three RS enough for A bow and
too much for A girl.
s. The opinion that a want of at.